Wellness Tip - Running on Fumes

Have you ever been sputtering along, running on fumes, yet felt too busy to stop and fill up your tank?

That’s exactly where I’ve been these past few weeks.

I went into 𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳 & 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘦 for my 4th Annual Queen ~ Priest ~ Prophet Women’s Retreat and immediately shifted into recovery mode while trying to catch up on work.

Two weeks post-retreat, I was in the thick of our organization’s annual CDFI industry conference. I facilitated a private roundtable session, attended training to learn more about our industry, and networked with conference participants. Despite sneaking in a few 30-minute power naps and doubling up on my Emergen-C, the effort pushed me far beyond my social limits as an introvert. I was left physically and emotionally drained.

Two weeks later, I was off to Houston for my first McLean & Co Signature Conference for HR professionals. I soaked up the insights, reconnected with former colleagues, met virtual friends in person, and forged new relationships with incredible HR executives.

By the time I returned home—just in time to jump into a 4-day family road trip—my body was limping along. There was no time to stop, so I packed more Emergen-C and a few OTC cold meds to power through my sore throat and sniffles.

Fast forward to today: instead of waking up energized about speaking at the virtual Lead Change Conference on a topic that truly excites me, I dragged myself out of bed wondering if I’d even make it to my session. After forcing myself through my morning routine, I finally gave in and laid back down to rest.

I managed to deliver my presentation & received great feedback—but I know I wasn’t operating at my best.

This six-week stretch of running on fumes & grabbing quick fixes like naps and supplements was like driving a car on an empty tank and only stopping long enough to add a few gallons instead of filling it up. Eventually, that car will break down.

𝐒𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐚𝐦 𝐈 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬?

Because when we live on short-term fixes, we underestimate the “𝘱𝘢𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘺 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳” tradeoff of our choices.

My sister learned this lesson the hard way when she ignored an engine light on her new sports car. A quick, low-cost service visit could have solved an oil leak—but instead, her engine blew. What might have taken two hours to fix turned into a complete breakdown and a major expense.

Our bodies and minds are far more valuable than any car. They require regular maintenance and attention to warning signs. Ignoring them leads to burnout, breakdowns, and diminished performance.

Sure, I made it through my presentation—but at what cost? How many of my other deliverables may have suffered because I’ve been too depleted to give my best?

Power naps and vitamin boosts can only take us so far. Pushing through the fatigue may help in the short run, but it’s not sustainable—and it doesn’t serve anyone well in the long term.

So here’s the reminder I needed, and maybe you do too:

𝐒𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧. 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐩. 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐭. 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐞𝐥.

𝘋𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘵𝘺.