In What Ways Do You Fill Your Own Cup?
The saying, “you can’t fill from an empty cup” is something that really holds true within yourself. If you are empty inside, you have nothing to give and you will be filled by things that may not be what you believe. Making sure you are filling yourself up with a strong foundation is key to being able to produce actions, ideas, and words that align with who you really are.
To fill your own cup, is to learn yourself and know yourself. Things that fill you up are things that make you feel energized, more in tune with yourself, and maybe will teach you some things about yourself.
When I’m focusing on filling myself back up, I know I need to do this when I feel more on edge, stressed, more tired than usual, or like something is off with me. Luckily, I have spent the time with myself in order to know what I need to refuel. If you’re wondering how to take care of yourself you can start with some simple questions, “what is something I can do just for me, that is good for me” “how do I want to feel while doing this action” and "what is something that would bring me genuine joy”? The answer to those questions cannot lead you towards anything but what you want.
For me, when I need to feel re-energized I make a point to get my gym time in, I make sure to spend some time by myself, and I make sure I’m getting enough sleep. For me, I know the outcome of these things give me energy and allow me to recharge in a way that is good for my mind and body. The gym and good movement give me mental clarity and stability I need when I may be feeling drained. Time by myself is an introvert's greatest gift and recharge, time alone means purely relaxing to me and I feel recharged and ready to help others afterwards. Getting a good nap in from time to time resets me in many ways, who doesn’t love a good nap?
Sometimes I need to feel more in tune with myself. The outcome I’m looking for here is to assess something I may be missing within myself or maybe to reflect on something that’s bothering me. In order to do this I find myself gravitating more to writing and reading. Doing these two things make me feel like myself because with writing it allows me to be creative, find deeper ideas about myself, and release any overthinking I may have been doing. Reading books on certain things I may be dealing with such as love, boundaries, or over-thinking usually gives me good insight to practice in my day to day life.
When I am wanting something to teach me about myself, I may be feeling in a rut. When I find myself doing things over and over I can become drained without realizing it. When I need to fill this area of myself, that is when I lean more into my hobbies because they do teach me things about myself. I love to bead embroidery. It teaches me patience, it teaches me to be creative, it challenges my hand dexterity, and it’s meticulous. All of these things get me outside of my head and into a hobby and I find myself discovering more about my creativity in this way. When I learn more about myself and add hobbies to my life, I find the outcome of this is stepping outside of my box and it invites me to try something new more often.
Having a plan for when I’m starting to feel down, drained, or stressed helps me to step out of those feelings easier. Usually, taking action in one of these things does help me refuel my energy, because there is a purpose for all of those things. I know the things I struggle with and I made a direct solution to each thing I find myself struggling with. Most people struggle with stress, overthinking, and feeling drained, and if you do ask yourself the questions above and see what solutions might be useful to you. Use what you enjoy to recharge.
