Life can be hectic. Always something going on, family, work, friends, house work, chores, obligations and on top of that, Facebook, emails,  the phone,  internet , the News, the television, the radio, the phone ringing, another text message coming in. It is constantly going on from early morning till late at night – you’re on – 24/7.

When did you last say good morning to yourself? How are you?  So often we touch base with the world but forget to nurture ourselves.  Like an instinct, we put others before ourselves, it happens automatically. Not that other people are not important, they are!  The problem is when other people become more important than you! That is a big problem! Because in the end we have nothing more to give, we become grumpy, hollow, empty and burned out.

It is not selfish to take time for yourself – it’s vital! Crucial for your well-being and for being able to make a difference in this world.

A car cannot run without gas, the phone does not work without a loaded battery – that is obvious and we know that. But somehow we think we can magically run forever without recharging our batteries. We lose if we try to keep that up and it is a misconception that we think we have to.

We become more alive if we care for ourselves, we are more fun to be with when we care for ourselves. We are better parents when we look after our own needs and by doing so, we also teach our children to care for themselves. We perform better and we are more creative when we are not stressed and burned out. We get less depressed and less anxious. We get more energy.  We are less sick.

Here are some of my favorite ways to reconnect with myself and recharge my batteries :

Meditate – even 5 min if I don’t have much time – it makes a big difference.

Writing is amazing – I can feel disconnected and write myself home within a very short time.

A good run – when I am overwhelmed and feel my brain is going to crash any minute, a good run refreshes me and I always come back with a smile on my face.

Peace within is not something we have to learn, it is there already – but we have to remember to connect to it.

What are your favorite ways to  reconnect?