We’ve all experienced burnout at some point. No doubt, it’s turned many an individual to habits like drinking, smoking, unhealthy eating or reckless spending.
And while those things might seem to work at first, they only ever lead to more mental and physical complications.
So how do you tackle burnout? You don’t pile on more stuff – you attack the issue at its root.
Enter Personal Energy Management
Personal energy management is a concept that was brought to life by The Energy Project through collaboration with thousands of business leaders.
You see, there’s a real problem in workplaces across America. In response to rising work demands, many people choose to increase the amount of time they work. The issues arise when that increase is not accompanied by an increase in life energy.
It applies outside of the workplace as well. We’ve all got responsibilities in our personal lives that could benefit from an extra hour or two a day. But unless you employ personal energy management, as your time and stress increase, your energy will decrease. And BAM – just like that. Burnout.
So how do you make use of personal energy management? It’s all about taking care of your 4 energy types – spiritual, intellectual, emotional and physical.
How To Replenish Your 4 Types of Energy
1. Physical Energy
Here’s an excellent place to start. After all, your body is what houses everything about you. Neglect it and it won’t be long before you’re feeling all sorts of aches and pains.
So how do you take care of your body?
First, exercise. You don’t have to spend an hour at the gym. In fact, a mere 7 minutes of the right exercise can give your body all the workout it needs. You’ll sleep better, be less stressed out and feel more confident about yourself.
Next, eat properly. Don’t skip meals or settle for fast food because your day is jam packed. You might think you’re powering through but pretty soon you’ll be crawling. Eat proper, balanced, healthy meals and you’ll be much better equipped to take care of business.
The last way to replenish your physical energy? Sleep. That’s when your body repairs itself. Aim for no less than 7 hours each night. And please, for the love of God, do not use your cell phone when you hit the hay.
2. Emotional Energy
Someone says something to you and it stings. You see something on the news that really bothers you. You might think you can just keep your head down, not talk about such things and be fine. But really, it all adds up and drains your emotional energy – bit by bit.
And while you can’t always deal with every little thing the moment it pops up, you can make time to deal with it later.
It could be an hour or so at the end of every day where you journal, paint or talk to a friend. Figure out what you can do that leaves you feeling like you’ve overcome things that bother you.
3. Intellectual Energy
How many of the problems you encounter on a daily basis can be solved using brute force alone? Your brain is what really gets things done – whether it’s getting the kids to eat their vegetables or formulating a sales pitch.
Don’t let your intellect become stagnant by doing the same thing day after day without feeding your brain new information. Take time to replenish your brain’s hunger for new information. Even if it’s about something random and trivial, you’re feeding your quest for knowledge and making your brain more powerful.
4. Spiritual Energy
What are you doing here? What does life mean? Where is your current path leading you? What’s your purpose?
These are all questions we solve and then re-solve countless times in our lives. The answers are what keep us from feeling empty due to depleted spiritual energy.
When’s the last time you sat down and really thought about your values? Are you holding onto beliefs and views that you’ve long since outgrown?
Don’t wait until life throws a crossroads at you – make one yourself and figure out what really matters to you. It’ll make it easier to navigate this busy life that can pull you in a million different directions at once.
Want to read more about personal energy management? Check out this book, written by the concept’s creators. Have a look at this TEDx Talk from one of the authors, Tony Schwartz.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on this post – share them below!
Sources:
Mantelligence
TimLeitch.net
HelpGuide.org
Sleep Foundation
Harvard Business Review