Skeptical?  You should be.

If you’ve been around here awhile, you know that I often ask readers where they need help with natural health & beauty.

Not long ago, a reader sent me a comment like this:

I’m just so tired all the time.  It’s hard for me to get up in the morning, and I have a hard time getting motivated at work.  I’d like to know how I can have tons of energy, all of the time, and stop feeling tired!

I get a lot (a LOT) of emails from women saying they want more energy.  But the words in this one triggered something for me – she wants high energy all the time.  

Is that even possible?

And if it is possible to have high energy all of the time – should you even want that?

We’re out of sync with natural energy cycles.

The natural world strives for balance.  Summer and winter.  Day and night.  Your cup of hot tea slowly spreading its heat to the air around it, as it comes to room temperature to find a balance… (it’s Yin and Yang, isn’t it?)

In the same way, our bodies evolved to work within these natural cycles.

It’s such a pretty ideal.  Living in tune with the seasons.  Growth and heat and expansion and high-energy in the summer … counteracted by a colder, inward-facing time for reflection and restoration in the winter.

REALITY CHECK – this is not how our world operates anymore – at all.

These days, we’re expected to be ‘on’ all the time.  

If you have a 9-5 job, you’re expected to be functioning at peak capability from 9-5 Monday-Friday.

(Sorry if you’re a night owl and would do better from 11AM -7PM, or even later!  That’s not allowed.)

Even in our personal lives, we feel this pressure to “live life to the max and make the most of every opportunity!!!  Do it now or you might miss out!!!”

So it makes sense that we want to have super high energy all the time.

Your body knows what works.

Let me just say that I get it.

I totally understand that there is an epidemic of tiredness, especially among women today.    This used to be me!  I was physically, mentally and emotionally tired a lot of the time.  And no wonder – I was working too hard, playing too hard, always being connected, and not listening to my body’s signals to slow down and regroup.

That being said, I completely agree that being tired all the time is not good for our lives – and most of us would feel better with more steady energy.

But, it’s unrealistic to have super high energy all of the time.

In fact, rest periods are when your body can restore itself!

Rebuild.  Heal.  Chill.

Until the past 100 years, people didn’t live 24/7 lives.  (Don’t get me wrong, I love technology and modern conveniences!  But it’s helpful to put our bodies in context of how we evolved … we’re still learning how to live at our current pace!)

Great-great grandma would have gone to bed when it got dark, and woken up with the sunlight.

When people were ill, they convalesced. (What a concept!)

When women had their periods, they were sent away to a women’s tent (whatever the underlying motives – women got a few days every month to be with other women away from family responsibilities – what a luxury that would be now!)

We need to adjust our expectations.

Rather than punishing and pushing yourself about feeling tired this week, try to tune into your body a bit more:

• What time of day are you the most alert? The most tired?
• When you’re feeling tired – what is going on?   Are you stressed?  Angry? Bored?
• What did you eat a few hours ago?  Is that making you feel energetic, or sleepy?
• Is your tiredness a cycle? For example, do you get tired on Sundays because you dread going to work?
• When you have good energy – what are you doing?  Who are you with?

Don’t judge.  Just observe.

You might be surprised what you find!

A new goal.

Instead of shooting for super high energy all of the time, let’s find a new goal.

Let’s give ourselves permission to find our own unique balance of energy and rejuvenation.

It’s different for every person.  But only you can find the solution that will work for your life.

Finding your unique balance looks like:

• Having enough energy to do your work, to care for your family, to handle your responsibilities, to pursue your creative passions.
• Taking intentional time to rest and restore yourself – which is as important as the other items on your to-do list.

Take Action

This week, be an energy detective.  What times of day are you the most energetic? When are you the most tired?

What small step can you take to shift some of your activities / tasks / responsibilities to the most alert part of your day?

Scroll down and leave a comment about how you’re going to take action on your energy levels this week!