What to Do When Your Battery Runs Low
I was sitting in the lobby of our local car repair place the other day, thinking gloomy thoughts. I know, I know; you usually think of yours truly as a handsome, happy-go-lucky, always cheerful fellow with a big hat and a bigger heart. [Note from the Proprietor: If you happen to think differently, please don't disillusion me! Oh, and Mrs. MZM had me throw in the "handsome" part. Honest.]
Anyhoo – to those of you who have never opened up the hood of a car – I salute you! I’ll tell ya, I’d just as soon never have to do it myself. To be perfectly honest, what’s under there… well, it sorta scares me.
Oh, I know; that admission may jeopardize my lifetime membership to the Manly Men’s Association if it ever gets out. But I’ll freely admit that when it comes to cars I’m pretty much clueless.
It wasn’t always this way. Once upon a time (sounds like the beginning of a fairy tale, doesn’t it?) I was completely unafraid to tinker with my own car. Alas, those days are quickly receding like my, er, hairline (*sigh*). These days, when I open the hood I get absolutely intimidated by the incomprehensible mishmash of hardware, gizmos and spaghetti-like wiring that greets the eye. And all of it covered by a thick greasy layer of gray-black grime that would give even the redoubtable Mr. Clean heart palpitations. Ick.
Nevertheless, the sad, inevitable truth is, if you own a car, then sooner or later, you’re gonna have to fix something. This time it wasn’t anything major, just the battery. The old one wasn’t puttin’ out the power it used to, and it was only a matter of time before we got in the car, turned the key, and got – nuthin’. (Trust me, I’ve been there and there’s no experience quite like it.)
Needless to say, once the new battery was installed, our car was good as new again. (Well, as good as an 11-year old car can be. I’m a firm believer in driving a car until she drops.) But I realized that getting a tired battery isn’t just something that happens to cars. Nope; it happens to people, too.
Time for Something New?
Yep; it’s not all that unusual for us to experience something similar. Given enough time, you’ll probably experience a time when it seems as though you just don’t have all the emotional energy you need to face life as usual. I know I have. Sometimes the constant battle with getting things done can take such a toll that there comes a moment when you might suddenly look up and think, “Enough!”
Hey, don’t feel like the Lone Stranger, my friends; it happens to a lot of us. So what to do? Well, here’s three ideas I’ve tried in the past.
Take a Break. These days the pace of life seems to be getting faster and faster with no end in sight. It’s so easy to ignore the need for rest now and then. There’s nothing wrong with taking some time off, you know. I mean, the universe isn’t going to come to a screeching halt without you, you know. Hey, here’s a radical idea: try not working every day and taking at least one day a week off. (God Himself prescribed exactly that when He created Life, the Universe, and Everything, so just on that basis alone it ought to be something worth taking seriously, don’cha think?) But you’ll find, as I have, that regular periods of rest can actually make you more productive than if you never took the time.
Switch Tracks for a While. Sometimes when you find yourself completely overwhelmed with whatever’s, uh, whelming you, the best thing you can do is what I call “change the game”. I mean, take a little time to do a totally different task for a while. What happens, see, is you get so caught up in whatever it is you’re doing your mind begins to narrow its focus until that’s all you can see. It’s sorta like running a 400-yard dash. Because of your focus, the only thing you see is the lane you’re in and the finish line; everything else becomes a gray blur. Doing something different, though, will help your brain regain its normal equilibrium and even enable you to think more clearly.
Do Something Different. Maybe, in the immortal words of the Monty Python gang, it’s time for something completely different. And I’m not talkin’ about just for a short while. Nope, I mean maybe your life would be a lot more fulfilling if you were doing something, y’know, else. It’s happened to quite a few folks over the years, including yours truly: starting out in life going in one direction, only to find it just doesn’t satisfy them like they thought it would. The fact is, more and more folks do it all the time. And, there’s no need to feel like you’re doing something no one has ever done before, either, so at least you’ll have plenty of company.
OK, those are just three ideas. What about you? What else would you suggest for someone whose battery has been running dangerously low? Share your advice down there in the comment box and maybe you’ll be helping someone else who’s facing the same challenge right now.
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24 responses so far
Middle Zone Musings is a comfortable place to stop, have a cup of coffee, swap a few stories and share practical ideas for the real world. I don't ask for much, just a bit of your brain every now and then. Have a seat, take a load off, and relax...
These are sound suggestions Robert. Others might be to reach out and make connections – let people close to you know you’re feeling a little flat – they might be glad to help. Or do something to help boost someone else… that often gives a good serotonin boost.
Last but not least… spend as much time as possible outside. It’s a beautiful world out there!
Great thoughts! I would second Joanna’s suggestion on making connections. During our times of running low we need to lean on others.
One other suggestion is to build in a mini-retreat day once a month to do something different – read a book, listen to music, listen to sermons, pray, rest, etc.
Robert, these are great suggestions and boy can I relate! Stay tuned for my car story later this week.
I like Joanna’s idea too of making connections. This past weekend, I was completely unplugged (not from life support, the internet) and spent time with my family. While we gathered for a farewell celebration there was still something very renewing about spending time with loved ones, even in the midst of our tears there was joy. Thanks for the great tips to keep us humming along on the road.
@Joanna – Excellent suggestions, Joanna! To often when we’re feeling like that battery, we tend to climb into a hole and cover ourselves up. Bad move! A lot of times its those outside connections that help to life us back up again. Thanks for contributing to the Body of Knowledge in such a timely fashion today!
@Kevin – Absolutely right, Kevin! Now, all I have to do is… do it. :-\
I also like the idea of the mini-retreat. Lessee, now where’s my calendar…
@Karen – Seems to’ve been some strange brain vibes in the air today with our posts! Oh, well, always happy to tag team an idea with ya!
I’ve toyed with the idea of being unplugged ever since I spent those 10 days in Brazil last year. Really found myself journaling well during that time. Might have to try it again sometime when I get a wild hair or sumpin’.
Love the idea of taking a break.
I (try to) take Friday afternoons off. Work permitting.
It gives me something to look forward to, as a nice way to start the weekend, a chance to recharge the batteries before the kids get home from school and the helter skelter of the weekend starts.
I like Karen’s idea of “unplugging” as well, what with laptops, iphones, web TV’s etc, work is only ever a glance at a computer screen away (the bain of the self employed I guess)
Thanks for the great tips Robert. Gave me pause for thought.
Great suggestions. I make it a point to balance my online activities with other daily activities including enjoying the outdoors even in the midst of winter cold. That way I never really tire of Web 2.0. Moderation holds the key for me.
What a great reminder; everyone’s battery runs a little low sometimes. I’m one that struggles to slow down and take some time off.
As far as doing something different, I find I need to step away from the computer! So much of what I do is connected to my electronics that I sometimes feels my laptop is an extension of my arms. It feels good to shut it down, close it, and walk away.
All 3 of those work for me, big-hatted feller. Some days, it’s just time to watch Netflix to recharge. Other days, I work at Barnes and Noble or the university library for a change of scenery and seating position. Then on really crazy days, I work on a pet project that has been on my mind and likely hampering my productivity anyway.
@Stu – Sounds like a great way to be, if you have the ability to do it, Stu. The “unplugging” thing is something I think most of us can benefit from. The hard part, though, is actually, y’know, doin’ it!
@Paul – Yeah, outdoors is good if you’re inside all the time. In fact, that gives me an idea… (sound of back door opening)
@Jackie – Stepping away is starting to sound like a common theme here; might be worth doin’ over on my end, too. A tip o’ the hat to ya!
@Jesse – I did that very thing the other day: took time off and watched a “guy flick” on the ol’ DVR. Great fun, nice change. I like you’re “mix ‘em up” strategy, too.
Yeah, this is an interesting piece of advice! I’m glad I read your blog. It just reminded me that I need to take a breather since life has been very hectic lately with too much pressure in the office and pressing issues at home. I need a good movie or I just might simply take on a friend’s invitation for a spa session. Hhmm…sounds nice!Thanks for posting such great thoughts!
@April – You’re welcome, April! Thanks for dropping by!
I love this article!!! I am now officially a fan of yours. I love your style of writing and how you captured my attention. I am definitely subscribing to your RSS feeds.
Nice post Robert and very true. We all go through this. My husband and I pack up and go fishing when things start getting to us. Also, its a good idea to just leave for a couple of days to see something different. Everybody needs to get away every now and then even if it’s for a couple of days. As i’m getting older it seems my body needs more rest. I use to think it was wrong to take a nap in the middle of the day sometimes, but you know sometimes it helps to just keep me going now. How age changes things. Keep up the good posts. I love reading them.
@Tina – Hey, great to have ya on board!
@Paula Jo – “how age changes things” – wow, you said a mouthful there, Paula Jo! Thanks for dropping by and for the encouraging comment.
Variety is definitely my thing. Sometimes, a low battery doesn’t mean you have little energy left, it’s just a sign you got bored with what you’re doing. Time to change tracks. Awful stuff when it happens in you job…
@Eduard – I’m with you on that one; variety is definitely my thing, too.
You have a very important tip for life.. The ability to take a step back and regroup or recharge keeps your mind from overloading. Vacation or even a trip to the park can make such a big difference in your outlook for each day. Sometime we have negative situations that drag on for weeks months and even years- they become the backdrop for everyday experiences- overtime they can begin to change your behavior and actions- but just like these negative situations can affect us creating more negative experiences we can use the same logic to apply to the positive. We can positively charge ourselves each day and then begin overtime to have these thoughts become the new backdrop for our everyday life. One way to do this is each morning take a step back before the day begins and focus on positive things that will happen that day instead of things that continue to persist. I have also subscribed.
@Archie – I guess the hard part for me is actually TAKING that time out to follow my own advice! *sigh*