How to Conquer Your To-Do List When You're Drained

Life is so busy these days. It seems like "Good! Busy!" has become a standard response now when someone asks how we're doing. There's no doubt that we have a ton of responsibilities. We have kids to take care of, husbands to connect with, jobs requiring our best, homes that need to be cleaned, dishes and laundry that need to be done, meals that need to be prepared. And that list doesn't include family, friends, church, spending regular time in the Word, volunteering, or self-care. It's no wonder we're exhausted!

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Unfortunately, we can't just crawl into bed and neglect our responsibilities when we're tired (although we may certainly want to!). We have people who depend on us and while that is a blessing, sometimes we just don't know where we're going to find the energy to accomplish everything on our to-do list. When that happens, I have some go-to practices that give me just enough of an energy boost to do what I need to.

1 | Meditate

Twenty minutes of Inner Sound Meditation gives us the same amount of rest as four hours of sleep. This meditation technique is perfect for those of us who simply can't make our thoughts settle down. I go more in-depth about this meditation technique in another post.

2 | Do Yoga

Doing even a few minutes of light stretching can soothe tired muscles and give us enough of a pick-me-up to be able to finish our to-do list. I love Restorative Yoga even when I'm not tired but it's that much more of a treat when I'm not feeling my best. It's a very slow, relaxing and energizing practice. In Restorative Yoga, all the poses are held for about 5-7 minutes and are supported by props so that your body melts into gentle stretches while the mind relaxes. You could even multi-task and rest in a restorative pose while meditating! I'll be posting my At-Home Restorative Yoga routine in a blog post to follow.

3 | Pray

The book of James is one of my favorites in the Bible. There's a passage about rejoicing in trials that I believe applies to this as well. James 1:5 says "now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." I think that in the same way we can ask God for wisdom and it will be given to us, we can ask for energy, strength, and discipline and He will give it to us. These three practices are very helpful when I'm feeling tired and I hope they help you too! But, I'd also like to share my secret to not feeling tired in the first place. I'm not going to say that I'm always amazing at it but when I am a rockstar in this area, I have seemingly endless energy!

My secret to not feel tired in the first place?

I love the feeling of having enough energy to do everything I need to do, enjoy the process and enjoy a relaxing evening after a productive day. You may be wondering if I'm serious right now and the answer is "Yes!" There are days that I have all the energy I need and some to spare.

I have noticed that depending on what I eat, I am either much more tired or much more energetic and strong. At the end of the day, food is fuel for the body! Are we putting in low-quality fuel or premium? If you're struggling through feeling exhausted every day, my biggest advice is to start being mindful of the foods you've eaten and how much water you had to drink on the days you're feeling most tired. So often we put ourselves on the back-burner to be there for others but we're not doing ourselves or our loved ones any favors by not taking care of ourselves. In church last week, our priest talked about where our treasures lie. He said that where we spend our time is indicative of where we hold our treasures. You are a treasure! Make the time to take care of yourself. It's the best thing you can for those who love you.

There was a time when I would get home exhausted every. single. day. I suffer from allergies year-round but there are seasons when it's worse. During those months, I'd be exhausted when I got out of bed in the morning. While searching for natural remedies, I discovered a diet called AIP, the Autoimmune Protocol or Paleo, which claimed to help with allergy symptoms. I'll warn you that this diet is hard to follow. I was only able to do it for two weeks so I didn't see the outcome I was looking for but I was shocked to discover that I had so much energy!

If you have any kind of autoimmune disorder, AIP could be the answer for you! If not, the AIP is extremely restrictive and may not be worth the effort to you. But, maybe it would be resonable to make a sincere effort to eat more whole foods - fruits, veggies, and protein. Try cutting out dairy, gluten, iodized salt, sugar and most of all corn-syrup. It's in practically all processed foods so you have to pay close attention to the ingredients list. There are a ton of bloggers on Pinterest who write about eating healthy, AIP, Paleo and Whole30. I highly recommend trying one of these diets to see if you notice a change in how you feel after a few weeks. if you do, you may want to make it a lifestyle change so that you can enjoy feeing amazing all the time! I like to follow Savory Lotus on Pinterest. She has delicious recipes that are quick and easy to make.

Recipes by Savory Lotus (Photos taken from the Savory Lotus Website. Thanks, Katja!)

I know that a lack of time is a legitimate reason why we don't always eat our best. Meal planning is the key to having success in this area when life is chaotic and busy. Ultimate Bundles has a great set of resources for meal planning. Take a look at a sample of what you would get to see if it's something you'd find useful.

Making lifestyle changes is most certainly not easy. But, if you can make these new practices a habit, I truly believe you will enjoy a more balanced life with energy to spare!

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