Fatigue, Overwhelm & the Need for Replenishment

I’ve been so tired lately - I know it’s not just me…but WTF is going on?

To be honest, I’m not tired all the time (that's a bit of an exaggeration). But it happens often enough that I deeply appreciate the days when I have more energy and motivation and can go dancing, work out, be social, or just be productive. More often than I'd like these days, though, I’m feeling pretty fatigued. And when it hits me hard, it’s all I can do to stay awake.

So I listen to my body and slow down. I get quiet and rest by taking naps on my couch or listening to a yoga nidra meditation (which usually makes me fall asleep).

I replenish by being outside, present and in communication with the natural world. I take walks with friends and make nourishing foods - fresh organic veggies, salads with local produce (some even from my garden, where I nourish myself on many levels), summer soups, and occasionally a sweet treat.

I’ve also been talking with my doctors and getting blood tests to rule out possible physical contributors to the fatigue - something I think is really important to address.

I also find myself wondering how much of what I'm feeling is connected to the world we're living in. We don't experience our lives in isolation, and there's a lot happening around us that can be difficult to take in.

The world feels intense right now. If you're a thinking, feeling, caring human, it's hard not to be impacted. Wars in so many places, genocide that our tax dollars fund, the earth heating up and natural disasters increasing, the rising cost of living - the divisiveness of our culture and our times can weigh heavily on us.

For me, replenishing myself doesn't mean turning away from what's happening in the world. It helps me have more capacity to stay present with it - to care, to respond, and to remain engaged with the people and things that matter to me.

How do you replenish?

With all that in mind, how do you respond when you're feeling tired or overwhelmed?

How do you hold these intense times and listen to your body's needs? How do you replenish while staying connected to the people, places, and larger world you care about?

I'd love to hear from you.