Rejuventation

I have been working (and working, and working - which is just wrong) on finding some balance in my life.  I have a darned good life - but sometimes I feel a bit overwhelmed by it.  Often.  In fact, almost perpetually.  And this has been going on for several years now, intensifying each year.  Doesn't that sound charming?

Let's face it: there is just not much I do that I am willing to give up.  So I'm not going to achieve balance by making more time in my life.  In fact, I generally speaking would like to spend MORE time on each and every one of the things I already do. 

That's it's own challenge.  But the question of how to rejuvenate myself has become critical.

Here, in the US, we traditionally have several rejuvenation choices at our disposal: eating, sleeping, watching tv, taking a holiday or vacation, going out drinking/partying.  Some of those never worked for me; and now, none of them really do. 

I've been watching my energy levels as I go through my days, to see which of my activities leave me energized and which leave me drained. 

A good indicator - if a little late in the process - is checking in on how much hope I have.   Am I looking forward more than I was before to what's next, or to tomorrow, or to my next class or work task?  If so, whatever I just did brought some energy back into the system - good!  If not, if I'm dreading it and/or feeling like I don't have what it takes to get through it, then we have a problem.

I am surprised to see that some high-energy-output activites, like leading classes, are my current rejuvenators.  Go figure!

And I am curious: what do you find rejuvenates you these days?