Things That Drain Your Energy
Often we relate feeling tired or having low energy to physical factors such as a disturbed sleep patterns, poor diet or lack of physical exercise, but what if psychological factors are the root of your fatigue.
TRYING TO BE PERFECT
On the surface aiming for perfectionism might seem harmless but often times perfectionism prevents people taking any step forward out of fear of failing, being judged or not meeting the extremely high standards they set for themselves. Instead try and focus on meaning over perfection . When you find meaning, joy and fulfilment, it doesn’t matter if ’x’ is done perfectly. A results oriented focus is likely to result in quitting, because often results don’t happen in the timeline that we expect.
Ask yourself >
When has setting unrealistic high standards served me?
How can I come to the point where I allow & accept myself to make mistakes?
2. NOT BEING ABLE TO SAY NO
People pleasers get a sense of approval when they give their time doing things for other people. This is at the expense of their own needs & boundaries.
When you use all your energy and mental resources making sure others are happy, you are often the only one left feeling unhappy, exhausted and unfulfilled.
Establishing and communicating boundaries allows you to determine what you can and can’t take on.
It is NOT your responsibility to manage other people’s emotions. You are not an emergency service available every second of the day ready to rescue everyone around you. REMEMBER there is power in the pause - You don’t always have to reply straight away. Take a moment. Is this something that aligns with my goal?
3. TRYING TO CONTROL THINGS THAT YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OVER
You cannot control your circumstances or the things around you, but you CAN control how you respond. Worry and stress will NOT change the outcome of a situation, it will merely drain you of energy, consume your mind and prevent you from being in the present moment.
Instead ZOOM out and maintain perspective about what IS in your control and channel your energy into that.
4. PHYSICAL CLUTTER
Have you noticed that when your house in messy, dirty or cluttered you feel drained of energy? How does that differ from when the house is clean and clutter free? A house full of EXCESS stuff can be energy draining. Your eyes are constantly scanning the room and reminding you of the tasks that you feel you “should” be doing - sorting, organising, cleaning etc.
Clearing your environment and removing clutter can bring immediate peace and help you to feel energised and renewed.
5. PROCRASTINATING
Procrastinating consumes energy because not only is your brain worrying about when and how you will finish the task, additional tasks start piling up too. Just the thought of how much you need to do can drain you of energy.
Keep a running to-do-list and every time you think of something that needs doing, add it to the list. Each night, or in the morning ask yourself “what are the three most important things I need to do today” and prioritise them. If you have more time and motivation that you can check the rest of your list and work on other things.
You could be eating the most nutrient rich diet, working out and taking all the supplements, but unless you deal with the mental weight that brings you down, you may always feel energy depleted.
Choose one thing you can commit to doing consistently to challenge these mindset habits.