Finding your recharge button

I’m back!! I know I have been MIA for sometime now.. I have some friends who are “creatures of habit” as they put it, and are used to seeing my articles every week! And who have been furiously texting me as to what has happened.

Well, the cancer has decided to rear its head again (the damn thing sure knows how to put up a good fight!). To which, the doctor has changed the chemo drug (to Doxorubicin – it’s called the “red drug” like the ‘red wedding’ – go figure).

It’s now 18 weeks of this therapy which is honestly leaving me far more tired than normal. But that’s not the reason I’m not writing. It’s because, after almost 2yrs I’ve found something to be excited about. I mean, having my kid was definitely a high but with all the hormonal changes, sleepless nights and body changes I wasn’t really in the best of places (I think most moms would agree!)

What am I excited about? Well have finally decided to move ahead on things I was holding back on since I moved to Singapore – my career. I remember a particularly tearful conversation with my husband where I was disheartened with what was happening with the treatment. Honestly it’s been a year since it began and I’m still not sure when it’s going to end.

And the only thing he told me was “don’t let life stop for this.” That was all I needed strangely. I have always wanted to complete my coaching (ACC) certification and do another course linked to it.

As I initiated my coaching journey, I got in touch with so many people like me. All working towards this accreditation. And honestly it’s been in some ways such a rewarding time for me. I’m absolutely loving meeting so many people.. across cultures, countries, workspaces, thinking. There is so much diversity out there, and for me it felt like I had been cocooned for so long.

The amazing part is that it’s got me completely charged up, despite the grind, the studies, the treatment. I feel some sort of renewed energy.

This got me thinking about how all of us need some sort of charging constantly. Like all batteries, ours can get depleted – physically and emotionally. And while we can work on ‘low battery’ we all know how our outputs suffer. Now, it’s important to reset and recharge because it enables us to be a thermostat instead of a thermometer. Basically be able to manage our emotions despite the situation. But how do we learn what type of charger works for us and when?

Finding the right charger

Now, physically we get our sleep, exercise and more. But what about our emotional recharge? While being as important, we rarely focus on it, because we simply don’t know how to. Or we learn the hard way.

Some of the questions that often help are:

• What gets you to relax when shit hits the roof. For some people it is meditation or yoga or a walk. For a friend of mine it is cleaning her cupboard (my very own Monica Geller).
• Who is your go to person – who understands what you need and when
• What’s the chicken soup for your soul (and it cannot be binge drinking or smoking up pls). it has to be something that is good for your body and soul.
• What is that thing aligned to your larger purpose in life? These things always have the ability to enhance your sense of well-being. Eg for some it is animals or saving animals, others it could be family, creative pursuits, balance and more.  

When I think about it, would these coaching sessions be as exciting and invigorating for me in my earlier days? Probably not. But in this phase of my life, it somehow gave me some sort of renewed purpose.. something which I was passionate about. It enabled me to focus on myself and most importantly on giving back. Every coaching session, the affirmation I make is – I hope I can in some way add value to this individual.

So, I guess some emotional recharges also depend on the circumstances of your life.

So, what about you? What ways have you discovered that help you reset and recharge your emotional energy?