Do you find yourself with a list of “to-do’s”, but are overwhelmed because you don’t have the energy to do it all? You’re not alone! We have all been there at some point.
After I had knee replacement surgery, I found that my energy was so low for months that I stopped participating in a majority of activities. My days were barely productive. I had my legs up on the couch while I watched TV and would delete old emails. As I was cleaning up my inbox, I realized I had hundreds of work and community involvement emails that I used to receive daily! How did I manage all of that?!
Maybe I was not totally managing, but slowly wearing myself down.
Truthfully, I was starting to notice changes in my body and my brain a few years ago, before COVID-19. My energy, excitement, and motivation turned into overwhelmed and anxious. I had to stop doing a lot of things.
I stopped attending my beloved Toastmasters meetings.
I stopped going out to concerts or attending in-person meetings, even post COVID-19.
I stopped driving. At first, that was due to my knee pain. Then I realized how my vision was getting worse (I just had cataract surgery, so hopefully my vision will improve soon)!
This was all bittersweet. But it created time to start something new!
I started to listen to my body, and when I was tired I stopped.
I started to make sure that I did something enjoyable, even if it was just playing a game on Lumosity for a few minutes.
I started streamlining emails, but it’s still something I am working on.
I started to learn that “enough” means “sufficient”, and I did a sufficient amount daily, and that was enough!
So, can I do it all?
The answer is: Yes…I could. But do I need to do it all? No, I don’t.
I can do almost everything that I want to do while respecting my body and brain’s limits. This means I need to balance my expectations with reality, and then congratulate myself for all that I have done!
If you find yourself needing help, support, or you want to learn how to respect your limits, book a chat with me! I would love to help you find new strategies to improve your wellness.
