When we are chronically worn-out, feelings of fatigue and overwhelm come to us easily.
When we are in this stressed state, it's easy to make excuses and to make choices out of convenience, habit or simplicity. When we are exhausted, it’s hard to find motivation to cook a healthy meal, get exercise or do the inner work stuff that is GOOD for us. Can you relate?
We encourage you to listen to, and gauge what your body can and can't handle on any given day, but ultimately-- we want you moving forward-- even on those days when you feel BEYOND tired.
but we have some simple tips that are great for help you navigate this…especially when you're struggling with chronic fatigue
TIPS FOR ACTUALLY DOING THE THINGS YOU SAID YOU WANTED TO DO:
You establish your daily priorities
We recommend making 2 categories: TASK priorities and HEALTH priorities
Though your TASK priority list might be a longer, running weekly list (a list of all the pressing things you MUST accomplish in any given week), we recommend keeping your HEALTH priorities simple and limiting them to just a few meaningful focus goals that you will be focusing on daily . Here are some examples— “go to bed by 10:30pm”, “meditate for 10 minutes every day”, “no processed food”, “have a green drink daily”, etc. We also recommend not writing down too many to help keep the list light and manageable.Write your priorities down somewhere easy to check in daily.
We love doing this on a white board and keeping that whiteboard somewhere we see it often. Think of this as your weekly priority planning. It will help keep you focused and help keep your eye on the things you MUST do this week.Check in with these priorities DAILY
Check in with your list every day.
Are you knocking things off your weekly TASK list?
Are you sticking to what you were going to do? (ie. Did you meditate today?)
I make a chart that lists my health goals and has a running weekly tally beside it so I can put a check to track and see how many days I actually did them.
You’ll notice it feels SO good to check things off your list!
This may seem like a simple practice, but trust us, when you put those priorities down on paper and check in with them multiple times throughout the week, you can help but hold yourself accountable.
I have found this idea from Laura Vanderkam helpful..
When you are feeling tired.. instead of saying " I'm too tired today", try saying "that's not a priority for me today" and see how your excuse settles.
If too many days go by where you are unable to check things off, re-evaluate and make your list more simple.
Don't give up and don't feel bad for tweaking your list if you need to… as long as it's going to help make it more realistic and achievable for you.
Don't get us wrong, either! Sometimes, the excuses you have will be totally valid! Stuff comes up, right? But sometimes, (like when you find yourself ordering junk food off Uber Eats or grabbing something quick at the convenience store because you're tired) the excuse leads to a choice that may actually contribute to MORE fatigue tomorrow.. this can keep you stuck!
(If you can relate to this example, check out these 8 Simple + Balanced Breakfasts (they can be swapped as lunches or dinners) that you can whip up quick-- even when you're tired!)
We always want you to be gracious, forgiving and mindful of what your body needs.. and to rest without guilt when you need it.. but we also want you progressing forward bit by bit, day by day, on your journey to greater health.
You've got this.
We hope the simple act of planning and prioritizing will help you get out there and SLAY the week that lies ahead.
Lots of calm, warm and energizing wishes to you!
xo Danielle + Angela