What Replenishes Your "I Feel Good" Energy?

What Replenishes Your "I Feel Good" Energy? kids and teens

 It's important to be aware of what truly replenishes you.

Here's why.
When your body is low on "I Feel Good" energy, it protests. Unconsciously you feel, "I deserve some reward. This isn't fair. I'm not having any fun. I hate how I feel."

On automatic pilot, you will grab anything to feel good.
This is not a well thought plan, it's a gut reaction, and it will not replenish your "I Feel Good" energy. What it does is temporarily numb your bad feelings.
The Problem with Numbing Your Negative Feelings
When you numb the negative feelings, you also numb the positive ones.
Numbing is not a solution, it's a temporary fix. You numb in proportion to how bad or irritating your day was.
When you've had a terrible day...
You eat a BIG bag of chips or finish the half-gallon of ice cream.
You pour yourself a glass of wine and, before you know it, you have emptied the bottle.
You sit in front of the TV for hours or spend way too much time looking at Facebook.
You go shopping and buy four pairs of shoes that you don't need.
As you can see numbing doesn't work. It creates a whole new set of problems and depletes you more.
You gain weight, wake up with a hangover, feel like you don't have a life, and throw away your money.
It doesn't make you feel any better. At best, you'll feel blah.
Most often it adds shame to the mix. Now you feel worse because you ate, drank, or spent too much.
Be Intentional by Knowing What You Want for Your Life
To reclaim your "I Feel Good" energy you have to be intentional. It's not going to happen naturally.
You have to decide that this is what you really want for your life. To do this, you need to be clear.
First, do you know what gives you that "I feel good" energy or makes your soul come alive?
This is not a cookie cutter formula; it's specific to your own preferences and likes.
I asked several moms what gave them "I feel good" energy, they said...
Taking a nap
Getting time to journal and pray
Remembering their purpose
Making a gratitude list and focusing on what's going right
Getting out in nature and watching the sunset
Running, or some other kind of exercise
Having lunch with a good friend
Relaxing at home watching movies with their family
Dancing, museums, and jet skiing
A night of listening to jazz
Now it's your turn. Answer the following questions.
1. What gives me "I Feel Good" energy is __________________________________.
2. I feel the most alive when ____________________________________________.
3. What helps me relax is ______________________________________________.
4. I feel like myself when ______________________________________________.
5. What nourishes my soul is ____________________________________________.
6. I'm proud of myself when ____________________________________________.
If this exercise feels hard to you, don't worry. You're not alone. Many moms are so focused on their families that they don't know how to take care of themselves.
Spend ten minutes and write down the answer to these questions.
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Colleen O'Grady is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Marriage and Family Therapist. Her private practice in Houston, Texas has been active for over 20 years. As an approved supervisor on a state and national level, Colleen is sought after to train master-level therapists, psychology and psychiatry residents throughout Houston. Colleen has created innovative coaching programs to give people practical tools for moving forward while also standing on a strong foundation of therapeutic practice.