Checking your personal battery

When our personal energy is in demand, it matters we find ways to preserve it and also keep it topped up.

We are grateful to the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (the ALLIANCE) for sharing an earlier piece Navigating the Storm of the Cost of Living Crisis which offered some self care and self management ideas and resources to help in what remains challenging times for so many reasons.

As we enter a New Year, we may find we want to move forwards with a sense of renewed hope for the future while finding moments of joy each day. Yet we continue to hear of the challenges ahead as well as whatever we are facing in our own life; financially, emotionally, physically with our own health issues or those of someone we care about and love.

We hear of the ‘energy crisis’ but there is also an issue of our own personal energy levels which we need to face the many demands on our time and on our thinking. We may hear more the term ‘Mental Load’ which we can think about as the sheer volume of things we are thinking about, making decisions about, trying to find ways to attend to, often not only for ourselves but for others too, e.g. finding time in your already busy schedule to take someone to a medical appointment, or find time to learn something new so you can help the children with their homework, or finding new meals to cook and shopping for ingredients as family members’ diet needs change. Or coming to terms with living with a newly diagnosed health issue which you need to find ways to adjust to. The list goes on. And we wonder why at times something as simple as ‘what do we need from the shops’ is just one decision too many. This piece is for self care and self management and does not replace professional advice. If you ever feel so overwhelmed you are thinking of suicide, please speak to someone. The Samaritans are there 24/7, 365 days of the year, and their number is 116 123.

It matters when we are putting so much energy out that we find healthy ways to recharge and also are mindful of the impact of the energy we are spending and whether anything be done differently to save energy. This workbook can be used for self-reflection or if you are receiving support from someone for guided self help Getting Back your Ooomph The aim of the resource is to explore why you may be feeling ‘flat’ and what can be done to recharge your energy.

We are aware however, that when time is of the essence, making time for self-care can be a challenge. We put together this other wee resource which takes less time to consider and can still be of use. The Battery Dude and Battery Exercise.

This piece contains

‘The Battery Dude’

A simple way to check in with your energy every day, or throughout the day to help you become mindful of your energy levels and when you need to recharge.

‘The Battery exercise’

A simple idea to explore where you spend your energy, how you top it back up, and perhaps some changes could be made which are better for your overall wellbeing.

‘Energy tips’

A simple postcard with some tips on recharging your batteries and the option if you decide to make a promise to yourself to be more mindful of your own energy levels.

We are all different and our life experiences can be different as can the activities which make up our day, physically, psychologically, financially, socially, emotionally, mentally. What matters is recognising when our battery needs charged before it becomes totally flat and giving ourselves permission to look after ourselves as well as everyone and everything else.
There is another wee exercise we would like to share Your personal Jigsaw lid which invites you to think about the pieces you identify as important for your wellbeing. Beginning a New Year offers us an opportunity for a new start and even if that is only small steps at a time. Finding ways to have even a wee bit more energy helps us face the challenges life can throw as well as take the opportunities life can still offer where we can find moments of joy.

Please remember you matter, and it is all right to also look after you. Learning to tell yourself positive things is also good for topping up your energy. This post and video may be of interest Using a Kinder Inner Voice It also shares a link to a video we made with the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland on creating your own affirmation jar.

Let’s find things which inspire us, they may not be as easy to perceive as those which challenge us, but they are still there

“…Only when it is dark enough can you see the stars”

Martin Luther King, Jr.

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