The Art of the Recharge: Filling the Space We’ve Cleared
We are officially two weeks into the year. Usually, this is the time when the “hustle culture” is at its loudest – telling us to go harder, do more, and be better. But if you’re looking at the world around you right now, you might feel the exact opposite. There is so much noise that it seems like everyone is yelling but no one is actually listening. Throw in my new-found teenage attitude in my own house, and it feels like I am standing in an aisle in a grocery store and everyone is running up and down the aisles screaming and grabbing everything off the shelves.
I was reading a post by Jann Arden recently where she mentioned that her “immune system feels like it is being beaten up every second of the day” by the state of things. It resonated so deeply because it’s a feeling many of us are carrying. When the news feels like a “dystopian science fiction movie,” being “vigilant” and “aware” can become physically exhausting.
But it isn’t just the world stage that’s draining us. For most of us, the depletion happens right in our living rooms. It’s the mental load of managing a household, the emotional weight of showing up for our families when we feel hollow, and the physical drain of simply trying to exist in a high-pressure world. We often feel like we have to be “on” for everyone else, forgetting that a family – and a community – is only as strong as the people within it.
Last week, we focused on letting go – releasing the weight we weren’t meant to carry. This week, we move into the second phase: The Recharge and Reconnect.
If we are going to be the “good people who make a lot of noise” and push against chaos, we cannot do it while running on empty. If we are going to conquer our goals while seizing our potential, we cannot do it while overwhelmed and burnt out. Recharging isn’t about “quitting”, it’s about tactical recovery so we can stay in the daily fight. Our battery for life depends on three areas.
Physical Recovery
We have to listen to the body’s signals. If your “immune system” is reacting to the stress of the world or your household, your first job is to provide it with rest and nourishment. Just think, you cannot be ready to tackle eye rolls at chores or stand up for your rights or others if you are burnt out and exhausted.
The Suggestion: Prioritize “Sensory Rest”
Start by listening to your body’s signals. If your “immune system” or energy is reacting to the stress, your first job is nourishment. Try 15 minutes of “Sensory Rest” today: no screens, no music, just quiet or a warm bath to let your nervous system reset so you can handle those chores and eye rolls later.
Mental Boundaries
We need our “critical thinking skills” now more than ever. Think screen dangers for teens and epic economic stressors. But those skills dull when we are over-stimulated. Recharging means knowing when to close the news apps or turning off the phone to protect your clarity.
The Suggestion: The “Selective Silence” rule
We need our critical thinking skills now more than ever, but they dull when we are over-stimulated by economic stressors and screen dangers. Practice “Selective Silence” – choose one hour a day where the news apps are closed and the phone is put away to protect your clarity and mental space.
Emotional Connection
Fear and chaos are tactics used to keep us small. Reconnecting with your own joy, your family, and your purpose is a way of saying: “I will not be depleted.” The more I talk to people also on their own healing and growth journey’s there is a common thread of a realization that we have to take the pen of our story and future back from those that convinced us we couldn’t have it.
The Suggestion: The “Joy Audit”
Fear and chaos are tactics used to keep us small, so reconnecting with your own joy is a way of saying: “I will not be depleted.” Do a “Joy Audit” this evening: spend ten minutes doing something that has nothing to do with your to-do list – whether that’s a hobby, a game with your kids, or just a walk with the dog.
This week, I am making a conscious effort to fill my cup back up. Because the truth is, we have a lot of work to do – both in our homes and in the world – and we need to be whole to do it.
Which part of your “battery” feels the most drained today? This week? This past year? Physical, Mental, or Emotional? Let’s talk about how we’re filling them back up in the comments.