Two completely different states of being and ways to tackle them
Are you really Fatigued or are you actually Depleted?
Pay attention to your states of being. How are you really feeling? How are your energy levels, and what is your mind and body trying to tell you?
In this post, we explore the contrasting states of fatigue vs depletion as well as the different approaches to help you enter 2021 in a restored and replenished state.
Fatigue and depletion have different ways of manifesting itself in your mind and body. David Lapin, scholar and CEO of Lapin International helps explain these 2 states of being:
Fatigue: Muscle or mind has been used almost to the point of failure and it requires rest to recuperate.And one can be tired without feeling depleted.
Depletion: When our inner resources of energy have been drained—and this may have no connection to exertion.And one can be tired without feeling depleted.One can be depleted without feeling tired.
The way to treat fatigue is with relaxation. The way to treat depletion is with restoration.
Wellness Coach, Bonnie Rogers from the clinic shares her personal experiences with depletion.
“As a wellness coach, it's time to turn to my client tool kit and do some self-reflection on some micro steps and tiny habits I’ll be building back into my days to recharge.
With a toddler you have to remain flexible- I was loving to wake up at 5am, giving myself at least an hour to slowly start my day before anyone else in my household – that's until my toddler started to beat me to it and wake up even earlier then that... Which means that hour of self-care was snatched away and busyness meant I didn't 'have the time' to decide what other tiny habits I’d do in its place.
A few weeks of putting myself at the bottom of the pile-- and in enters the feeling of depletion.
I'm looking forward to defining my strategy, filling my cup, step by step and I whole heartedly know from the work we do with clients, just how much these small acts for self-care matter. I will be sharing some of the new ways I start to restore on social media. “
Relaxation is a passive state of “not-doing". Restoration is a deliberate, active choice of activities different from your routine activities, which add instead of consume energy.
Our Health Coach, Bonnie Rogers suggests these methods of relaxation:
Practice the art of slowing down
Focus on deep breathing; try inhaling for 4 seconds, holding for 7 and exhaling for 8
Take a warm, relaxing bath or shower
Have night wind-down routine
Take a long nap, or a day off
Eat immunity boosting foods
Take a magnesium supplement; it can help you rest and recover better
David Lapin suggests these methods for restoration:
Regular meditation & journaling
Walking in nature & noticing all the sounds, sights, & textures
Reading something beautiful or inspiring rather than useful
Physically meeting & spending quality time with loved ones
Listening attentively to music that is harmoniously complex and rich in sounds and themes
Applying your mind to a challenge totally unrelated to work
What will you be doing do fill your own cup? And which ones of the practices above will include into your daily practice? The important thing Bonnie, always tells clients is that your restoration and relaxation practices should be dynamic- they can shift, that’s why it is important to do a self-audit to ensure what you are doing is still serving you!