When we’re under stress, our ability to recover is like recharging a battery: We plug it in and impatiently watch and wait as it seemingly charges only a couple of percentages. Sometimes we even unplug before fully recharged. Your body is no different. It needs patience, time, and rest. Be kind to yourself and listen to your body. It may be blinking red.
I was brushing my teeth and for the 3rd day in a row, the battery was blinking red…telling me at seemingly any moment, it was going to stop working. Each day I told myself, “Oh…just one more quick brushing and then I’ll plug it in…” By day 5, it did what it had been warning me it was going to do… it stopped working. So, I plugged it in that evening and went to sleep. In the morning, I was able to use it but the indicator said it was only 30% charged. “WHY DOES IT TAKE SO LONG,” I thought to myself. And then I made the connection — I pushed it to the end and now it needs time. Time.
We are so impatient and have grown into a world where we expect things instantly. I’m not talking about instant versus delayed gratification — this is more than that. This is us pushing and pushing and pushing and then not being patient enough to allow for a recharge. Again, I’m not talking about a toothbrush or your phone. Our bodies and minds, more than ever, need a recharge.
So, remember that if we continue feeling rundown after one attempt at self care that it’s because it’s likely going to take more…a lot more. Similarly, those that find a rhythm, their personal rhythm, to “plug in” are the ones that have found the “secret” to self care. They’re not waiting to until they blink red like the rest of us.
As we head into yet another stressful period of this pandemic, take as much time in any way as you can to recharge your own battery. Sure, you can run on red for days, weeks, and months on end…but eventfully you can’t. The longer you wait, the longer it will take to recharge.
Do it for yourself and do it for your family — nothing and no one can run forever in the red on 10%.