The inimitable Arianna Huffington was speaking in New Zealand last year. Founder of The Huffington Post and listed as the 52nd most powerful woman in the world by Forbes, to say I was excited is an understatement.
Arianna has always fascinated me. Not only is she a media and political heavyweight, what appeals to me most is that she has shouted loud about the bottom line value of wellbeing in big business. That we have a personal and corporate responsibility to take care of our wellbeing. Her bestselling book “Thrive” documents her journey from collapse from fatigue back to wellness. There are so many parallels with what I write about here, and my book “The Busy Woman’s Guide to High Energy Happiness” about my own journey from collapse from fatigue back to wellness. I couldn’t wait to hear her speak.
She did not disappoint. She was radiant and spoke with real power.
I’m going to share my favourite analogy from her speech as it resonated so strongly:
She has a point.
You know how it is, when you notice the battery on your phone is running down: oh my God, I’ve only got 12% battery left! It’s an almost panicky feeling. I know I am not alone in asking a café to recharge my phone, or being at a meeting and charging it mid-meeting. ONLY TWELVE FREAKING PERCENT BATTERY LEFT?!! What will I do? Must charge that phone. Immediately!
However, the day I collapsed at work from extreme fatigue, never to return, I was down to, what, 3% of my body’s battery? But I had never stopped and prioritised recharging it. I just assumed my personal battery was infinitely recharging. Like I am a one woman Duracell Bunny.
Stupid, right?
We check and look at our phone battery life all the time. We get it charged if it’s running low. That’s important goddamit! Can’t be without our phone.
How often do we check in and look at the level of our own body’s battery? Nowhere near as often.
Arianna is right.
“We are taking care of our smartphones better than we are taking care of ourselves”.
So, stop. Right now. RIGHT NOW! What does your personal battery readout say? Are you at 80% or 45% or 12% of vitality, energy and wellbeing?
Scan your body and find out. Put a percentage on it.
We need a high charge to power through life and attend to what is important to us with ease and grace.
This is an easy new habit to commit to. Check in with your personal battery level each time you check your phone charge. If it’s running low, give it a quick boost with a walk round the block. A chat with a friend. Five minutes’ quiet time. Going to bed early. Ditching the coffee for a peppermint tea. Little recharging pit stops that keep your battery topped up.
Take care of yourself better than your smartphone.
There is only one of you. You are far less easy to replace.
