14 Ways to Reset, Recharge, and Replenish Your Energy
When it comes to nurturing yourself or recharging your energy—whether physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually—it’s common to struggle with finding the time space to do it. (Not to mention, the extraordinary task of feeling worthy of recharging your energy in the first place.) If you’re anything like I used to be, no matter how much you might be aware that you’re feeling tired, overwhelmed, depleted, or drained from spending too much energetic bandwidth on a particular task or around a particular group of people, allowing yourself to hit the pause button and discover what recharges your energy can feel downright impossible. (Think: That nightly glass of wine that started as a wind-down, only to become a Band-Aid approach to energy depletion rather than something that genuinely recharges you and resets you.)
Sound familiar? We live in a burnt-out, stressed-out world for a reason, after all.
But here’s the thing: Not only are you deserving of recharged and replenished energy, but you also NEED it. And believe it or not, the world needs you to recharge too. If you’re going to show up to your life in a way that is aligned, authentic, and in service to yourself and those around you, you want fresh energy supporting you.
Next time everything starts to feel just a little “too much,” try one of the practices below to reset, recharge, and replenish.
1. Get quiet.
Meditating is a millennia-old practice for quieting the mind, settling your body, and recharging your energy. Experiencing “monkey mind” (aka: Constant, intrusive thoughts) is a major clue that your energy needs replenishing; so, when you notice it, take the cue. Getting quiet—whether for five minutes or fifty, it all counts!—supports clarity, inspiration, manifestation, and reenergizing.
2. Create space.
Declutter your calendar, winnow down your to-do list, clean out your phone, simplify your digital life, organize your closet, and even pare down some of your relationships. If your life is constantly cluttered with physical stuff—packed with lists, obligations, commitments, and material items—chances are it might be overflowing with too much energetic stuff too. Over-focusing on other people’s feelings, worries, challenges, and experiences is a clear sign that there’s something in your own life (like your depleted energy) that you’re just not dealing with. If creating energetic space feels too difficult to tackle, start with physical (and calendar) space. Beginning with small decluttering practices will start to open the energetic and spiritual space you need for self-care as well.
3. Find a mantra that reenergizes you.
One reason reciting a mantra is so effective is because by speaking affirming, healing, or reenergizing language allows you to enter the energetic vibration of those words. The key to a powerful mantra is really feeling the emotions of each word in your physical body. The energy of a mantra enters not only the conscious mind, but the unconscious mind as well—getting to the roots of your depletion and vibrating you back to wellness. The right mantra will raise your vibration, move and replenish your energy, and shift you from a space of depletion into one of vitality.
4. Ground yourself.
Grounding or centering yourself is something you can do daily—or multiple times, daily—to help you to stay rooted in who you are, safe and stable in your boundaries, focused on your intentions, and protective of your energy. Up your grounding game by actually grounding to the earth itself: Removing your shoes, heading into some outdoor green space, and literally connecting skin-to-ground. Earth energy is vital, healing energy and you can access it almost anywhere.
5. Play.
When was the last time you had fun, just for fun’s sake? If you’ve been energy-depleted long enough, chances are you’ve forgotten exactly how to just let go and have fun, no outcome or higher (read: explicitly productive) purpose necessary. Take a moment to think about the kind of fun you had as a child: No timeline, no agenda, no obligations, life as a long weekend. If it’s been a while since you’ve exercised your play muscles, be intentional about exploring what fun means to you. Think back to what you used to love doing as a kid and consider how that might translate into your adult life.
6. Treat yourself to a sensory experience.
A sensory experience can be anything that gets you out of your mind and settled back into your body. Try massage; reiki; burning sage or incense; cleansing your energy with salt, essential oils, or crystals; even taking a walk in nature (see grounding, above!)
7. Savor a nutrient-packed meal.
Sometimes, replenishing your energy is as simple as drinking a large glass of water, munching on a protein-packed snack, or mindfully enjoying a nutritious meal.
8. Journal.
There are TONS of ways to journal: Gratitude journaling, bullet journaling (or “list-making”), vision and dream journaling, writing letters to and from yourself, affirmation journaling, automatic or intuitive writing, and more. Whether you set aside just a few minutes or find yourself scribbling for an hour, you’ll be amazed at how inspiring, enlightening, healing, and re-energizing journaling can be. (Pro-tip: One of my favorite writing exercises is called “100 Ways I’m Awesome” and it’s exactly what it sounds like: A list of one hundred ways you’re awesome. Anytime you’re feeling down, writing out one hundred different ways you’re awesome is great for cheering your spirits, raising your vibration, and replenishing your energy.)
9. Practice an abundance mindset.
Living from a space of lack with drain you of energy quicker than anything. Believe the universe has enough for you and everyone else as well: Enough time, enough resources, enough space, enough energy. Enjoy what’s yours and leave the rest.
10. Set boundaries and stick to them.
Setting healthy boundaries is one of the most significant way you can recharge your energy, by making sure it’s protected in the first place! Often, people assume boundaries are all about saying no—to favors, requests, jobs, social events, and just generally showing up for other people—but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Having clear and strong boundaries is also about saying yes to yourself, putting your needs and energy first.
11. Be mindful of what is and isn’t your responsibility.
It’s time to realize that not every fight is your fight, not every job is yours to do, not every problem is yours to fix. If you’re a leader, a passionate or strong personality, or an empath, the people in your life are probably used to you leading them, fighting their battles, problem solving for them, or feeling their feelings for them. But nothing will drain your energy faster than taking on what isn’t yours.
12. Connect with your community in real-time.
Some people need solitude to recharge, while others recharge in community. If you fall into the latter category, schedule some genuine, in-person connection (in other words, off the ‘Gram) with a close friend or colleague. Set aside your devices, make eye contact, and be fully present with one another.
13. Try a gratitude practice.
If you’re feeling totally spent, sometimes a little gratitude can offer a quick and easy pick-me-up. Whether you’re writing what you’re thankful for down in a journal or simply starting or ending your day by voicing your gratitude aloud, take time to draw your awareness to everything you’re grateful for each day and then observe how your energy shifts.
14. Tune into your instincts… and then trust them.
Your intuition is your superpower. The deepest and most divine messages the universe will ever send you will come through your intuition—so let them! If something is signaling to you that your energy is running low, listen. Allow your intuition to direct you towards a practice that will be truly healing, replenishing, and reenergizing.
Remember, anything that fills you up with high vibrations is a great energy-replenishing practice. Take time to consider what yours might be and then make a go-to list of your favorite energetic self-care practices so you’ll have ideas and resources on hand the next time you know need to refresh and rest. Don’t forget: You’re entitled to rest and replenishment anytime your body and mind signal to you that you’re running low. Take care of yourself so, when you’re ready and reenergized, you’ll be able to show back up in the world in a way that will be of best service to yourself and those around you.