We should keep an eye on budget planning, income-expenditure calculations, etc. not only for our finances, but also for our energy budget. This is important so that your energy account always remains positive.
During challenging phases, we have all probably felt that our energy level drops and drops – until at some point it is almost to zero. We are tired, exhausted, have difficulty concentrating, quickly lose our temper and are easily irritable. And in times when we are doing well, we experience the opposite: we feel fit, have the desire and energy to do things, are relaxed and calm. This is often how we feel after a vacation or when we were able to do something else good for ourselves that recharged our batteries.
And we want to take a closer look at these batteries. The doctor and mindfulness expert Dr. Amy Saltzman on “Psychology Today” calls the whole thing our energy account. We all have one of these, and just like a checking account, it can sometimes be full and sometimes completely robbed.
Permanently exhausted? Your energy account is probably in the red
Just ask yourself at this very moment: How full is your energy account right now, on a scale from minus ten to plus ten? If you have the feeling that your strength is currently in the negative range, there are consequences here too. However, not in the form of horrendous overdraft interest, but rather as health consequences. If we consistently don’t sleep enough and overwork ourselves for a longer period of time, our immune system will suffer, among other things, and we could suffer burnout.
If our energy balance is comfortably positive, we can relax: we have enough strength not only to cope with our everyday lives, but also to do things that we enjoy or to help others. And we even have a buffer to deal with a few stressful days without major consequences. Because they haunt us all, no matter how optimally we live our lives.
So to keep your account in a comfortable, secure plus, Dr. Amy Saltzman these strategies.
Manage your energy: This is how your energy account stays in the positive
1. Fund your account regularly
To ensure that our account is well-filled, we need to pay into it regularly – just like with our finances. And we do this with things and routines that are good for us. This can be anything and is very individual: Perhaps the best way to top up your energy account is to regularly talk to people who are close to you and who are good for you. Maybe you need more time to yourself to spend reading or watching your favorite series. Maybe daily meditation gives you energy or regular workouts.
For most people it’s a mix of all of these things. Listen to yourself, be careful with yourself, and you will quickly notice what gives you energy. And if you incorporate at least some of these habits into your life on a regular basis, it will be easier for you to keep your energy balance at a healthy level.
2. Be economical with withdrawals
We need money to live, so we have to withdraw something from our account every now and then. It’s the same with our energy account; here too we usually have to debit something every day. Working takes energy, just like shopping, cleaning or other tasks that are part of our lives. But then there are also expenses that don’t necessarily have to be incurred. Things we may feel obligated to do, but which rob us of strength that we don’t even need to use. This could be, for example, meeting a friend who only ever talks about herself and never asks us how we are actually doing. Such energy vampires are poison for our energy balance and ensure that our account gets out of balance.
Here you could keep a kind of energetic budget book: What takes energy but is necessary? What uses a lot of energy but gives you little in return? Find a healthy balance between your income and expenses. Just as you can only spend the money you have, you can only give the energy to yourself and others that is currently in your account.
3. Invest in an energy cushion
The best time to save is in good times. This applies to money as well as energy. If you feel rested and have enough strength to overcome everyday challenges and still have energy left, then it’s best to use it to replenish your cushion. Do things that are good for you, invest in yourself. Maybe the time has now come to finally take that pottery course that you otherwise lacked the time and energy for. Or you can meet up with friends more often or start a new sport.
And what do I do if my energy account is empty?
But then there are phases in life in which we notice: Nothing works anymore. The reserves are used up, the account is empty, we no longer even have enough energy for the everyday essentials such as working, cleaning or even just a shower. In this case, as in financially difficult times, a loan could help. More precisely: you borrow time.
You can get this in the form of help, for example by having someone do a task for you so that you can take a break. Or maybe you can take some time off, go on vacation, take a treatment, or something else that will help you replenish your account in the short term. Of course, this is not so easy for every person in every life situation. But maybe it’s just a day when you can only worry about yourself. It is important to balance your energy levels in the short term so that you can start to fill the account again. In order to then make sure in the long term that you don’t slip into the overdraft in the first place.