Episode Transcript
How to recharge when you have a family life, a work life, or you’re an introvert can feel near impossible. As the days go by and you begin to feel more drained, how can you recharge when you feel like you just have no time at all?
Hi, and welcome back to another edition of Making Friends with Depression. I am your host, Charles Minguez.
At the top of the show, I like to give a bit of history and a disclaimer so that listeners know what they’re getting into and where I’m coming from.
First, the history.
I’ve lived most of my life with major depression and schizoaffective disorder. I was first diagnosed at the age of 13, and I’m now in my 40’s. So mental illness and wellness have been a pretty big part of my life.
When it comes to mindfulness, I have 20-plus years of experience practicing. Starting at the age of 21, I began to study yogic philosophy at the Yoga Life Institute. Eventually, my spiritual practice changed and morphed over time, and I committed to becoming a Buddhist, even teaching beginner meditation classes.
As my healing continued and evolved, I volunteered my time with the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI, as a Peer Support Specialist and facilitated meetings for adults experiencing poor mental wellness.
Looking back, I never thought I’d be sitting here recording this podcast. My story, plus my lived experience, is something that I hope others find inspirational. My motivation, however, is to give back and help others. This podcast is one way that I can do that.
Ok, now, for the disclaimer.
I’m not a therapist and I’m not a counselor. The content on this show is not meant to be taken as medical advice. I’m only trying to inspire hope by sharing my story and the techniques that helped me during my healing process because I think maybe you’ll find them helpful too.
If you’d like to read more about my history, please check out my articles over at The Good Men Project. You’ll find a link in the show notes.
Ok, let’s get into today’s show
I want to start by asking you a question. Are you feeling emotionally drained and like there’s no time to recharge your batteries? Maybe you have a lot of commitments in your life. Maybe you’re married with kids, maybe you’re running a business, maybe you’re working full-time, or caring for a loved one, and the list goes on.
As a married man with four children, I can relate, and there are certainly days when all the coffee in the world will not bring me back from the dead. And napping is not an option.
But with that all said, there are quick little ways to recharge throughout the day, even when life is coming at you full speed. It's actually not as difficult as you think.
Calling a Timeout for Yourself - Rest and Recharge
The most challenging piece of this puzzle is taking the actual timeout. This can be hard, especially when we’re spending time with family and loved ones. But it's better to take the timeout and recharge and then give 100% to your loved ones later than to be agitated and filled with regret because you didn’t say no when you know you needed to take a break.
You have to be okay with saying no, understanding that it's vital to your mental wellness. Be honest with your family, your friends, and even your employer. Tell them you need time and need to reschedule for when you're feeling well. If you have it, use sick time and vacation time. Then, set up that next time or appointment within the same conversation with the same person. There’s nothing wrong with being honest.
Over the years, I've heard so many people say that they feel selfish for saying no or taking time for themselves. Please don't. If you don’t do it now, then when is it actually going to happen? Taking time for yourself isn't selfish and in the long run it actually makes your relationships stronger.
This Life is my Practice - How to Recharge after a Busy Day
This next suggestion may not be for everyone, but I’m going to share it anyway. In my spiritual practice, it's said that our daily life is our spiritual practice. There's no separation between work and family, running the kids to soccer practice, going to the grocery store, being stuck in traffic, or prayer or meditation. There’s no need to run away and to live in a cave when we can learn from everyone and every experience.
Now, this doesn't mean that everything is peachy-keen and that we wear rose-colored glasses. We still have to set boundaries and use our wisdom to determine those boundaries. Deciding to view your life as your spiritual practice is not an open invitation to others, letting them know that you're a doormat. And it's not meant to be a trap where you think I can't take time for myself because that isn’t spiritual.
Seeing your life as your practice simply means viewing challenges and even non-challenges as ways to transform yourself. And sometimes, you can only do that from a distance when you're taking time for reflection.
Ways to Recharge When You Have No Time
Now, if you feel that the first two suggestions won’t work for you for some reason, here are some quick and easy tips for recharging when you have no time.
Take a Walk
The first one is very simple. All of them are very simple. But the first one is take a walk. Many of us can sneak away for a few minutes to get outside and enjoy a quick walk. Walking is a great, gentle exercise that will help circulate fresh blood throughout the body and the mind and fresh oxygen to the lungs.
If you’re a person who sits at a desk all day for work, taking a walk is the best way to counteract the effects of being sedentary. Recent studies have actually called sitting the new smoking linking it to increased blood pressure and unhealthy cholesterol levels.
It’s interesting to note that blood pressure and cholesterol levels can get out of whack when you’re stressed too. So take a quick walk on your next lunch break. You’ll increase overall circulation throughout the body, you’ll relax, and maybe you’ll even get some sunshine.
Recite a Mantra or a Prayer
I often recite Buddhist mantras to help me relax, but you can use whichever mantras you like or recite any prayer that you find meaningful. What's so great about mantra recitation and prayers is that they're easy to remember, and you can recite them anywhere and anytime.
I often carry my mala prayer beads wherever I go, and I have prayers on my phone that I can listen to at any moment. There are plenty of free apps that you can download onto your devices to find the prayers that you enjoy and find most meaningful. Apps like Abide for Christians or Pillars for Muslims
I’m a firm believer that a prayer is a powerful tool. On a side note and a quick fun fact, did you know that mantra in Sanskrit means mind protection?
Practice Breathing Meditation
The next suggestion or quick tip is to practice breathing meditation. Following the breath is an age-old practice, and similar to mantra or prayer, it's easy to do, and again you can practice anywhere, including at your desk.
One of the easiest ways to meditate is to count the breath. Start by inhaling and mentally counting to one. Then exhale, and count to two. Then, just repeat. As you get more comfortable with breathing meditation, you can begin to modify the count making the inhale longer or the exhale longer, or a combination of the two. But to start counting to one and two is perfect. It’s a great start.
Another practice is to pay attention to the sensation of the breath at the tip of your nose. Notice the cool air coming in when you inhale and the warm air going out as you exhale. As you begin to feel more relaxed, sink into the feeling of how wonderful it is to just be alive!
Take a B Vitamin
The next tip is to take a B Vitamin. It might sound silly, but many people lack B vitamins in their diets. B vitamins play an essential role in the body, helping to support energy and healthy cognitive function, plus keeping the metabolism of fats and cholesterol regular.
When stressed and drained, our body quickly zaps our B vitamins. And, if you’re drinking a lot of coffee or caffeine to compensate for feeling exhausted, it’s not helping. Overconsumption of caffeine also zaps your B vitamins. Make sure to take a good coenzyme B complex that includes Choline to help with cognition.
Coenzymiated vitamins mean they’re body ready, so your body doesn’t have to do anything extra or perform any special tasks to utilize the nutrients. You’ll want to look for companies that source high-quality ingredients. Try it out, you might be really surprised by the energy lift you get from taking a good B vitamin.
Stretch Your Body!
And finally. Stretch your body. Again, in a few minutes or less, you can easily squeeze in a stretching routine or single stretch that will revitalize your body and your mind.
One of my favorite quick stretches is a spinal twist. When we twist the spine, it helps flush out toxins in the body. Think of the wet rag that you use to clean your house. When you ring it out, what happens? All the dirt and the grime are squeezed out. The same thing happens with our bodies when we twist our spines.
Sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor or sit on the floor in crisscross applesauce. Then, slowly turn your head over your right shoulder. You can grab your right hip or side with your left hand to twist a bit deeper into the stretch. Take a few breaths, then turn your head over your left shoulder and switch sides, and repeat the process.
Ok, so there you have it, some quick tips and suggestions on how to quickly recharge when you feel like you have no time. If you can’t get away for a retreat or don’t have as much time to dedicate to self-care, try these out and let me know if you found them helpful.
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Thanks for being here. I really appreciate you listening. If you’d like to learn more about what was discussed in today’s episode, visit my website, Making Friends With Depression. You’ll find today’s show notes and resources.
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Until next time friends, thank you so much, and many blessings!