The power robber test
This helps when you’re wondering where all your energy is going
© Tatyana Gladskih / Adobe Stock
Phew, so tired again… and somehow drained. But why? You haven’t overworked or slept too little, so what could be the problem? This simple test might help you answer it.
My biggest drain is definitely a lack of sleep. I always find myself going to bed too late and then setting the alarm too often the next morning. Both reasons why I start the day less refreshed and which I have to work on. New year, new resolutions, right?
But most of the time there is more than one reason that drains your energy. The good news is: We can work on the power robbers. The first step is to recognize our individual personalities.
Power robber test: This is how it works!
Which tasks cost you energy and which do you gain it from? You probably won’t be able to simply ban all strenuous activities from your life – but you can take action against them. And with the strength givers. The easiest way to recognize this is to contrast power robbers and power givers.
Take a piece of paper and write “power robber” in the top left and “power giver” in the top right. Under each term, write down everything that comes to mind about it.
This is what a power robber test could look like:
Power robbers:
- Stress at work
- Always complaining friends or family members
- Too much household at once
- Dispute in the relationship
- Too much time alone/Too much time with others
- Poor sleep routine
Energizer:
- Meet friends
- Do something good for yourself (self-care / eating out)
- Music
- Sports
- Hobbies
- Quiet
- Do something (alone or with others)
Remember: none of these examples have to apply to you. The point is that you do your own power robber test and find out where your imbalance lies.
How we balance energies
Less of the negative
Look at both of your lists. Which points can you influence? What can you delete? If you always do the entire household in one go and are therefore stressed before the next cleaning, then it’s better to do it in small steps. Monday washing day, Wednesday vacuum cleaner day, Friday bathroom cleaning day, for example. This can create a less stressful routine. Is it interactions with people that rob you of strength? Then think about how you can best communicate this to them.
Think about what factors are within your control – and what you can’t change. Maybe you worry about things you can’t control. If you are bothered by world events, it can help to read the newspaper instead of watching the moving images in the news.
More of the positive
How often do you do the things that give you strength? We often fall into a rut that involves the activities we don’t like while the activities we enjoy fall by the wayside. You could choose one fixed exercise or self-care day per week where you exercise or lie in the bath with a good book. Another day could be a designated “I do something” day – whether it’s going to the movies, going out to eat, or meeting friends. Choose what benefits you. If rest gives you more strength than going outside, listen to yourself and your body. Maybe, for example, going out every two weeks is more suitable for you.
Not every person recovers the same, you can find out what recovery type you are here:
Sources used: Psychology Today, resource exercises for adults by Melanie Gräßer and Eike Hovermann