Your energy account

We all know that we aim to have a good nights sleep to wake up full of energy.  But as I have said before, sleep is only one way to boost your energy.   Think of yourself as having an energy account, and energy raising activities e.g. sleep, credit your energy account and energy draining activities e.g. frustration, debit your energy account.  You may find it helpful to work out the balance on your energy account.

Use the table below to identify what in your life drains your energy and what raises your energy.

Energy Debits  – Energy Draining Activites
Energy Credits – Energy Raising Activities
Unhealthy eating with heavy, rich, fatty, sugary good Health diet with give excellent nutrition supported by vitamin and mineral supplements
Alcohol

Cigarettes

Drug abuse

Over-stimulation (including over work)

Natural highs from nature, dance, relaxation, music, physical achievement, humour and creativity.
Sedentary lifestyle Exercise
Fear

Worries

Anxiety

Stress

Frustration

Depression

Feeling things are out of control

Security

Peace of mind

Rest

Joy

Happiness

Isolation and loneliness

Lack of love or support

Being dominated

Being stuck in the past

Close personal relationships

Sense of belonging

Healthy boundaries

Ability to forgive including yourself

No self-expression

Boredom

Underachievement

Creative self-expression

Excitement

Achieving

Lack of purpose and meaning Clarity about your true values, purpose and meaning
Difficult relationships Good relationships
Lack of spiritual nourishment

No sources of uplift

Good sources of spiritual uplift

Now you have worked out what is happening to your energy account.  If you are unhappy with how much energy your have then I recommend you go back through the energy raising activities and consider what you can easily incorporate into your life.  Once you had done this and implemented them, then you can go through your energy draining activities and see what you can give up.  It is important to boost your energy first as it put you in to a positive state of mind before tacking what in your life drains your energy.

 

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