Why My Father Would Be Appalled.

Last week, my low fuel light came on. Keep scrolling for photographic evidence and to learn what happened next.

Being the rebel I am, I pushed the envelope and ignored the light over and over. The fuel indicator said I had 50 miles to empty. And then 27 miles to empty. And then 19 miles to empty as I rolled into OnCue to fill up my tank.

My father would be appalled. When I started driving, I was taught to always keep $5 in the glove compartment for when my fuel got below 1/2 a tank.

Running on fumes ruins the car, he told me.

According to this article, he wasn’t wrong.

The same is true of our own selves. We push the envelope, never slowing down to rest and recharge.

Running on fumes can lead to burn out, negatively impacting your health and relationships.

Your body needs rest. Downtime allows you to refuel and recharge.

Just this week a client found herself down for the count with strep. The last few weeks have been unusually stressful for her and rather than upping her rest and self care, she pushed through taking on more obligations and working longer hours.

Have you ever done this?

Prioritize rest, friend.

In order for me to keep my car from catastrophic damage I had to 1) stop driving the car without fuel and 2) refuel.

It’s okay to step back and recharge. In fact, when you do, your work, relationships and health are better for it.

My favorite way to recharge is an unplugged, screen-free 12 hours.

Typically I do this from 7pm to 7am on a Friday night. This looks like game night instead of movie night, making pizza instead of ordering through the app and actual conversation instead of texting.

And the real value is waking up refreshed without your alarm clock the next morning!

Give it a try this week.

Leave a comment below and share how you recharge.