Energy is Everything.

So often I take for granted the amount of energy it takes to get through any given day, until that energy is taken away. Last Tuesday I tested positive for covid. Within a few hours my energy was at an all time low. I had a ton of meetings I had to get through. I had to nap in between those appointments, so I had the energy needed to make it through the day.

It reminds me of how essential it is to make sure that you are supporting your body, not just to manage your grief, to manage your life. Eating live foods, getting good quality sleep (and for those of you that are not sleeping well - or too much- research is showing this may be more important than even diet and exercise), hydrating yourself by drinking water, moving your body, and reducing stress are just some suggestions of ways to bring more vitality into your day to day living.

In my early stages of grief I would never have made a connection between taking care of my body as a way of managing grief. Now, it is one of the most critical connections I can make. When I am doing the things to keep my body functioning at optimal levels, my brain can think more clearly, i can breathe more deeply (keeping my nervous system regulated), I have more energy to deal with that overwhelming emotion of grief, and my life, over all, functions much better.

I also find this approach less intimidating than some of the mental and emotional approaches to processing grief. It is something you can just do and take action. When you are asked to talk about or feel into your grief, that can bring ups a lot of scary thoughts and feelings. With the body, you can start simple and build in healthy routines that fit into your day.

So, pick 1 behavior you want to change and change it because your body is craving more energy.