Working in schools I always have such high expectations of what I will get done any given summer. Then, inevitably, the time rushes by and I start the new school year moderately refreshed but considerably disappointed in what I managed to accomplish.
This summer, however, has been anything but refreshing. Between an extended house full of family, facing the fact that I need to add another day onto my “day job” in the fall to pay the bills, a partner who is frustrated with his own job situation and planning a wedding on a budget (or should I say avoiding planning), my fatigue has kicked back into high gear. On the plus side, it made me realize just how far I’d come. On the minus, I fell right back into the cycle that feeds it.
Between fatigue and the summer habit of eating whatever is offered to me for meals, I put on 20 lb, which feeds the fatigue, which then makes it harder for me to plan more energizing meals.
Recently, the boy went on tour with his dad for a week, and an unexpected gift made the concept of wedding planning not make me want to pull my hair out, so I had grand plans of figuring all that stuff out and getting back into solid eating habits again.
The night the boy left, I had the worst insomnia I’d had in ages and was completely useless the next day with a headache. I managed to go for a walk with my Guy, and that evening I binge watched Gilmore Girls, took a bath and watched two more episodes in bed.
The thing we don’t talk about much is that sometimes the reason we avoid “me time” is that when it finally arrives we are absolutely useless with fatigue, brain fog or headache. As long as I have a schedule and expectation on my time, my body pushes through and I function pretty well. It’s when I don’t have anything I HAVE to do that my body decides it won’t even let me do the things I WANT to do.
There are a few things that have helped me get back into my groove:
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Walking out in nature.
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Stopping to listen to my body.
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Stretching my neck.
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Connecting with energizing people.
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Eating something nourishing.
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Schedule an appointment for self-care.
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Occasionally binge watching Gilmore Girls.
I’m still exploring things that reenergize me. I would love to hear what works for you! Please share in the comments.
Gail Post, Ph.D.
Binge watching a beloved show can certainly be restorative. My goal, though, is to try to pace myself as best I can to maintain my energy as much as possible. Not easy to do!
auroraremember
Yes! That is definitely the goal! I’ve done a much better job of it the last few years but sometimes things pile up unexpectedly. My biggest issue is that I actually can muster more energy when something is pushing me than when I’ve got more free time on my hands.
Sarah Tan | Elgarmummy.com
Life is funny when we fall sick just when we have grand plans for our holidays. I fell sick during my 4 weeks of June holidays recently, and was out of action for most of the time. 🙁
auroraremember
Yes, I guess it’s more common than we think.