When the days get hectic, my posts become a bit farther apart but I thank you for sticking with me this summer as I have dusted off this blog and given this a try and posting more regularly.  As I shared at the beginning of the summer and you will find as we continue, this will not be a daily blog update but typically I will share one or more times a week.  I have had several posts outlined out but not quite finished so hopefully I can get a few extra ones scheduled for next week.

Yesterday, was a day of recharging for me, a vacation day I wanted to take a couple of weeks ago but with several commitments at work recently this was the best day to put it on the calendar and make it happen.  I know of myself that sometimes I just have to put a day like this on the calendar to allow myself time to recharge.  Often in our family we remind each other that we are only able to be the best we need to be when we take care of ourselves first – we like to remind each other of this with the image that we are to “put on own own oxygen mask first” just like they tell you on an airplane with the safety instructions.  So whether I am “Filling my Cup”, “Putting on my Oxygen Mask” or another cute way to remember to make “self care” a priority, I know that this is important for me.  It is necessary for me to be the best version of me for those around me.

How do you like to recharge?

1. Time alone: For me, it typically requires some time of being by myself with an unscheduled, block of time and having that time at home.  For those of you who have studied the Enneagram, I am finding that I am very much a #2 and I want to be a helper to everyone around me – which sometimes can be distracting from the things I need to do for myself and can be exhausting when I am trying to sort through the needs of others and can’t even figure out what is on my own lists.  To recharge, I have to have some time to think about what I need and then I can be more focused when other needs are weighing on me.  (If you are new to the Enneagram, I recommend the book The Road Back to You by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile or the summer series EnneaSummer on the Podcast: That Sounds Fun by Annie F Downs)
2. Time with my people: Connecting with my closest friends and family is an important part of recharging to me.  Time to hear how they are doing and to talk through the challenges and celebrations I am facing.
3. Time to make progress: Typically a part of recharging for me also includes making progress on my to do lists.  It may be running errands, projects around the house, work with my own photo projects or other projects I have had on my lists whether it be a mental lists or one of the many post-its or notepads floating around.  Sometimes even the act of regrouping my lists can be helpful too.  I know my fellow lists makers can understand this one.

It sometimes takes work to make happen but I have been blessed with a few things sprinkled over these last few weeks that have helped fill my cup in both big and small ways.

• Lunch and dinner catch up dates with dear friends that I haven’t seen in months – oh how it sometimes takes us way too long to make those happen but they are so sweet when we finally connect.
• Hugs from kiddos I love and time hearing what is important & exciting in their lives.
• Checking items off my list of to dos and errands – this list is finally starting to look a bit shorter. It might need to get below 90 degrees on a weekend I am home for me to tackle that mulch project I didn’t get done this spring.
• I received flowers (shown in the photo above) from someone at work as a simple thank you for the work I do.
• A wonderful unscheduled day off from work to have the space and the room to think and dream a bit.

I would love to know how you find your rhythm with recharging.  What fills your cup?  We are all different and motivated by different things.  Do you need time to yourself or do you need to be with others?  Do you seek out a day every few months or do you have a routine that let’s you recharge more often?  Do you crave a few hours or a day to recharge?  What activities help you feel more grounded and ready to tackle what life throws your way?

This doesn’t always fit in a neat box or in my timing but I know that it is work fighting for and making sure I get it scheduled and make happen on a regular basis.  I hope you find your own way to take care of yourself and fill your cup so you can be the best YOU for those around you too!