My Remedy for Exhaustion
This past month I learned a very important lesson. One that I know I knew, but really never considered or fully connected as the culprit to my deep exhaustion.
Now, let’s just get one thing out there before I go into my new found aha moment. Exhaustion can be felt for many reason’s - not enough sleep, too much stress, adrenal fatigue, and the list can go on.
But what I have noticed in my own body this past month, was that exhaustion can also happen because I have jumped into the external world of doing and giving of my energy too quickly the first few days after my bleed days of menstruation are done.
I have really committed over the past few years to DEEP rest and care while I am bleeding. I am ok stepping back in my life and giving myself permission to be in a surrendered state. What I am not good at, is easing back into life as I feel my energy rebound post bleed.
Once my bleeding has stopped and I can feel the hormonal shift happening that makes me want to jump back out into my life (which is the power of estrogen), I don’t take time to transition. I come out of my cozy sacred self-care bubble and as my eyes adjust to the rising energy, I spin into panic. All I see is the pile of laundry not attended to, the messy kitchen, the mass amount of emails in my inbox and the flood of everything else that I feel overly responsible to be the care taker of.
My body literally goes into a mini panic attack.
Here’s the thing, I have about enough juice to push through this way for 2 days, before the tiredness kicks in, the resentment is felt, and the overwhelming pressure of life hits me. This part of my cycle, my Inner Spring, is the season I struggle with the most.
What I am learning is that this season makes me feel uncomfortable because it is asking me to do something that I have never really been taught - to Cherish Myself.
I have been taught that it is desirable and social acceptable to say yes, to excel at anything I am involved in, to be available to everyone in my life, and to do things with perfection. It is not comfortable for me to have a messy house, to be unorganized and unresponsive to those needing me. It’s not comfortable for me to be in a care-free flow of letting go and trusting.
Alexandra Pope and Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer, my mentor’s, call this time the state of Cherishing You. To re-emerge into the light after the dark days of bleeding with a deep connection to yourself. Spring is about you showing up for your needs rather than extending yourself for others. It’s a gentle re-emersion into the world.
What I learned this month is that by not giving myself grace to slowly attend to things while still staying connected to me and my needs, I actually burn out and this burnout leaves me in a deep state of exhaustion that doesn’t leave until my period starts and I practice surrendering and resting again.
So, moving forward, these are my promises to myself for Cherishing me in my Inner Spring:
Take slow - if its not life threatening, tend to it as I feel called to
Be HUMAN - I don’t want my children to remember me by how perfect I did things or by how clean my house was. I want them to giggle when they have to wear two different colour socks because sometime you just need to make the best out of a situation.
Spend my moments during this transition back into life by experiencing joy and fun. Play board games with my kids, tell jokes, dance…do anything that truly sparks life in me rather than hitting the to do list that actually holds me back from living my fullest life.
So, your turn now, how are you going to cherish yourself this next cycle?
