Recharge Your Social Battery

The social whirl of the festive season is fun to be swept along on and spending time with loved ones provides us all important connection and belonging, which research has shown are key to our health and wellbeing. It can however leave many of us feeling frazzled and in need of a recharge.

How you recharge depends to some extent on who you are. If you are an extrovert, you likely thrive on being with others - having a large social battery if you like. You might find your social battery replenished by spending time with others. Conversely if you are an introvert, with a much smaller social battery, you need quiet time alone to recharge. Call it downtime or me-time, even the most extroverts amongst us need time-out to reconnect with ourselves.

For some this might be as simple as a warming bath and a good book, for others a favourite film or a long walk in nature. Whatever that looks like to you, it’s important to invest this time in ourselves. If we are constantly caught up with being on the go, our health can suffer. We might experience this as fatigue, stress, overwhelm, low mood, anxiety, feeling grumpy or even angry or agitated with those closest to us.

Help foster this time for reconnection and recharge by setting time aside for yourself. Cook a tasty meal, play your favourite song, switch on some fairy lights, turn your bathroom into a spa, wrap up in a snuggly blanket and gaze at the clouds or stars, or maybe dig out old photo albums and indulge in some happy nostalgia. The list is endless and will be as individual as you are.

You can also nurture your body and brain from the inside out.

Help create balance with adaptogens

These help us adapt to stressors but also reduce overwhelm, fostering more of a sense of peace and giving some much needed stability to the body, but especially the adrenal glands which pump out stress hormones. Ashwagandha is a firm favourite here, but holy basil also known as tulsi, and rhodiola are also valuable too.

Encourage a sense of calm

Neurotransmitters in the brain are key to feeling calm, happy, motivated and focussed. GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter, calming excited nerves impulses so we are not permanently on edge. To increase GABA avoid caffeine and consider the amino acids taurine and theanine. Lemon balm and passionflower are good here too.

Serotonin makes us feel relaxed and happy, and is made from tryptophan found particularly in turkey and chicken, cheese, fish, meat, tofu, chia and sesame seeds, or from 5-HTP.

Try this breathing practice

If you find it hard to wind down and sleep after spending time with others try slowing down your breath, especially the out breath. Count in for 4, holding for 4 and then out for 6. Yoga or meditation is good too. Try to avoid too much screen time which inhibits the body’s release of melatonin, the hormone which makes us feel sleepy in the evening.

In terms of nutrients, magnesium and theanine, the amino acid responsible for the relaxing effect on the brain found in green tea can be good to take during the evening, or try 5-HTP closer to bedtime.