4 tips for when you’re weary
The pace we keep in this life can be nuts.
I’m personally going through a weird stage where I’m dragging like heck every Monday. It’s not because I’m hitting the social scene and having wild and crazy weekends. It’s because of two little people in my house who are extremely cute and extremely exhausting.
Lately, instead of beating myself up and pushing myself to go, go, go despite my drag, I’m trying something new. It’s something I heard from clinical psychologist, author and mindfulness and self-compassion teacher Chris Germer. I ask myself: “What do I need right now?”
This is a powerful question that’s worth all of us asking ourselves when we don’t feel quite right. And today, I’d like to offer you some of the answers I’ve gleaned upon asking myself that while running on “E.” I’ve made them into a catalog of four tips and things to try when I’m weary. I hope some of this is useful for you, as well.
1. Rest
This feels almost too obvious to include, but it’s strangely easy to overlook. Like, I’ll make extra coffee or slap cold water on my face before I consider carving time out for a nap.
But lately, I’ve restarted something I used to do when I worked a split shift in TV news. I used to get up at 3:30 in the morning to work from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. Then I’d be off until 3 p.m. at which point I’d be on the clock again through the evening shows. I was always tired then, too. But I found something that really helped.
I would get off the second shift and stay in the car for 15-20 minutes. During that time, I’d set an alarm, sit back and totally cease all motor function. I’d completely power down. I may have sometimes dozed a little, but the point just was to entirely disconnect. Drop everything. Go limp in mind and body.
This really helped me refresh. It usually took a minute or two to bounce back after the downtime, but then I tended to feel a lot better. Short naps can have a similar effect.
2. Salt and vinegar bath + mantra
Salt and apple cider vinegar baths can be great for refreshing the skin and relieving muscles, both of which go a long way when we’re weary.
I increasingly notice muscle fatigue in my legs, so I’m taking occasional baths following a recipe I got from a massage therapist years ago.
In the warmest bath that feels OK, I combine 2 cups of apple cider vinegar with 1 cup of Epsom salt. (The recommendation I got was actually to double those amounts, but that sounds like a lot so I’m at least starting with less.)
The bath in and of itself can be a wonderful relief. It also feels good to set an intention or add a gentle affirmation to the experience. Something like, “I send gratitude, loving and healing to every cell.” It helps all the goodness soak in even more.
3. Try a one, three, or five-minute meditation
Just a few quick minutes of stepping back and tuning in can go a long way. One technique that’s super fantastic is to set a timer, breathe deeply, relax muscles and smile.
There’s a quote from the book “Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert where the medicine man that she visits, Ketut Leyir, tells her how to meditate.
He says: “To meditate, only you must smile. Smile with face, smile with mind, and good energy will come to you and clean away dirty energy.”
I think of dirty energy and weary energy as about the same.
For more direction in this department, I’m getting ready to launch a new meditation program where I’ll send one, three and five-minute meditations to your inbox every day. It’s an opportunity to take a few mindful pauses during your day to recenter and recharge — or at the very least, take one or two short timeouts as you need them. See more information here.
4. Chamomile, valerian, melatonin
Again, rest is the primary antidote here.
There are pills that contain these ingredients: chamomile, valerian and melatonin. There are also some tasty bedtime teas that contain natural sleep aids like valerian and chamomile. I’ve found these kinds of things subtly helpful for sounder sleep or at least more restful nights.
Poke around in the tea/natural remedy section of the grocery store and experiment with different options. It’s worth a try.
Rest for the weary is really the bottom line.
