Nature’s natural rhythms factor into how much energy you have at any given moment. Is it any wonder that a specific fitness or work schedule may work well for one person, but not another?
Tapping into your personal daily, monthly, and seasonal energy levels can set you up for success in your health, relationships and overall life satisfaction. If you’ve gone through Simplify Your Wellness Plan, you know what I’m talking about.
Unfortunately, I learned all about this the hard way. Pushing through fatigue, ignoring my body’s cues to rest, and having unrealistic expectations of what I could do in a day eventually knocked me down.
Like many women, my image of a successful life didn’t take reality into account. I had read about how incredible women are at multitasking, while men’s strengths lay in having a strong single-pointed focus. I truly thought that multitasking was an amazing gift.
The problem was that it wasn’t sustainable.
I became increasingly aware of this as I balanced being present for my husband, raising and teaching my kids, being available to help extended family, and volunteer. I enjoyed each aspect of my life and I happily took it on as a challenge to keep all the plates spinning.
Then I’d get a severe cold that would knock me right out. It would happen seemingly out of the blue and cause me to completely clear the calendar so I could get well again. It was in one of these times of being barely able to get out of bed that I decided to find a better way to live.
I knew I wasn’t the only woman faced with this cycle of living. After losing my sister to cancer, I began to tune in more deeply to the patterns that had crept into my life. I began to see it mirrored in the lives of many women around me as well.
These events lead me to start my self-care blog.
Once I started looking for ideas of how to live differently, I found a deeper connection to they way I wanted my life to feel. I played with letting go of my old patterns of pushing through, regardless of how I felt, on autopilot. I began to explore how I could meet my responsibilities and feel rested and recharged at the same time. Finally tuning into my innate inner wisdom made all the difference.
I began to notice the amount of sleep I needed. I paid attention to which hours of the day I had energy lulls. I began tracking my menstrual cycle according to the 4 phases and found a powerful pattern emerge. Paying attention to these factors helped me plan my days and weeks more effectively. I learned to build in rest ahead of time, as well as periods of white space. I began to say no to activities that weren’t in alignment with the season of my life.
Talk about freeing…
I had been living my entire life according to what societal norms told me I should be doing as a woman in my demographic. When I chose to trust what made sense for my well being, everything changed. I had more energy to invest in my creative pursuits. I felt a deeper connection with my husband. I was more present to listen to my kids.
My days had more ease and joy.
As my family grows and as my goals expand, the timing of my life shifts, but I know how to fill my cup. I got to test this out with a number of extended family crises in recent years, including the sudden stroke and loss of my mother in late 2017 and my father during the wild ride of early 2020. I can say for sure that I wouldn’t have navigated those emotionally charged, uncontrollable experiences as well as I did without the practices I had in place. They will continue to grow and improve to serve my life for years to come. My hope is for every woman to have access to these tools.
Tell Me:
What are your energy levels like? Will you try assessing your energy levels this week? Tell me below in the comments. If you want to have a more energetic and vibrant life, a few simple tweaks can make a big difference.
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Blessings,
Sheila
