Last year, circumstances over a period of about six months were challenging and stressful, and I didn’t manage them well. Thinking back on that time, I feel my body tense.
For years, I’ve de-stressed by exercising, but during this period, other things took up a lot of my time and energy. I tried to keep up with my exercise habits when I could, but the stress depleted my energy. Sometimes, I wondered why I felt so tired; other times, I realized stress was wearing me down and gave myself the grace to take it easy on my workouts. More often than I would have liked, I lacked the energy and motivation to exercise, so I sat on the couch, watched TV, and had a glass or two of wine. I told myself I’d get a good night’s sleep and do better the next day. Sometimes, I did better, but other times, it took a few days to get the energy or motivation.
I didn’t like how the bad habits were making me feel, and I didn’t want to get stuck with them, so I took time to:
Think about how I felt when I made these choices.
Decide what I could do instead to help me feel better going forward.
Then, I created a plan to get back to a healthier place.
First, I realized that I lack energy and motivation in stressful, busier times, so I turn to TV. I asked myself, “Why TV?” and realized it’s easy and can be entertaining. But most shows have a lot of drama and don’t usually make me feel better.
Sometimes, I thought about reading instead, but often, I was so tired I thought I would fall asleep as soon as I started. This shows me that 1. I needed more sleep, and 2. I tend to read books that I can learn something from. While I love learning, books are often an extension of work, and I needed to find something light-hearted to read on stressful days.
Second, I realized that on days when I was stressed or tired, I tend to snack more and eat sugary foods which later caused a sugar low and zapped my energy even more. I gained several pounds from all these habits and didn’t feel good about myself.
Third, the lack of energy led to less motivation to do other things, either with my friends or just around the house. But spending time with my friends, keeping my house clean, or doing small projects helps me feel better. One afternoon, I accomplished a small project I’d been putting off for weeks. Doing so made me feel a sense of accomplishment, and I felt better for the rest of the afternoon. This motivated me to do another small project.
Then I thought about what I could do to replace these habits and feel better about myself instead.
Here’s the plan of what I came up with to do when I’m too tired to exercise and need to destress:
Pausing to take deep breaths—I know this is helpful, and yet I struggle to remember to do it during stressful times. It’s good to do anytime, so I’m trying to be mindful to pause and take a few deep breaths each day so it’s a habit I can lean into when I’m having a stressful day.
Remind myself this is temporary—Sometimes when we’re having a stressful day or season, it’s hard to see beyond it. Reminding ourselves it will get better can help us see past the stress and stop it from consuming our thoughts.
Getting enough sleep—This includes good sleep hygiene, such as turning off devices in the evening and doing something to wind down before bedtime.
Make sure I’m eating right—choosing a fruit or vegetable snack over a protein bar or something sugary
Spending time outside each day—It can be as simple as sitting on my balcony and enjoying the sunrise or breeze in the afternoon.
Spending time with friends—Connecting with friends and laughter is good for us. If there’s not time to meet in person, a phone call is great too. I’ve found it’s helpful to have balance such as time with friends but not overextending myself by staying out too late. (When we’re feeling good getting to bed late may be okay, but when we’re in a stressful period and lacking energy it’s important not to add to the sleep deficit)
Cleaning—Keeping my house clean and picked up makes me feel better.
Yoga—Gentle yoga doesn’t take as much energy as other forms of exercise. It’s also a great way to release tension.
Aromatherapy—I apply essential oils that are good for sleep before I go to bed. Years ago, I used them during the day to help focus. Remembering this, I stocked up on a few blends from Eden’s Garden.
Complete a small project—Accomplishing something small helps us feel good about ourselves and helps us gain motivation to complete something else.
Shifting to these things helped me get back to having the energy to do the things I enjoy.
All of this takes some planning ahead—such as buying healthy food once a week so I have it in the house to eat. To help myself plan and stay on track:
I bought a small calendar, where I started writing a small goal or two for each month, such as, “Improve my evening routine so I sleep better”.
Each evening, I write out short goals/to-do’s for the next day (I.e. Bible time, walk, work, clean kitchen, etc.)
In the daily space, I journal how the day went. My highs and lows, what I felt good about and where I could improve. Some days it’s just a few sentences, but pausing to think about my day this way gives me helpful feedback to continue building healthy habits, recognizing unhealthy choices, and making positive changes.
Wishing you a healthy, peace-filled journey too.
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