re·charge
/rēˈCHärj/
verb.

a. to make a new attack
b. to regain energy or spirit
c. to become charged again : to refill with electric charge

This week was hectic.

A professional development day full of safety modules… staffing changes with bittersweet goodbyes… and a thirteen hour day that included “Meet the Teacher” night.

Needless to say, when I finally got home yesterday, I felt like a total zombie.

For those of you who teach, or those of you who know a teacher, you’ll be all too familiar with the fact that the list of to-do’s only ever seems to grow larger. You check one thing off, and add three more.

It just so happens that I have the house to myself this weekend, which has turned out to be the biggest blessing. Why? Because I think I’m what some might call a social introvert.

Being a social introvert means I crave social situations, even though I know they will drain me. It means that it takes a lot of energy for me to approach new people and come up with pleasantries.

Being a social introvert means I understand what it’s like to run out of social energy and that it might have absolutely nothing to do with how tired I am. It means sometimes, I really just like to observe and listen, rather than be a part of the conversation.

When I woke up this morning, I knew that there was no way I could dive into that big list of work-related tasks, because my mind was running on empty. My week of exciting social gatherings had drained me.

So today, I chose to focus on reestablishing the balance; to focus a little bit more on myself.

How did I do this, you ask? Well…

  • I let myself sleep in for a couple extra hours.
  • I made myself a simple coffee and a real breakfast.
  • I tidied up the house and threw in some laundry.
  • I picked out a favourite outfit and actually did my hair.
  • I took a drive into town to run some errands.
  • I did some window shopping at the mall.
  • I treated myself to a healthy snack at a cute local place.
  • I took some time to jot down plans for this week at school.

And now I’m sitting here writing this post, because after many months of silence, I finally felt inspired.

For me, taking some time to recharge today didn’t mean lounging around and ignoring my to-do list. For me, it meant finding a balance between the work and the play. It meant choosing to do the things that would most put my mind at ease and make me feel both rested and accomplished.

I’m not sure what the rest of the day will look like yet, but I do know that whatever happens, I choose to allow my mind to wander, and to let stress go.