I was running a half-marathon with my daughter Julia. I had set the intention to push myself, but to run at all times at a pace that felt good. And I did feel really good as I was steadily moving forward in the field of runners. And then I saw in the distance the mile marker “11 miles.” The end was in sight, and I increased my pace. I was doing great! But at the 11-mile marker there was no finish to be seen. I asked runners around me where the finish was, and they responded “dude, a half marathon is 13.1 miles.” Since this was my first half marathon in the United States, I was oblivious of this distance. I still had 2 miles to go, and my energy level tanked. With a pathetic hobble I crossed the finish line.
This was a great example of poor energy management. Many of us don’t do a good job at managing our energy, and as a result we are surprised that we feel exhausted, just as I felt when I hobbled across the finish line. The key question is what do you give your energy to?
Do you give your mental energy to worry or concerns? We may worry about issues over which we have no control. Since a situation does not change just by us worrying about it, we feel powerless and drained if we cannot translate our worry into action. On the other hand, if we have a concern that we can act upon, we feel empowered and energized when we act. In general, putting our focus on issues within our circle of influence lifts our energy, while worrying about issues outside our circle of influence drains us.
Have you noticed that there are people that energize you, while others suck the life out of you? The latter type of people are called energy vampires. They don’t have fangs, but they drain your energy with complaints, gossip, or a general listlessness. Don’t be surprised that if you spend much time with energy vampires that your energy level is depleted. Who do you give permission to tap into your energy? And who can you spend time with that energizes you?
For physical food there is healthy food and junk food, and the same is true for the mental food that we take in. Mental food consists, for example, of the books that we read, the music that we listen to, the movies that we watch, and the conversations that we have. Dystopian novels may cause your world to be view dark and pessimistic, horror movies may make you feel suspicious or hypervigilant, and conversations filled with gossip may sour personal relations. Conversely, inspirational books or movies, energetic music with a flow that appeals to you, and positive energetic people lift your energy level. Watch the mental food that you take in and pick a mental diet that nourishes you!
Working excessive hours without time to recover is a recipe for being drained. Paradoxically, a lack of mental or physical activity can also make us feel exhausted. We need to move and be mentally engaged to be energized. Do you know what activities and habits fuel your energy level? If you don’t, you could experiment with yourself to find out what feeds your energy and then adjust your habits accordingly.
You could spend some time analyzing how you manage your energy. You may be doing great. But if you feel at times depleted in energy, you could consider how much time you spend brooding over issues you cannot control, what people you spend time with, the quality of the mental food that you take in, and what physical and mental habits you have that influence your energy level. You don’t want to be like me in mismanaging your energy, as I did during my first half marathon in a new country.