Do you feel exhausted sometimes after a very busy few days? I know I do. I have been thinking about this a lot. What I have come to realize is, when we push ourselves too hard, we are borrowing from our future self. And this applies to not only physical but also to our emotional and mental capacities.
We borrow, borrow, & keep borrowing....not thinking ahead if our future self will have enough fuel to sustain itself.
BORROWING
Here's an example.
When I look back at my postpartum days, I was doing well. I was emotionally strong. I survived a lot of the emotional upheaval that comes with new parenthood without batting an eyelash. I thought that I was through it. But a year later, I started seeing the effects of it all. I felt drained without an explanation. I could no longer sustain being that same strong person, always giving, anymore. It felt like I was running on an empty fuel tank no matter what I did. All my coping strategies were falling flat on their face. Effectively, in my early postpartum days, I had been borrowing from my future self which is why my future self had nothing to give when it became present. My present self was exhausted.
Another good example is when we stay up way past our bedtimes to work on something, or watch TV or for any other reason. Who is paying the price for that? None other than our own future self. The next morning you will be tired and exhausted and rightfully so.
GIVING
Funnily enough, pushing yourself physically in terms of building strength and working out has the opposite effect. This is like building up savings. Your future self will thank you for working on yourself and will reap the benefits of it.
It can take a while to identify what activities leave you feeling drained vs energized. This will help to maintain a healthy balance and your future self will thank you for thinking ahead.
So let's be kind to our present and future selves. If for some reason we have to push ourselves mentally and emotionally, ( and physically like staying awake) then when you do feel exhausted, just be kind and remember that your body and mind has done more than their share in the past and now it needs some much deserved repair time to get back on track.
How do you help your future self? What experiences have had a long term draining effect on you? Does your present self feel balanced? Often, naming these experiences is a great way to become more aware of what your needs are like. We observe. We learn. And then, we can take action!
Sincerely,
Rasika
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