7 Things That Drain Your Energy
In my previous post, I discussed some things you can do to boost your energy levels, like making deposits in your energy bank account. Today, I want to talk about all the withdrawals you’re making and some of the unnecessary withdrawals that are really eroding your energy and burning through your batteries. I think there’s an opportunity to reduce that so that you feel more energized throughout your day and your week.
1. DistractionDistraction is incredibly de-energizing. Switching from one thing to the next requires tremendous brain power, what’s called “Cognitive switching.” You burn energy every time you have to do that. Reducing distractions from your life helps preserve and protect your energy levels.
The research on phones and what an energy drain they are is alarming. One study examined how having a cell phone near you is still a huge drain even if all notifications are off and it’s turned upside down. A large amount of energy goes into attending to that phone. Even when it’s off, it must be in a different room so it doesn’t zap your energy.
2. IrrelevanceIrrelevance and administrivia are things that zap your energy because we know making meaning and doing things that matter boosts our energy. When we’re spending time on things that are just like digging a hole and then filling it back in again, that can run down our batteries.
What things can you remove from your day that feel like doing nothing? Can you delete them all together? Ask yourself, “Why am I even doing this?” If you can’t remove them, can you do them more efficiently? Can you do a “good enough” version? If you can’t do that either, how can you find and contain, build a fence around some part in your week to do these tasks without letting them bleed into everything else?
Many people have realized that a lot of emails are low-meaning and low-value. You can prevent them from constantly draining your energy by checking them only a couple of times a day. Watching somebody respond to emails is funny because they often let out a big sigh because it’s draining their energy. Remove those trivial, irrelevant tasks from your day.
3. NegativityIt’s incredible how being around negative people significantly impacts our mood due to emotional contagion—monitor who brings you down. If possible, avoid them altogether, even if you once considered them a friend. For those you can’t avoid, like your own child, find ways to create safe spaces and manage the impact. Recognize how these interactions affect your energy levels and take steps to protect yourself.
4. Suppressing EmotionsAnother thing that drains a lot of energy is suppressing our emotions. Suppressing emotions is exhausting and leads to burnout. My friend Michael Bungay Stanier always asks, “What are you pretending isn’t true?” because pretending consumes tremendous energy. Instead, ask yourself, “How do I work through this? How do I pay attention to this emotion? What is it telling me? What can I do to make it better?” Suppressing emotions burns through your charge whenever you try to keep it tucked away somewhere.
5. ClutterAnother one, which is smaller and maybe more manageable, is clutter. We know that clutter creates a drain on our energy. Physically, in your environment, if you’re feeling low or want to maintain your energy, take the time to declutter. We don’t even know that clutter is having that effect on our brains, but it absolutely is. Find at least a safe space. There may be other places in your house or at the office that aren’t organized the way you need, but if you can arrange your desk, for example, so that the clutter is behind you and create a clean, sterile space in front of you, it can help protect your energy.
6. Not Taking a BreakWe expect ourselves to have amazing energy from 8:30 in the morning to 5:30 at night, but no. We don’t have big, huge cycles in our lives. We have ultradian cycles, which are shorter cycles lasting 90 minutes to two hours. Understanding and honoring these cycles and taking breaks instead of trying to push through our day’s natural ebbs and flows can be helpful.
You have to use very expensive energy to be highly productive for two or three hours. It’s like a boat that’s not planing in the water yet—it’s just pushing water and burning a ton of gas. Once the boat gets on top of the water, it becomes more efficient. Similarly, working past the two-hour mark is like pushing water, burning a lot of energy. So pay attention to those and find your natural breaks.
7. Telling Unhelpful StoriesThe last one is the stories we tell ourselves. We have emotions, experience the world, and then create stories about what’s happening—whether we see ourselves as victims or find hope. It’s important to understand that these stories greatly impact how much energy we expend, and stories where we paint ourselves as victims burn a ton of energy. Can you find a story you’re telling yourself that you can reframe, reassess, or find an action to move forward? Because when it just sits there and hangs over you as this unhealthy narrative, it will burn a ton of energy.
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Protecting your energy matters so much these days. There is so much coming at you. Find the opportunity to put deposits in your resilience bank account with good sleep and play, and all the other things we know contribute to energy. It’s hard, so it’s even more important that you be aware of the things that are sapping your energy and cut them out as much as possible. Where you can’t cut them out, put nice ring fence boundaries around them and be more deliberate about how you spend your energy. But, many ways we deplete our energy are things that we control, such as clutter and distraction.
Find ways to make sure that you’re not draining your batteries any faster than is absolutely necessary. You can find some strategies for boosting your energy levels in this post.
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