What if you could hack your energy levels to match all the things you’d like to accomplish each day?
What if you never felt drained or overdrawn?
What if you woke up with a full tank in the morning and went to bed tired, but not exhausted?
Many of us regularly attempt to spend more energy than we actually have.
If you are struggling with staying energized throughout the day you may very well be over doing it.
The word “audit” sparks a bit of anxiety for some. Audit means to perform an inspection of an individual’s accounts.
So let’s look at our individual available energy at any given time as our energy account.
Just like with our finances we want to keep our energy account balanced. Too much energy and we get restless, bored and irritable. Too little energy and we feel tired, unmotivated and grouchy.
Keeping your energy in check begins by understanding two things:
How much energy do I have?
How much energy do the activities I engage in take up?
How much energy do I have?
This is really an impossible question to answer. However, we can get an idea of what our available energy looks like on an average day. . .
Track:
(Print out a calendar or use your own)
For the next week write down the following information:
What time did I wake up and go to bed?
How many hours of sleep did I get?
Did I exercise or move in some way?
Did I eat healthy meals this day?
Did I connect with others in my life?
Did I laugh or have some kind of fun?
At the top of each day give yourself a number from 1-10. This is your energy score for the day.
1 means - low energy , difficult to sustain energy, no motivation, low mood
10 means - top of the world energy. Feeling healthy, vibrant and ready to take on any task.
Putting together your energy score with your basic human needs answers (the questions above) will give you a good idea of how your energy relates to your self-care. (spoiler alert - the two are absolutely linked)
We all have different energy reserves.
We all have to eat and sleep and move but besides the basics, life and activity is completely variable for each individual.
The amount of expended energy for an activity is also dependent on the individual performing the activity.
For example lets take the activity of hosting a dinner party...
For someone who is extroverted, has the finances and time available, has good friends and family who practice healthy boundaries….. hosting might be energizing, exciting and fulfilling.
For a busy introvert who dislikes cooking, this party could be utterly exhausting.
Same activity - Different energy cost.
So stop comparing yourself to others. Just because your friend gets up at 5 each morning to go to Pilates doesn’t mean that that activity would match YOUR energy at 5 AM.
Audit your activities:
For this exercise, grab a piece of paper and settle in.
Think about ALLLLLLLLLLLL the things you do each day - from the moment you wake up to the moment you fall asleep.
List. Them. All.
Wash face, drink coffee, watch TV, scroll through social, call mom, go for a run, attend a meeting at work, chat with coworkers, help kids with homework, make dinner, watch a movie etc. etc. etc.
Once you are satisfied with your list - go back through and place a symbol next to each item.
Place a "+" next to activities that you feel energized by. (having coffee with my best friend is always a +)
Place a "-" next to things that drain you or use a lot of energy. (Making small talk with strangers is a - for me)
Place a "=" next to items that are more neutral. For example, taking out the trash takes 30 seconds. You aren’t exactly energized by it but it doesn’t rob you of energy either.
Put it together:
Energy auditing is great. It gives you a picture that is based on actual data and not just how you feel in the moment. We can all relate to feeling exhausted and not knowing why. Understanding how our personal energy reserves ebb and flow is important to the big picture of wellness.
Here are some things to look at once you have tracked your data for one week.
What are some things I notice about days I had low energy?
Ex: I only slept 4 hours the night before. I had a big assignment that day. I skipped lunch. I got in a fight with my spouse. I got in a fender bender...
What are some things I notice about high energy days?
Ex: I slept well, I laughed with my child on the way to school, I got a massage, I rode my bike, I figured out an annoying item on my to-do list, I played tennis.
Do I have more “+” or more “-” items in my regular activities list?
You do the math. What do you think that means? How can you adjust?
When you understand your energy and how to work with (not against) it, you unlock a world of potential within yourself.
Good energy means you will be clear, effective, productive and positive. If you are feeling drained you won’t be able to give your best.
Get in the habit of saying no to things if you don’t have the energy left in your tank. If you give yourself the grace to accept you can’t do everything all the time, things become easier.
By rearranging your activities, tracking your energy and being sure to refuel your body and mind, you CAN do anything! For more wellness - explore The LooM. Weaving together all the things to make the whole picture of happiness and health. That's The LooM Life.
Written by Maeby Lopez, Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and Professional Organizer
Comments