Last week my personal tank was on empty. I had been over-giving, over-doing and was just over it! As a service-oriented entrepreneur, sometimes I do not even realize I’m “over-ing.”

I know many of you do and give A LOT. I acknowledge you for this.  And we are all human. There are times when we need a little hiatus from all the doing and giving, but do not take one because: we are scared if we do something will fall through the cracks or someone will be disappointed, are capable of pushing through it, are hesitant to ask for help, think we have to keep giving in order to receive, or some combination of the above.

So we keep pushing not even realizing that our tank is empty.  I share more about my personal experience with this in this week’s vlog

My strong encouragement to you today is to drop the superhuman stuff.  Here are some dead giveaways that you are over it and a time-out is in order:

• You are irritable and/or on the verge of tears.  Everyone is pushing your buttons. You are hell-on-wheels in traffic. Patience is a not a virtue.  Even easy things seem hard – dropping your keys makes you cry.
• Your self-talk is not that of a bestie.  The inner critic is loud. You keep pushing and pushing and pushing yourself.
• You are resorting to zone-out and numbing devices.  Way too much television watching, internet surfing, and social media stalking is happening.  A drink (and a second and a third) feels deserved.
• Your craving for caffeine and sugar is insatiable.  Chocolate has become a food group.  You are developing an afternoon latte habit even if you do not usually drink coffee. Or maybe it’s skittles and diet coke.  Whatever your upper of choice is, you not only crave it, you feel like you need it.
• You are not sleeping or only want to sleep. Exhaustion has set in but once your head hits the below, your monkey mind keeps you awake. Or the thought of getting out of bed is overwhelming.
• You have slacked off on your self-care rituals.  Your meditation practice is a memory. Green food is way too much work. And the gym…what gym?
• You are having trouble remembering daily tasks or are forgetting things all together.

If any of these ring true for you it is time to refuel ASAP. Just because you can survive on empty tank does not mean you should! You would never expect your car to run without gas, would you?

In today’s world where over-doing is often worn as a badge of honor, it may be easy to get depleted, but it is even easier to refuel as soon as we give ourselves 100% permission to ask for and receive support.

Today I give you 100% permission to STOP, PULL OVER and REFUEL your tank. Here are some suggestions:

• Cancel appointments and postpone things on your to do list. I promise they can wait. Your well-being is more important than any obligation or “should.”
• Call friends who make you laugh and will listen to you vent.
• Get outside!! Take a walk without your phone, listen to the birds, look at trees, and actually stop to smell the roses.
• Eat delicious and nutritious food that is easy for your body to digest.
• Go on a digital detox. Spend at least one day screen free.
• Get a massage or bodywork of some kind. Touch is important and deeply healing. Even if you have to pay for it, you are worth it.
• Play!!! Do something totally goalless that is just for fun and brings out the kid in you (never underestimate the power of finger-painting).
• Pray.  Ask for support, grace, and mercy.
• Move your body. My favorite way is dancing. Oh, and boxing because sometimes we all just need to hit something.
• Or just watch this video for an instant happy fix

Do not wait until you are so depleted that you get sick, sabotage a relationship or miss an opportunity.  Make self-care a priority so that you can fully show up in the world.

How do you know when your tank is empty and what how do you refuel? I want to hear, so head on over to the blog and comment.

Love,

Christine