Feeling Depleted?

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Feeling depleted? Me too.

I noticed it this morning almost immediately… It’s kind of a dull, used-up feeling. Not dramatic; just there.

Here’s what I’m going to do today, not as a fix, but just as a start:

• I’m going to take Toby for a walk.

• Then I’m going to go to the gym.

• And I’m going to press pause for a bit – on the noise, the scrolling, the commentary.

I have a pretty good idea why I’m depleted. The news, for one. And giving what I have to give—time, attention, care—then realizing, once again, that for some people it still isn’t enough. That no matter how thoughtfully you show up, the expectation is always for more.

And not getting enough sleep. My Oura ring has been quietly confirming what I already know: I’ve been running on less rest than I need.

Those kinds of things add up.

When the world feels loud and demanding; when effort isn’t met with much care or kindness, and when your body is clearly asking for rest, something in you starts to wear thin. It’s subtle. You don’t always notice it right away—until you do.

Along with walking Toby and going to the gym, here are a few other things I’m trying today:

• Taking in less. Especially less news.

• Letting some things go unanswered.

• Doing one small, kind thing for myself without explaining or justifying it.

Letting “this is enough for today” actually mean I can stop. And feeling depleted doesn’t mean you’re doing life wrong. It usually means you’ve been paying attention. It means you’ve been giving. It means something needs care.

And that something is someone… you.

If you’re feeling depleted too, I’d honestly like to hear about it. What’s been draining you lately?

And if you have ideas – especially small, doable ways to move away from feeling depleted – I’d love to hear those too.

And by the way, the gym helped some. The walk with Toby helped more. And seeing friends at the general store helped a lot.

I’m feeling better.
Not perfect.
But much, much better.

Paul