How I Recharge My Internal Batteries

What energizes you?

This is a question I enjoy asking my coaching clients and personal network.

Our AS lives are full of activities, events, external triggers that require a lot of effort and energy: work, commuting, poor sleep, flares, chronic pain and fatigue, doctor appointments, overwhelm and more. Additionally, oftentimes we are so focused on our daily tasks, on the doing, that we don’t get to pause and reconnect with what brings lightness and positivity to our day.

While we can’t always avoid what is happening to us and the stress that comes with it, we can take steps to control our reaction to it and find ways to mitigate its effects.  There are of course several ways to do that, but a powerful approach is to make sure we balance the stress of life with activities that energize us and help us recharge our internal batteries.

Incorporating daily moments that give us positive energy and vibes, and offers feelings of joy, play and relaxation is so important for our well-being.

My energy list

Personally, I have found this question so vital to decide how I go about my day. After years of learning (and the learning goes on of course) how best to manage my symptoms and AS, and how I can adapt my workflow to my needs, this reflection is key. My list includes doing yoga, playing tennis, going on a nature walk, spending quality time with friends or family, and finding quiet moments for myself. On busier days, when I can’t do the more time-consuming activities, I will focus on small moments that bring me this calm and lightness. Then I save the other energizing activities for the weekend or days off work. I keep my list in a visible place so that I can tap into this resource easily.

Every day, I allow myself time to step into this space of embracing those moments that will help me recharge. I have found to be more in tune to what my body and mind need, as well as when I need to pause, so that I can be proactive and become more resilient towards external stressors. This in turn helps me to identify if I am close to entering a flare phase. I then know what I can do, which is in my control, to avoid the flare.

Allow time for yourself

By asking ourselves this question, we bring awareness to how we are feeling, and what we might need in this moment or at the end of the day, to balance out the stress and other negative patterns. It starts with small daily habits. Focus on your own list to find ways to incorporate what works for you.

What energizes you?

Discover what this question means to you, then connect to it daily. Allow time to take care of your body and mind. Your health will thank you.