“Emotional” Workout

Have you ever had one of those really tough days that just seemed to drain you? Perhaps that day (or series of days, let’s be real here) wasn’t physically demanding, but there was so much going on that by the end of it, you felt utterly exhausted.

I have been there, and am there, often. So, I decided to read up on this phenomenon, as I value being in a positive energy state, realizing that my best work and my best interactions with anyone come when I am in that good place emotionally and energetically. I want to do as much work as I can from that place and have as many interactions as I can from that state. So, how can I hack into it, understand it, and learn how to “fix the problem?”

Well, first I discovered that I wasn’t manic-depressive. I discovered that this is a very normal thing, and, in fact, a good thing!

How? Just like in a physical workout, we are pushing our physical muscles to a point where they “fail” – or, give in. What must follow after a workout is recovery and rest. Take this same principle to when shit hits the fan in your emotional world – when you just want to scream or lay in bed for hours to rest – and you’ve got the same principle.

In fact, life should be emotionally challenging. It keeps us sharp, it deepens our character and gives us opportunities to withstand more. For example, the trees in the center of the forest, sheltered and safe from much of the wind and storms, are actually weaker than the oak in the middle of the field. Why? That oak had to develop strength in its roots to be able to stand strong against the storms it encountered. The trees sheltered within the forest have not had such opportunity.

If we don’t have emotional storms that challenge us, then our personal growth can become stagnant. These are good things, and we can look at them as such to learn the lessons from them that we need and come back stronger.

The lesson here? Emotional rest is vital after emotional pressure. If you feel like you’ve just gone through an “emotional workout,” this is the time to take good care of yourself. Do things that you enjoy and that make you happy. Sleep in for a day. Watch your favorite movie. Catch up with friends that you love being around and that energize you, support you and feed into your life.

Save the hard-driving objectives that need to get done for tomorrow, when you have renewed your energy and can come back fresh and rejuvenated.