What to Do When Your Energy Falls
Like many of you, I have had loads of times in my life when my energy has plummeted. When the life force carpet has been whipped out from under me and I find my arse bang on the floor with no energy at all.
This week, I got the flu. If I am honest, I was being a little smug about the fact I had avoided it and then walloped. Down I went. Down but not for long!
Here are my tips for getting, guarding, and giving energy when you are unwell.
Do not do anything that is not vital:
Guarding your energy is everything. Do not do anything that is not vital. Shut your world down to the very basic activities. I am talking, drinking, and toileting.
Food might be optional. Give your body a break by only giving it easy-to-process, highly nutrient foods. Broth is my go-to. My homemade potassium broth - recipe attached or an organic bone broth. Be really honest with yourself about what is and is not vital. I had to deliver a couple of workshops that could not be done by anyone else - part of the impact of being self-employed but there are so many things we can and need to remove to give ourselves time to heal. Look at your calendar or to-do list and highlight the things that you think are vital. It's a good idea to run through this with someone else to get some clarity - especially if you are overresponsible and think that everything you do is ‘vital’!
Remove all drama and obligation:
If there is one benefit of being unwell, it is the clarity that it brings around what is really important. Your full and important calendar now becomes irrelevant. Other people's behaviour no longer matters. You are literally too sick to give a shit. Immediately stop wasting energy telling other people what to do, controlling situations that are not yours, whinging about things that you cannot control. These are all large energy projects that your body definitely doesn’t have the energy for when it is already unwell.
Surrender to the sickness:
Give in. Put your PJs on and get into bed. I have a theory that the sooner and harder you lean into illness, the sooner you will be done with it. Lean all the way in. Send out a message to let people know you are unavailable. Ask for help. Get someone to deliver you the supplies that you need. Ask someone to drop off lemons or food or pop in to help. If you have young children, tell them that they need to go to Dad or Mum or Grandma or whoever you are able to abdicate your duties to for a few hours. Telling people you are unwell and out of bounds is an excellent example to set in self-care and boundaries.
Flood yourself with goodness:
Grab all the essentials. Gather everything you need so you don’t have to leave your nest. Books, iPads, charging cords - all the things to keep you entertained. Gather drinks, pain relief, lozenges, syrups, homeopathy, herbs anything that will speed up your recovery and support your body. My flu must-haves are lemon, fresh ginger, eucalyptus oil, loads of broth and the two products mentioned below.
Nurture & Nourish:
This is a time to love yourself. To nurture yourself. Too many people get angry and lay in bed pissed off that they are unwell instead of leaning into the opportunity to provide your body with the deep nurturing that it deserves. We don’t like the vulnerability of not being at our best and the attention we get from being unwell. Everyone gets sick. You deserve all the care in the world! Get out your softest blankets, indulge yourself with loads of pillows. Listen to your body and ask what it needs. Run yourself a bath and soak your aches away. Read and watch something uplifting. Give yourself everything you could possibly need to heal and feel loved.
LISA LOVES:
Two special products this week because they are both the BEST thing ever for winter ills and chills:
These are the best - I take them at the onset of any cold or flu symptoms. These are awesome, all plant-based and can be used on babies and children.
This is a rapid immune support that starts working within 2 hours! I take a daily low dose during winter to boost my immune system and ramp up the intake if feeling unwell.
