“If you’re feeling tired, sleep. If you’re feeling drained, dig deep to figure out why. Start taking care of yourself, because no one else will. No one else CAN. It’s up to you.”

Few things are more all-consuming than running a business and raising kids. So it makes sense that we’re tired. But does it make sense that we also use the words drained, depleted, and exhausted to describe ourselves?

Once your kids are sleeping through the night and your business is steady — in other words, once you aren’t actually sleep deprived– your energy should pick up. Right?

Mine didn’t.

I was constantly, thoroughly, exhausted. I drank cups of coffee to supply me with the energy boost I thought I needed, but it was fleeting, and too much caffeine makes me cranky. Not a good solution. So what was the solution?

For me, and I think for all of us, there’s no one magic thing that will lead us to regain energy for work, life, and motherhood.

It’s achieved through many things. We can regain our vibrancy by learning what self-care really means to us, and then making time to do those things. We can drink water and eat fresh fruits and vegetables and fill our plates with healthy foods. We can revive our energy by being more connected to others. We can draw boundaries and stick to them.

Above all, we need to pay attention to how we feel.

When I was so overwhelmingly tired — drained was the word I used most — I felt so sluggish that I just knew something wasn’t quite right. None of my friends or family understood it. I wobbled in my explanation of it — how could I could claim it, once I was getting solid sleep on most nights? Shouldn’t I feel good? The truth was I just didn’t, and eventually I couldn’t ignore or deny it any longer.

My regular doctor seemed unconcerned, and basic blood work revealed nothing, so I started seeing a naturopath.

Turns out my hormone levels were wonky, and further blood tests revealed that a few other issues, minor and fixable, that were making an impact on how I felt. It’s been a journey to unravel and address and solve those problems, but I feel a whole lot better now — both because my issues are resolving and because I feel good knowing that I’m taking care of myself.

What isn’t helpful is to dismiss our low-energy feelings (like I did, at first).

We’re women– we do A LOT, tasks both visible and invisible.

We’re moms– little people depend on us for their needs, every single day.

We’re business owners– we are responsible for our empire, however large or small it may be.

So if you’re feeling tired, sleep. If you’re feeling drained, dig deep to figure out why.

Start taking care of yourself, because no one else will. No one else CAN. It’s up to you. And that’s okay, because you’ve already proved how strong and capable you are.

MotherHustle panelist Stacy Firth is a writer and content strategist who helps moms who are small business owners and solopreneurs create online content that keeps it real. She also leads workshops that help mamas lead a lit-up life, and is mama to two. You can find her on her website or on Instagram at @stacyrfirth.