MANAGE YOUR ENERGY

Think of times when you feel drained vs. times when you feel charged up. There are certain activities that are chargers for you where you feel more energised during and after the activity. For example for me seeing the sea/ocean or any other water front is a charger. Then there are other activities where you feel drained during and after the activity. For me dealing with utility companies is a drainer.

When something is drainer there could be different reasons. The activity might not be a good fit with your skills or interest or it might include people that you find draining.

On balance you want to spend more of your time everyday with the chargers than the drainers. Otherwise you will be running on empty batteries which causes burnout, impacts your performance and happiness. So it is important to identify chargers and drainers and improve charger to drainer ratio by reducing the number and/ or intensity of your drainers.

One thing you can do is to ask others for help you with drainers because an activity that drains you might charge someone else as we have different interests and skill sets. Delegating is so helpful when it’s possible.

When you do an activity that drains you focus your attention to physical sensations like breath and touch. Try to experience present moment. That will stimulate right-side of your brain which enhances your ability to control deployment of your resources wisely.

Some tasks you would have to do will be draining you yet sorting them out will have high impact. Do these tasks at the beginning of your day. Completing the difficult task as early as possible will give you momentum for the rest of the day.

A drainer can also be something that pulls on your attention, something mental that is constantly on repeat in your head and causes irritability after a while. For instance if you need to call someone and keep delaying it, it will keep space in your mind and eventually drain you. Instead of delaying make that call and stop thinking about it.

Ask yourself: What can you do today to feel more energetic, less drained?

If you want to continue the discussion email or follow me on LinkedIn.

 ..................

Zeynep Yalcin Parks is lead consultant at Derin Consulting. She helps individuals and organisations become better at achieving their purpose.

 ..................

Follow Derin Consulting on LinkedIn

Get in touch: hello@derinconsulting.com

Visit our website: www.derinconsulting.com 

*Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash.