In our busy lives we can tend to push ourselves so far and treat sleep as a luxury. We might have pressures and demands from family, from work, from friends and other social groups that we belong to.

We might spread ourselves too thinly, pouring ourselves into various areas of our lives (and others?), not taking enough time to re-fill our cup. We cannot pour from an empty cup but we can refill it in many ways; it starts with self-care. Sleep is a very important part of charging our internal battery, but there are other ways we can charge it too. Eating good food, physical exercise, spending time with people that help us feel ‘full’, doing good things for others that make us feel good, taking a long bath, listening to relaxing music, exploring nature, going on a retreat, and meditating.

Saying ‘no’ is probably one of the easiest ways we can do this, but might also be one of the hardest for some. Looking at our to-do list and deciding what is essential or most important, what can be put off, what can be given to others or what can be erased entirely is another way this can be done. Keeping our boundaries at work, knowing our roles, what is ours, what is others and sticking to these principles, not taking on more tasks and saying yes simply to please others whether it be our boss or our colleagues. Boundaries are important across our whole lives, learning to set them can be daunting, but if becoming depleted is a regular occurrence in your life, it might be an idea to take a look at your routines. If it is possible to streamline these more, it might be helpful, if this isn’t possible it might be a good idea to see if there is a way to find help with some of the essential things you need to do.

So when you go about your day today, try and imagine your body’s battery charge indicator and keep in mind when you need to let something go and take time to recharge.