Why You Still Feel Drained After the “Perfect” Summer

It’s been a hot summer. I hope you’ve had fun at the beach, at the pool, at the mall with your girlfriends, and you've even dated that perfect man you’re completely obsessed with.

Everything’s great! So why is your body miserable?

Now this could be a variety of different reasons. You hurt your back by pulling a muscle when you lifted a heavy object. You got sunburnt after spending the entire morning and early afternoon sitting by the ocean. Maybe you even stayed up late watching a horror film only to then be restless throughout the night because of nightmares.

We’ve all been there, right? We did something only to regret it later. That’s a part of life. Every one of us women have been in that position, struggling to navigate over simple things. But the problem is that it’s difficult to navigate in the modern era when we want things on-the-go and compare ourselves to others.

Living in the post-social media world can be riveting, but also hurtful. Everyone’s posting about how great or miserable their lives are. Typically, those who are negative most of the time tend to post about negative things, which turns us off from them. But then someone’s positive moments can also be a turnoff because you begin to covet what they have. Their kids are doing well in school. They went to the beach and took selfies. They got their praise report they’ve been wanting for a long time. I’ve been there, done that, and bought the t-shirt. And I agree! It’s annoying to deal with every day!

But guess what? You’re on your own journey!

Where are you in your life right now? What are the goals you want to achieve? Are you wanting to achieve the impossible at your job? Or are you at the bottom of the workplace, wanting to build up your resume? Are you planning on getting married and beginning a family? Or are you trying to begin that family now, but fertility issues are getting in the way? Are you fit and in shape, ready to take on your local 5k? Or are you lounging around, not really caring about your looks?

There’s nothing wrong with wanting any of these things, but each one of us goes through a process. And right now we’re still figuring that out. We claim to know our own bodies, but we don’t know about the external forces around us that try to stop us in any way possible!

In the last year, there has been this movement in the United States where we women have suddenly become more aware of what we’re doing to our bodies. It could be the food that we eat or the makeup we wear. Suddenly, we’re realizing just how many toxins are in every product that we use, along with men! But not only is it the food that we eat or the makeup we use, it’s also the content we consume and the people we surround ourselves with on a daily basis.

We figure out how to stay healthy only to find more problems that we need to fix. And why haven’t people told us these things before? Why didn’t we research for ourselves and encourage each other to move into a different direction?

We’re just now joining the party and we can’t even keep up with the latest on what’s good and what’s bad!

So how do we live better and healthier lives as women?

Well, here are three ways that we can begin this process.

Fill your physical body with better food and exercise

Right off the bat, we’re starting with a tough one. We love those bags of chips and (literally) chilling while we watch Netflix. We hate exercising with a burning passion no matter what size we are. We don’t want to go to the gym and have people see us, but we also don’t want to go for a run outside because it might be too hot. You know what? Exercising builds every muscle in your body and helps you function better.

Eating healthier food-kinds in which you know what you’re putting inside-can contribute too. When you cook your own food, knowing exactly what ingredients are used, your body will thank you for it. At the same time, there’s nothing wrong with having a bad day at work, coming home, and putting on your favorite television show while you have a snack. After a long day, you probably need it. But that brings us to our next topic.

Be careful of the mind.

Oh how we love our entertainment, right? From films to television shows to music, we love what we choose. While there isn’t anything wrong with entertainment, it’s how you entertain yourself that might be a problem if you’re not careful. Everyone, including me, complains about how oversexualized our culture has become.

Often, we ask, “Why is something added for shock value when it doesn’t add true grit to the story?” Newsflash, girlfriend. You don’t need to show off your skin in order to be accepted! You might even get the wrong attention. But aside from that, there’s also issues such as lack of moral teaching and proper education. Instead, there’s more pride and greed. Or a television show might portray something in a bad light even though you grew up differently.

For example, the typical fathers on Disney are portrayed as childish, which can be problematic for young children growing up in the social media landscape where all they want to do is consume content. This brings me to the next topic about how to combat these issues.

Surround yourself with ‘no’ people

What do I mean by this? Well, how often does your circle encourage you to venture into a negative direction that you know you’re not supposed to be on? It’s like giving in to peer pressure by drinking or stealing something from the store. You shouldn’t surround yourself with ‘yes’ people. Rather, you should surround yourself with ‘no’ people.

Surround yourself with people who care enough about you that they want to see you succeed and not self-destruct. If you’re a mother, then you especially are probably worried about today’s climate. Proverbs 17:17 states that a friend ‘loves at all times,’ but a brother ‘is born for adversity.’ In simple terms, it means that you can call anybody a friend, but a true friend will give things to you straight and not let you fall off the path you’re meant to be on. Surround yourself with people who will not only encourage you, but also try to get you back on track.

Take it from your sister here. I once was like you, not living the best lifestyle whether by circumstances out of my control or by choice. Heck, I’m still trying to navigate those waters today. But when you fill yourself with much better things than you are right now, you’ll see yourself transform in ways you never imagined. If the Lord wants you take care of your temple, why aren’t you doing it?

Amy Jean Kern is a college student from Pennsylvania, studying literature and creative writing. Her works includes publications for The Swish Magazine, a short story through Bucknell University, two short stories on Reedsy, follow-up devotionals to her pastor's sermons, and a coloring book through the children's ministry at her church.