Bad things happen when we forget to fill our tank.
When I was a teenager, I used to ignore the gas gauge. I remember plenty of panicked moments when I suddenly realized the gas gauge was on Empty and I wasn’t sure I would make it to the gas station before running out of gas. Those moments don’t happen anymore. I don’t like the stress that comes with driving on fumes, so I have learned to fill my gas tank long before the gauge approaches E.
The same holds true for my inner “gas tank”.
Unfortunately people don’t come with gas gauges, and it’s not so simple to determine when our tank is nearing empty. We may be chugging along just fine, unaware that our tanks are all but empty. I’ve learned to be intentional about refilling my inner energy tank to avoid the unpleasantness of the grumpy-strung-out-too-weary-too-cope version of me that happens when my tank it depleted.
I’ve also learned to be more aware of what drains my inner energy tank. Things like…
- Physical exhaustion
- Ill health or physical challenges
- Expending people energy
- Mental exhaustion
- An over-scheduled life
- Stress at work or home
- Insufficient alone time
- Lack of meaningful connection with loved ones
- Neglecting the activities that bring joy and fuel my life passions
Knowing what drains us is half the battle, knowing how to refuel is the other half.
Self-care: the gas that fills our tanks
I don’t mean self-indulgent pampering. I mean good stewardship of the person God made me to be. Self-care is about ensuring that we keep our tanks from running empty by doing what is necessary to restore our body, mind, soul, and spirit.
Unfortunately, self-care is a topic that is often steeped in guilt.
- We may skip self-care because we feel guilty for focusing on ourselves instead of others.
- We may feel guilty because we’ve been neglecting the healthy habits we know we should make the effort to pursue.
- We may feel guilty because we know we should be serving others wholeheartedly, but the reality is we’re too burned out to care.
And on and on it can go.
Guilt when we don’t fill our tank and guilt when we do. Add a dollop of frustration because we don’t have the energy to get it all done and a sprinkle of depression because our life isn’t as fulfilling as we would like…
Definitely not the abundant life we want to live. So what’s to be done?
First, come to terms with the fact that we weren’t made to run on empty. Cars need regular maintenance and fuel. So do humans. We might be able to trudge through our days with an empty tank and an unfed soul, but that isn’t really living—merely existing. We’ll be happier, more productive, and nicer to be around if we are intentional about taking adequate care of ourselves.
Second, know what drains you and develop strategies to cope. My friend just married off her daughter. A joyous but also exhausting event. She wisely listened to advice and took Monday off to recuperate. That’s the kind of planning we need to avoid running out of gas. I know I can’t pack my entire weekend with social engagements. I need to pace myself by scheduling time between draining activities to recover and refuel.
Third, be intentional about refueling. We can’t live a healthy life eating only junk food. In the same way, we can’t maintain healthy souls while subsisting on “junk food rest”. Vegging out with a movie may be relaxing, but it’s not enough to refresh and restore our body, mind, and soul. We must know what activities feed our soul and be intentional about fitting time for those activities into our week.
What tank-draining activities do you face today? Will a little planning help you cope?
What can you add to your week that will refill your tank?
“A woman who lives in the stress of an overwhelmed schedule will often ache with the sadness of an underwhelmed soul.” ~ Lysa Terkeurst
