Running on Empty

Life is short. Life is precious. Life is hard. Life is...whatever you can make of it. This is the only life on Earth we will have. What are you going to do with the life you have? This is what I have been asking myself. Lately, I have been running myself ragged and yet I don't feel like I am making any progress. Then after a couple of trips to the doctor's office, I finally realized my problem.

I have been running on empty. I don't think I can say I am even running on fumes. I am completely tapped out. Nevertheless, I tried to give and give until I was giving...nothing. And I'm exhausted.

How can I get back to being full? Life isn't about running on empty. It's about being well enough and well-adjusted enough so that you can enjoy the little moments and get through the tough times.

Be Healthy "Self-care is the best care," as a dear colleague once told me. If you're not healthy, the energy you put out will not be healthy. Try your best to eat enough healthy foods, exercise when and wherever you can, and rest. If you need to and you can, go to the doctor. Don't let minor health issues turn into big nuisances. I probably could've gotten my Vitamin D problem taken care of and avoided feeling fatigued all the time if I had gone to the doctor sooner rather than later and saved a few bucks in the process.

Do Something You Enjoy Even if it is something you haven't done in years, revive an old hobby. I love to crochet. I learned how to do it when I was a child. I recently decided I wanted to make a blanket, so I went on YouTube to find some videos on how to make one using the Granny Square patter. I haven't established a time frame on when I will complete my blanket, but when I crochet, I immediately feel relaxed, even if for five minutes. Find something you enjoy and carve out some time to do it.

Phone a Friend We're all busy and don't always have time to chat for hours on end, but a phone call every once in a while is okay. One of my closest friends and I try to make it a point to catch up at least once a month. We're both busy with families and jobs, but we still try to talk on the phone for at least a few minutes before our attention is diverted elsewhere. In a world where emails, Instagram, and text messages rule, phone calls can be almost nostalgic, a relic of less stressful, hectic times.

This is just a partial list of things to do to keep yourself centered and not running on empty. What are some things that you do or would like to do to maintain balance in your life?