When the world feels scary, don’t forget to charge your battery  

Plus 6 Tips for Feeling Fully Charged Mentally and Physically 

 
We were at the playground as the heavy black clouds slowly rolled in. Storms are not particularly common here in the summer, but they can happen. And because it’s out of season they almost always take everyone by surprise. Even though we know it can happen, no one sees them coming. And everyone seems to be unprepared. 

The first thing I did when I got home was put my phone on the charger. Why? Because storms bring frequent power outages, and having a fully charged battery – well, it just makes life easier these days. I don’t like to feel unprepared.
So, I put it on the charger. And it got me thinking. I knew a storm was coming. And I couldn’t stop it. However, I could charge my phone battery, so I was best prepared. 
 
 
But what about me? Do I always make sure my battery is on full when a storm is approaching? 

Honestly, probably not. 

The Storm That’s Coming

 
Let me re-frame this a little bit. Before you travel, do you every have late nights and hectic days in the lead up? Trying to get everything done so you can relax as soon as you get on the airplane? Or in the car for a road trip? 

In the lead up to the festive season, have you ever felt like you were in a mad rush of shopping, decorating, socializing, catering to family and friends, before the holidays even began?
 
Stayed up late to prep for something work or business related, feeling if you got it all done the night before, it would run smoother and be less stressful?

What about an all night study session, cramming for an exam in the morning? 
 
 
If you can relate, let me ask you this:
 
Have you ever gotten sick during or right after a trip? Exhausted over the holidays? Burt out at work or in business? Needed some serious recuperation after the end of a school term?
 
Maybe?

Going Into the Storm With A Flat Battery 

Well let’s go back to the battery for a second. Going into the storm with a charged-up battery meant I would have those extra reserves when I needed it. I would be operating on full capacity, not almost depleted. 
 
 
What about us? Is it possible we go into a storm with our batteries not fully charged? Maybe when the storm starts, our batteries are almost on flat?

When something is coming, the ‘storm’, do you think it would make a difference if you were fully charged up, verses running on nearly empty?
 
It’s natural (one might even say expected) to prep when we know any kind of storm is coming. 

But in doing so, we might be burning out batteries down so low, when the storm hits, we’re not as mentally or physically resilient as we could be.

 
Why is this so important now?

 
Right now, the world is a bit scary. Here in Australia, 2020 thus far has given us the worst bushfires in the country’s known history, followed by flooding, and the impending threat of a virus being called a pandemic. 

 
It’s a frightening time here on planet earth. 

 
 
These are just examples of the storms that are coming. Or have already arrived. Storms might be an emergency on a global scale. Or something smaller, more personal, or closer to home. They are often not even bad things – like the examples of the vacation prep or getting ready for a busy time of year.

Regardless of the size or state, these events cause an almost immeasurable amount of stress, both physically and mentally. Much of it not even due to the events themselves. Possibly, it’s because we burn ourselves out before the event even happens.
 
I’m not here today to tell you how to avoid a natural disaster. How to never get sick. Or how to escape life unscathed. Or how to have a zero-stress holiday. Because it doesn’t work that way.  Often, we can’t control the events that impact our lives. But we can control how we react to them. And how we prepare for them. 

Being resilient is not about avoiding getting knocked down from time to time. It’s about shortening the distance we fall and quickening the time it takes to get back up.

 
It’s about keeping our batteries charged. 
So, when we really need them, the tank is full.
 
I’m probably mixing my metaphors 😉 But I think you’ve got the gist of it;

 
Looking after yourself mentally and physically is one of the best tools everyone has at their disposal to prepare for the challenge’s life throws our way. Both the known and the unknown. 

 
How can we keep our battery fully charged?

 
These 6 simple things can change the way we approach our wellbeing and help us be more resilient for the challenges life throws our way.

Get enough sleep.

7-9 hours of high-quality sleep per night for the average adult (no, less than 6 is not enough for anyone). Lack of sleep can suppress our immune system, deplete our energy, and cause us to crave food that does not support our nutritional needs. Sleep is first on the list because in times of stress it is often the first to go. 

Eat nutritious food.

Cut out the crap and just eat real food. While there are lot of conflicting ideologies out there regarding what it means to eat healthy, there is one undeniable truth – our body needs nutrition from food to function at its best.  It doesn’t have to be complicated or hard. If you don’t know where to start, check out these guidelines.

Australian Guidelines

Canadian Guidelines

(these links are for educational purposes only)


What we eat can impact or mental wellbeing too. A poor diet can be damaging to our mental health. But the good news is that eating a healthy diet can improve mental health and wellbeing. I know this is a bold statement, but it’s well backed by research. Including this source here. 
 
In times of stress, eating well can support both our body and our mind. 
 

Reduce stress. 

The truth is, stress can make us sick. Directly, stress can reduce our immune systems ability to fight off antigens, making us susceptible to infections.  Stress is directly linked to infections illnesses like the flu. It can also reduce the effectiveness of the digestive system, making it more difficult to get nutrients from our food. 

Daily Exercise. 

Regular daily exercise and physical activity is good for your health. Often when we get busy, or when a storm is coming, exercise like eating well be an optional luxury. But it’s not. Stay active – in addition to the physical health benefits, exercise is good for your mood. 

Media.

 Social, print, television, however you get it.  We all want to know what’s going on. However, being overwhelmed with impending disaster does not create a mental state that supports wellbeing. A trick that works for me is to select one or two sources for information. Quality unbiased sources that don’t have an agenda (like to buy a paper, click on something, purchase a product, etc). 

I find WHO is often a great source, as can be government websites and publications. But regardless, chose a source or two you trust, and get you information there. 

Then once a day, check for updates. Stay off social media or unfollow anything that adds to your stress or feelings of overwhelm.  Keeping your exposure to information limited to trusted sources and monitoring the amount of time you spend looking at it can help you take control of your emotions and reaction to the situation. 

Seek Support.

It’s okay to feel scared and stressed. It’s not something that needs to be apologised for or justified. Find people you can talk to that make you feel better and more secure, not worse and panicked. And if you feel that’s not enough, seek out professional help and support. 


To sum up, you can keep your battery charged by getting enough sleep, eating to nourish your body and mind, exercising, taking action to reduce stress, avoiding media overwhelm, and finding support when needed. These six tools can help you be at your best, and not just when there’s a storm coming, but every day. 

We all have a choice, and I chose to nourish my body and mind, and not my fear. 

Kris

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