A Different Perspective on "Filling your Cup"

I’m sure you have all heard the saying “fill your cup before you give to others” (or something along those lines). And, I have always been a proponent of encouraging this. I make a point of identifying times in my days and weeks that are dedicated to “filling my cup”, especially when I feel I am out of balance or am feeling a little drained. A few weeks ago though, while I was giving myself a few extra minutes in the shower, I had one of those a-ha moments, and I realized that the way I was looking at it was all wrong.

I realized, in that moment, that what I was doing, was adding just enough to my cup each day to get me through the day, and that by the end of the day, my cup was actually quite empty. I was maintaining my energy (emotional, mental and physical), but just enough so, that I was DONE by the end of the day. Pushing even a little bit more in the evenings that on some mornings I would not have had enough rest and recovery to have my cup filled, and that I was becoming more depleted each day. And, I was needing to add in more time within the day to rest, recover and rejuvenate.

So, I look at it a bit differently now - and perhaps this will help you out as well.

Are you starting each day with a full cup? So that you have enough energy (mental, emotional, physical) to do all the things you have ahead of you for the day. Are you topping it up each day with all of the things that make you feel amazing? Perhaps you have your life dialed so that the things you do each day add to your energy, and that’s great! Yet, for those of us that find ourselves giving or using some of that energy over the day, are you allotting enough time to the things that charge you up? So much so that you are giving from the overflow?

If you are feeling out of balance, if you are feeling tired (physically, mentally, and/or emotionally), I suggest you take some time to reflect on why this might be. We don’t all have the opportunity to completely unplug and reset. I would love to just get away for a weekend retreat to fully recharge! But, hey, we are in Covid-times and it’s just not always an option.

So, let’s consider within each day. Are you doing the things that make you smile, that light you up, that fill you up? Give yourself a little time to reflect on what those things might be for you (fresh air, movement/exercise, eating well, sleep, connection with loved ones, nature…). And, if not, can you carve out a little more space and time in your upcoming days for you to do these things? The things that help you to rest, recover and rejuvenate. I would keep revisiting this as well, as this will shift for you over time. See if you can give yourself permission to carve out the space and time, not just to top up your cup, but to fill your cup so much so, that your overflow is bountiful.