I’m bone exhausted. I don’t know if that’s a real thing, but it feels like it at the moment. Like my whole body just let out a huge sigh and a nose dive into the couch isn’t a suggestion, it’s mandatory. I’m perplexed. The A.R.C. — an Adventure Running Camp that I put on for kids to build physical, mental, and emotional resilience — started just five days ago, but it’s only two hours a day… Alright, so it’s more like a half a day when you consider all social media postings, planning, and planning… But it’s exceptionally fun and I’ve done it for four years now, so there is a routine to it. It “shouldn’t” take that much energy!
I think back to the last time that I was just tired. We were away on “vacation” (parentheses added because it actually didn’t feel relaxing even though that was what we were going for) about two weeks ago. We were so excited to get out and go anywhere really after a year and a half of our Covid isolation. We were so excited that we literally booked more places to go and more things to do than we ever did even before Covid ever happened. I don’t feel like I’m giving away the end of this movie (especially since I already talked about it in a recent blog), but we ended up needing a vacation from our vacation and…I was bone tired. All the self questioning of “mask on, mask off,” being around so many people after living like a cave monk for 18 months, and simply being on the move day after day, when leaving the house for more than then an hour a day in a mad rush for toilet paper was about all I had been used to!
The truth is, energy is not infinite. As excited as we all are to get back out and see people and do things, most of us are a bit energetically “out of practice.” Remembering that we need to emotionally pace ourselves can save us from exhausting all of our emotional reserves and crashing into that mental-emotional space of, “I know there were some good times in there, but I feel down for the count… What the hell just happened?”
Here are a couple ways that you can emotionally pace yourself, so that as you re-enter into the orbit of other people, situations, and events that give as well as require energy, you find yourself rejuvenated and appreciative of your newfound abilities to reconnect with others.
Create corner time for yourself – As fun as it is to get out and do all these wonderful things we’ve been kept from doing for a year and a half, we need to acknowledge that we may be a little bit out of practice energetically speaking. If you feel like you’re starting to run yourself down a little, don’t be afraid to take a time out, get yourself some quiet space, or what I would call ‘corner time’. Step away from the social scene and do activities that replenish you and help you recenter yourself.
Take emotional baby steps – When you’re planning your vacation, getaway, going over to your friend’s houses, or possibly even heading out to a race, you feel better starting with smaller events and working your way up. Meet a few friends for coffee for an hour rather than a family reunion. Go to your local farmers market, rather than the theme park. These smaller venues will get you familiar with being in other’s company and the energy that it takes, so that you rebuild those emotional muscles. You’ll soon be ready for that seven-day excursion you want to take to another state with your family!
Give yourself and others a “pass” – When you see others coming back from vacation or just being back out in public, remember how it felt for you when you were starting to go out and about, or just coming back from a vacation. Connect with real empathy! Talk about the fact that you understand it’s hard, your experience with it, and don’t take up too much energy looking for social chatter. This happened at a pizza joint for me. I saw some people I knew who had just returned from their family summer trip. We had a quick talk about the energy it took this year, and then, with a mutual understanding, a sigh of relief, they grabbed their take-out pizza and, I imagine, headed home to crash on that couch!
So, just because we now have the freedom to roam, don’t forget to take into account that we haven’t been doing it for a while. You may feel overwhelmed, tired, or irritable with too much socializing. Allow yourself to leave an activity early, or to still choose solo activities. Start slowly and give yourself and those you encounter a pass on long, involved discussions. If you emotionally pace yourself, you’ll appreciate and find more fulfillment in all of your newly reestablished social opportunities!
If you would like help lessening your fear and anxiety, reaching your goals, breaking habits, or creating new ones, I’d love to work with you. Just click the button or the link below for a free consultation and let’s talk.
