Energy out requires energy in

“Pace yourself. Nurture yourself. Energy out requires energy in. Surround yourself with positive energy people and laugh a LOT. And please don’t stop doing what you’re doing for the world.”

This is what I wrote to a friend who said he was beginning to experience ‎”Activist fatigue.” A few days later, I had brunch with a friend who is a married, working mom. Then I had dinner with a friend who is a single mom dealing with the NYC school system application process. And don’t forget my twenty-something artist friend, who has a spirit-sucking teacher, a faulty internship and is actively looking to replace an apartment deal that fell thru.

I was told that “Energy out requires energy in” repeatedly and couldn’t hear it until I was depleted. And then it took me a few months to slowly build up my reserve. I was confused. Why was I so tired and drained? I was doing a bazillion things I loved! But a ton of giving and unequal receiving is a lopsided equation that will drain your battery faster than a marathon. We must, must, refill our battery or we’re no good to anyone.

Who wants to join my chorus of “I don’t have time for one more thing!” I can hear your harmony to my melody. So I’m going to list energy ideas that aren’t demanding or time consuming or expensive.

Meditate for 4 minutes a day. Really. 4 minutes and all you do is breathe. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Sit on a pillow on your bed, close your eyes and breathe. Yay, you did it! Start with 2 minutes and build up to 4. Make it a morning ritual, or evening, or midday, but make it a ritual like brushing teeth.
Do 2 minutes of yoga a day. Literally 2 minutes. Childs pose, cobra, cat/cow, side to side, done. It feels sooo good to get the blood flowing through the muscles first thing in the morning with 2 minutes of gentle yoga on your bed.
Sing. In the shower, in the car, while you’re making breakfast. Happy song, sad song, silly song. Fill your lungs and belt it out or hum quietly to yourself. It’s cleansing and energizing and whether you sound like Kermit or Pavarotti doesn’t matter.
Draw. Scribble. Doodle. In a meeting, at the table with your kid, in your diary. Let the lines come out and form a shape with no meaning or with meaning. Don’t try to be Picasso. Be you. This is for you.
Dance. Alone or with someone who is comfortable letting loose; at home with the curtains drawn or wide open. Shake your booty and feel the blood coursing through your gorgeous veins. Let it flow and reach every atom of your being. One song is enough, even half of a song, if you feel re-energized. Only you know what you need.
Have great sex with someone you connect with and like.

The fact is, I enjoy giving – compassion, ideas, gifts, hugs. It makes me feel needed and useful. It’s actually quite selfish, in a good way. But I forgot to give to myself along the way. So the lesson I learned the hard way was that I don’t have time to not give to me. I don’t go to a gym or have a meditation room. I designed – without intending to – a path of reenergizing that works for me.

All that talk about expanding time to fit what you need sounded like a load of bull to me, but now I sort of get it. When I take 6 minutes a day to yoga/meditate/sing a bit, I feel energized and centered and I can do for others without feeling resentful, drained or grumpy.

I’m not always happy, or sad, I’m me and my experiences change all the time. But the foundation of energy is steady now and that’s because of my commitment to my self. I think of it like this: we meditate for our heart, we do yoga for our body and we brush for our teeth. Basic energy maintenance at Chez DeLevie.

I give you this information because it makes me feel good. Use it as you wish.