ANDRE BEGIN

During my career years, as I approached the finish line towards retirement, I looked forward to a period of introspection to relax, unwind and replenish my energy stores.

I looked forward to a day when I felt like my batteries were fully recharged and I could make it through the day without additional caffeine or snacking to prop me up.

Unfortunately, things didn’t quite go according to plan.

My last year at work was unexpectedly busier than I thought it would be. The home we bought wasn’t a fixer-upper by any stretch of the imagination, but it felt like we always had a project on the go to make the place our own. Meanwhile, the pandemic was in full force, lending itself to eleventh hour announcements of the re-opening or the re-closing of non-essential businesses, which always triggered a fight or flight response in me.

Instead of taking it easy, I was scraping the bottom of the barrel of what little extrovert energy I had left to dodge the crowds.

When I finally made it to the finish line of my career, rest and relaxation were at top of my list.

After a few months, I could feel my energy reserves starting to replenish. However, these were not the same energy stores as the ones belonging to a young man of 23 entering the professional workforce.

The shock to the system was a reality check. Just because I had the whole day to myself, did not mean it could be filled with activity from the crack of dawn until the wee hours of the next morning.

For example, on a beautiful spring or summer morning, I could be out doing yard work to take advantage of the fresh air, sunshine and beautiful sounds of nature surrounding our country property. However, I soon found out that two to three hours of heavy yard work often meant that, whether I planned for it or not, I’d be out cold after lunch for an afternoon nap.

Similarly, heading to the city for errands and appointments was always an energizing and satisfying prospect from a productivity standpoint. But by the time I came home, my energy was in short supply.

The first few times that I had a busy day of errands in the city, any ambitious dinner plans involving prepping, chopping and hovering over the stove had to be deferred despite the best of intentions.

When we had tickets for an evening event, I realized that I needed to be mindful of not tapping out my energy reserves early in the day or else risk dozing off later no matter how engaging and adrenaline-pumping the event might be.

That was when the theme of pacing myself first emerged.

For someone who prided himself on giving 100% to all of my undertakings over the course of a day, unfortunately the constitution and energy supply of someone in his late 50s didn’t quite allow for that.

What I also discovered was that pacing oneself is a trial and error process.

There are many factors that go into ensuring one has the energy to make it through one’s daily activities, from morning to night.

A good night sleep is one of those factors. Getting a consistent eight hours for me is important.

Healthy foods that help maintain my energy are also important.

Having a balance of activities between those I enjoy that energize me can help offset the must-dos of adult life that can tap out my batteries.

If I need an afternoon nap to help make it through the day, so be it. If I need to take it easy to allow enough energy to not look or act like a zombie during another activity that is fine too.

And I think there is a natural ebb and flow of energy at different times of the year. On beautiful sunny spring and fall days, when it’s neither too hot nor too cold, I have more energy than on winter days when it has been grey and cloudy for several days on end.

Pacing myself is a work-in-progress and I am OK with that.

Even though I may often have a long list of things to on my to-do list, they don’t all have to be accomplished in one day. I can do a little every day and feel like I’m making progress without draining myself and needing two or three days to recover.

It’s a delicate balancing act but an important life lesson for me, despite the crushing admission that I just don’t have the same limitless pot of energy that I used to. Who does?

If pacing myself is the answer to navigate the peaks and valleys over the course of a day, then it is time to listen to my body to fully appreciate the activities I have worked so hard to enjoy.

And truly, after a lifetime of rushing around and multi-tasking, isn’t slowing down and pacing myself a far better way to enjoy retirement and to savour life for all of its wonderful offerings?

Sincere thanks for reading!
Have a great day,
André