Feeling blue? Take care of yourself – do nothing.

“No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.” ~ Hal Borland

There are some days in our life when we simply feel blue. No energy. Blah. Though these days hit some of us more than others, it is important for us to recognize when it happens and try not to struggle with the expectation that we should be feeling full of energy.

We all go through a cycle of energy from time to time, and if we are aware of it, then we might be able to accept it more easily.

For me, low energy is often a sign that I’ve been doing too much and need to slow down to take care of myself. However, if I ignore this signal and keep pushing past the lack of energy, I could end up feeling sick. Or I could end up feeling so much stress that everything falls apart around me.

Or, I could end up with a lack of productivity at a time when I need to complete an assignment or task.

So when I feel low energy, I carve out time to take a break and perhaps do nothing. “Nothing” might be reading a good book, getting a pedicure or even taking a 20 minute nap in the middle of the day. 

“Nothing” might be drinking a cold glass of water while sitting out on the porch, or listening to some happy music.

Nothing certainly is something, but it never gets put on our to-do list. That might be a good idea – schedule nothing into our day. But in the meantime, our bodies have a way of telling us when we haven’t done enough of it, and give us a signal by feeling weary or blue.

Next time you feel that way, pay attention and honor your body’s signals. Then choose the nothing that makes you feel better.