HOW TO STAY ENERGIZED WHEN YOU ARE EXHAUSTED

I fantasize about sleep in what might be considered an unhealthy way, but let’s be honest – it’s the plight of most parents of littles who are still in the process of learning how to sleep through the night. My youngest, Baker, recently turned the seven-month mark and really loves to wake up at least three times throughout the night to make sure that mommy is still around. This is my first lesson in not comparing one child to another. My daughter, now three, was sleeping twelve-hours uninterrupted by six months. She was sleeping circles around Baker’s current schedule. Sleep certainly isn’t a competition, yet somehow I am losing. The bags under my eyes get darker each month and there’s only a certain amount of caffeine I can ingest before the jitters render me equally inept as I am tired.

You might have perfect sleepers, or not be a parent, but I know that you have experienced the level of exhaustion and survival I am describing. The type of fatigue that, in addition to making your eyes droop like Droopy the Dog, makes your body feel weak and your mind lethargic. Now, with exhaustion and with seasons of tiredness, there is always eventually an end in sight, but let’s be honest – it’s really not always in sight, so we need to learn how to thrive and stay energized even when exhausted.

Let’s go about energizing ourselves the way I go about my daily caffeine fix – in quick bites, like little shots of espresso, because, let’s be honest, espresso works best. I wish I could just IV it into my arms and am already dreaming about having Santa bring me an espresso machine of my own next Christmas!

QUICK ENERGY BOOST #1

HAVE PURPOSE THAT NATURALLY ENERGIZES YOU

One reason we are so tired is because we allow ourselves to live in a constant state of overwhelm. Seriously, it’s super easy to get overwhelmed or distracted, even with something as simple as opening up a social media feed when you’re just trying to waste three minutes waiting in line at Starbucks. For me, the worst is when I dive deep into that never-ending rabbit-hole of comparison which inevitably always plops me out, face-first into a state of being “not-enough” and slightly depressed about myself and my state in life. We don’t have to make things so hard for ourselves. Actually, truth be told, we are more successful than we give ourselves credit for – we just need to look at ourselves and at our definitions of success properly to see how well we are actually doing. What I’ve learned is that, no matter how tired I’m feeling on any particular day, if I feel like I am still somewhat in my lane of success, then I feel a strong undercurrent of natural energy that moves me and makes things just a little bit easier (not to mention, makes my heart a little bit happier).

For me, I dialed in on my definition of success so that I could tap into it more readily when feeling fatigued, overwhelmed or just plain out exhausted. I had spent years prescribing to “success” as told to me by others around me – and since making this shift to define success on my own terms, my natural energy and optimism has gone up (even though my sleep hasn’t!). Curious to my definition? You’re welcome to use it, or parts of it, or use it to inspire writing your own:

Doing what I love.

Being around people I love.

Spreading love.

QUICK ENERGY BOOST #2

SIMPLIFY YOUR EXPECTATIONS AND FOCUS ON WHAT MATTERS

I have to thank my type-B husband for this gem. And, to be honest, I fought tooth and nail against this influence of his on me because it was so against my perfectionistic, let’s-accomplish-a-million-things-in-one-afternoon mentality. Thankfully, Brandon is a pretty stubborn guy and wouldn’t budge on this and so, after a few years of being married, I’ve finally learned his magic trick to more happiness and better energy: do less.

Now, before you misunderstand or think I’m talking about being lazy, I’m not. We’re not talking laziness here, we’re talking about creating realistic expectations. I used to wake up on Saturday mornings and rattle off the dozen things I wanted us to squeeze in that day … energetically spewing out my to-do list before my poor husband even had time to open his eyes or sit up in bed. It took a few months and a handful of little conversational tiffs, but eventually Brandon got me to understand that a packed day didn’t always make a good day. Our weekend morning conversations now go differently – I still have my ambitious list, and I share it with him, and then we cut that list by 80% and do what remains. This is still hard for me, but it has not only improved the quality of our family time together, but has also helped me learn to determine what matters to me.

When in doubt, cut your to-do list in half. You really don’t “need” to do everything you think you do. Then, for those big things in your life, the ones that really matter to you, you won’t lose energy getting overwhelmed, anxious, doubtful or worried about whether or not you can do them. While you might have a thousand steps you need to take to reach your dream, the only beneficial thing for you to think about is what your next step is. Keeping your “need to do” list simple will help you keep stepping forward towards the things that matter to you simple and easy.

QUICK ENERGY BOOST #3

RECHARGE YOURSELF INTENTIONALLY

I used to be the worst at this. I had falsely convinced myself that I could go-go-go-go-go and that taking a break was for losers and wussies. Well, it turns out, living with a twisted superhero mentality can really mess with you and it did with me. I spent almost a decade of my life seemingly spinning my wheels, looking really impressive and busy on the outside and yet decaying with lack of meaning or energy on the inside. I often used negative motivation to try to push myself to do things, which really just means that I was my own worst bully and would bully-myself into action. I think you can piece it together that during this time of my life I wasn’t very kind. Don’t get me wrong, I was super kind to others, just not very kind to myself, which I thought was okay. It turns out that being a jerk to yourself gets you nowhere in life. There is something to this big self-kindness and self-care trend that is flying around the internet and wellness coaching spaces.

Being kind to yourself is hard. not in theory, but in application, simply because we live such “busy-busy-busy” lives. For me, being kind to myself seemed like a waste. I mistakenly thought my time was better spent being “productive” than being kind. Then I learned that kindness leads to better productivity and overall happiness, which is what we are after anyways in our drive towards productivity, right?

Kindness and self-care looks different for everyone, but in case you are like me and this is new territory to you, here are a few ideas of little things you can do to get started (at least these work for me):

Taking a quick power shower (because, let’s face it, a bath as a mom isn’t always realistic)
A three-minute book break (because sometimes turning off all technology and saying that you have time to read gives a natural boost)
A bite of chocolate (because chocolate is always a mood-enhancer)
Taking fun runs (because I want my exercise to be fun and I will workout more often, and therefore feel better and more energized, if I make sure to make my runs fun in some way or another)
Intentional, totally present play time (because we are never too old to play, and because my kids love this – this bonding time revs my spirit up with natural energy that beats coffee every time)
Putting my foot down on comparison to others (because I know it’ll always still happen, and I know that it steals my joy – and therefore energy – so when I feel myself looking outside of my own lane or feeling less than because of someone else, I pinch myself and speak words of affirmation, love and kindness to myself about my uniqueness)
Saying “no” to email (because too many of us let email rule our live and our to-do lists; instead I try to have set times for email, which gives me the upper hand in my schedule and stress levels)
Look for a quick laugh (because we need laughter, every day, and the more of it we get, the better, more energized we will feel; when I’m in need, I grab a dose by tickling my baby, chasing my toddler, or YouTubing The Ellen Show or some of my favorite stand up comedians)
Drinking 12 oz. of ice cold water (because being well-hydrated will give you a natural energy boost and the crisp coolness of the cold water also serves as a little wake up call)

Whatever season of life you are in right now, there are challenges and to be your best as you rise up against them, you want to maximize your energy so that you can be your best you. It is imperative to remember that though you may feel exhausted now, it will pass. And the more you press on and stay determined to be full of life, energy, hope and enthusiasm, the more you will find that natural motivation and natural high, even on those days (or seasons) of exhaustion. As you pursue your own definition of success and as you stay plugged into kindness (and having fun as you do), then no matter the physical, mental or emotional fatigue you may feel, your internal energy and power will never go out or be extinguished.

A great life requires bravery.

It takes bravery to stand up to fatigue and not play the victim.

You are stronger than you think you are and you have the power within you to stay energized even when exhausted.

Be brave and great things will be on the horizon for you.

Confidently yours,

Trish

PS: Sometimes, in our seasons of exhaustion, all it takes is an extra coach to push us daily to stick with a mindset of energy, action and abundance, and I would love to be that consistent voice of encouragement for you. All you have to do to get my unwavering support is to come pull up a chair in The College of Confidence.

You’ve probably heard about The College of Confidence and you might still be considering whether or not The College of Confidence is for you or will really suit your needs – and while I can’t answer that question for you, I can tell you that I am obsessed about getting my College members results and the growth they crave – so I hope you take the leap and come join us today, which you can do by going to www.trishblackwell.com/college to enroll.

What do you get for just $47/month (something I charge my individual clients upwards of $1,000/month for?)….?

You get four coaching videos per month.
You get four live video coaching sessions per month.
You get hundreds of hours of archived coaching videos.
You get 24/7 forum access and support from me.
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Oh, and there’s no need to worry about whether or not you have enough time to make your membership count. The College of Confidence is bite-sized coaching and support for when you need it – it works around your schedule and around how much or how little you want to be supported.

Make today count – it only takes three minutes to enroll and I cannot wait to connect with you and help you stay energized for new levels of confidence, courage and success! Rev your energy and belief by enrolling here > www.trishblackwell.com/college