Are you an energy conservationist? By that, I mean, do you know your energy drains that deplete your energy? If not, how can you conserve your energy? Here are some examples of some of my energy drains and what you can do about them:

• Unnecessary chit-chat— Unless there is a major event happening, we can’t be available to just chat at all hours. Set boundaries for yourself about how much chat time that you need. Socializing is extremely important, so is quiet time that we highly sensitive people/introverts need.
• Criticism from others— Criticism, unless constructive, is someone telling you what’s wrong with you. They are actually projecting their problems onto you. Don’t fall for it! There are some people who have dumped harsh judgement on me. I let it actually affect my view of who I was. People are jealous and angry at times and they dump their insecurities on you to relieve their feelings of guilt about themselves. I’ve learned that if you feel secure within yourself, false criticism will not bother you.
• Being sleep deprived–Being tired is not a prerequisite for being successful. All I accumulated from that thinking was exhaustion and days of misery. We’ll all have some long days, but exhaustion is nothing to be proud of, and nothing to aspire to in the grand scheme of things! I accomplish so much more when I get the rest that I need.
• Not taking a break— Vacations and taking breaks are productive. Yep, those trips that you are putting off even stay-cations with nothing to do at all are super-productive! Life is not just about work or taking care of your children or anything else that is singularly and intensely focused. Take time both physically and emotionally away from your present life to replenish your energy. You’ll find it is the best investment you can make in your long-term endurance and creative momentum!
• Negative self-talk— What are you saying to yourself throughout the day? Are you judging yourself and putting pressure on yourself to be perfect? This will drain your energy very quickly. Do you have negative thoughts about your future, stifling any thoughts of pursuing or having your dreams? This will drain you. Do you focus on what isn’t working in your life or all of the things you are grateful for? How you focus your mental energy will affect your energy. So it is important to check when your energy is low, ask yourself “Are my negative thoughts draining me?” Lighten up on yourself, pursue your dreams, and focus on what is going right in your life to help lift your energy.
• Emotional Changes–How do you respond to your emotions during the day? Do you welcome your emotions as information and feedback to learn from? Or do you suppress your emotions? If you have a back log of unexpressed emotions, this can drain your energy. Do you let your emotions take over when you over react to situations, which ends up draining you? How you respond to your emotions will affect your energy level. If you find you have a lot of suppression of your emotions or over-reactivity going on, it may be a signal that some deeper healing is needed for you. Learning to take responsibility for your own feelings, opening up to them, and learning from them will help you increase your energy level.

Are you an energy conservationist? What drains your energy? I’m interested in any thoughts or comments that you have.

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