How to Protect Your Energy

We live in an overstimulated world. Loud city noise, 24-hour bright lights, smells, caffeine binges, screens, and our constant overthinking leads to severe depletion of our personal energy on a daily basis. For many of us, we don’t even know that we are drained. We don’t know what it feels like to be refreshed and energized.

Now more than ever, it's important to protect our energy. We have more energy leaks today than ever before in history. Everything is constantly seeking your attention and energy all the time. This energy drain is not just physical, but also emotional and spiritual.

Let's take a look at a few strategies we can use to protect our energy.

Stop worrying.

Worrying is a form of self-talk. It’s a way to avoid the present by talking to yourself about the past or the future. But worrying does not help you solve problems, and it can be exhausting! If you're constantly worrying, you may feel as though you don't have enough energy to take action in your life—and that will keep you stuck in fear and unhappiness.

Do you spend a lot of time in the morning in bed thinking about all the dreadful things that could happen that day? You have zapped your energy without moving a muscle. Do yourself a favor. Catch yourself when you are in a negative thought pattern. Stop worrying and protect your energy reserves.

Define your limits

One of the best ways to protect your energy is to define your limits. As a human being, you're bound to have times where you feel drained or burnt out—but knowing when it's time to say no and take a break can keep those moments from becoming permanent. It's important to know when you need a break and when it's okay for yourself not to be constantly giving.

Don't let anyone guilt trip you into doing things just because they think they're helping. You know yourself best! It's okay if sometimes people don't understand why we need breaks from socializing or from work; but remember that these are our lives, and we have every right over them as anyone else does theirs!

Don't take things personally

Another way to protect your energy is not to take things personally.

The person who is draining your energy may not even realize what he or she is doing! He or she may just be having a difficult day without realizing that he or she has been projecting negativity onto everyone around him or her all day long (for example). You can still stay firm in your stance if necessary but try not to judge so much; instead focus on how you can stay calm and protect your energy.

If we are overdoing anything, it will lower our energy levels exponentially. We might get so busy with work that we take on more projects than we can handle or try to please someone so much that we end up self-sabotaging our own success in order to make them happy. When this goes unnoticed and the person is not appreciative of your efforts, low energy levels can make you feel unappreciated, and your reaction ruins an otherwise great relationship. So, when you feel tired, just take a break and stop what you are doing. Nothing is more important than being 100% yourself!

Stop multitasking

When you're trying to focus on one task, it's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life. But here's the thing: multitasking makes you tired. It uses up double (or triple) the energy that focusing on one thing at a time does, so it actually drains your energy rather than giving it back.

To protect your energy and keep yourself going throughout the day, try working in a quiet space with no internet or phone access. This means shutting off notifications on your phone so they don't distract you from whatever work is at hand!

Take time to think

Back when we were not accompanied by our phones everywhere, we used to spend our time thinking. The kind of deep and meaningful thinking that only happens when you are on the verge of getting bored. But since we have our screens with us all the time now, we rarely have the time to just be with our thoughts and think deeply about something.

Taking the time to think can help in many ways to protect your energy. You understand yourself more, you notice your triggers and energy leaks, you also come up with unique strategies of your own to protect your energy.

Taking a moment and skipping a beat can also help in avoiding potentially high trigger situation. Sometimes, it is best to take a few moments to think about what you want to say than just blurting things out. This can help avoid misunderstandings and tension. If someone asks for your thoughts on a particular issue, do not rush into your response. Take your time. There is no glory in igniting something that will lead you offtrack and drain your energy levels.

Lean in on your loved ones

One of the most important things you can do to stay energized is to lean in on the people who care about you. Lean in on your loved ones. Lean in on the people who make you feel safe and listened to, even if that’s just one friend or family member who understands what it feels like to be overwhelmed with all of life's demands and responsibilities.

It's not always easy for us as introverts—or just human beings—to open up about our struggles, but that helps more than anything! When we're willing and able to share what we're going through and ask for help, we are not only reenergizing ourselves but also creating deep bonds that last a lifetime. Being vulnerable is very powerful.

Walk away from a triggered situation

You may have been in a situation where you were triggered by an interaction. It could be that the person was being aggressive or critical towards you, or maybe their negativity or comments were directed at someone else but still affected you. In this case, recognize that there is no benefit to engaging with this person and walk away as soon as possible.

Another way people get into situations they don’t want to be in is by trying too hard to please others and make sure everything goes smoothly; they end up getting sucked into things they don’t want to do just because it might upset someone else if they say no! This can be a major energy leak. Walking away respectfully is the best thing you can do sometimes to protect your energy.

Use calming strategies

We all know this one. But how exactly do we calm down? There are several super-simple ways to calm down when you are feeling anxious.

Here are two articles to get you started:

Using simple strategies to calm yourself when you are anxious can help in protecting your energy. Anxiety leads to many energy leaks, mentally as well as physically. So, if you are prone to anxiety, it may also help to talk to a therapist and learn some advanced strategies to help you through it.

Reduce your caffeine intake

I know this suggestion is likely going to be very unpopular. While caffeine may not affect everyone significantly, it can affect some of us negatively and drain our energy. While on the surface, caffeine is a stimulant and seems like it provides energy, it may not be the case.

If you're drinking a lot of caffeine and feeling tired all the time, it's possible that you're experiencing the same symptoms as someone who is struggling with depression. Caffeine can make you feel more tired, which can lead to more anxiety, irritability, and energy drain.

When your blood sugar levels fluctuate frequently (and that happens with caffeine), it can cause feelings of anxiety and even insomnia. Caffeine can also increase stress hormones in the body, which may contribute to high blood pressure or other health issues like heart disease over time.

So as counterintuitive as it may seem, sometimes, we need to reduce our caffeine intake to protect our energy.

Practice gratitude

We have written a lot about practicing gratitude and its numerous benefits. It calms our anxiety, restores faith in the world, makes us positive, and helps us live a life of contentment. If you’d like to read more about practicing gratitude, we have several articles on the topic:

Gratitude not only helps us in reducing our worries, but it also recharges our energy by instilling positive feelings in us. Next time you are feeling tired and worn out, try gratitude.

Focus on your needs

There's nothing more draining than putting someone else's needs before your own. For instance, if you're feeling under the weather, taking care of yourself is the best thing you can do for others. When you're in need, it might be tempting to push through and sacrifice your own energy so that others don't have to miss out on anything. But that just ends up affecting your energy levels in a huge way. Instead, recharge yourself first, then dedicate yourself to your loved ones.

If, on the other hand, people aren't giving you enough time for self-care when you need it most, then maybe it's time for them to realize that your needs are important too; after all, some things are only possible with enough energy in reserve.

Create a safe space

A safe space is a space where you feel great just being and existing. It's like your own sanctuary where you can be yourself with no judgment, and peace of mind is abundant. This could be a physical space or even a mental space—it doesn't matter as long as it makes you feel good!

Some notable examples of safe space are listening to music, chanting mantras, swimming, going for a run, in the gym, deep breathing, etc.

Identify what works for you and use your safe space when you need to recharge your energy levels.

Practice self-care

You need to take care of yourself. You can't give what you don't have. This is a simple statement that works for most things in life, but it's especially true with energy. If you're not taking care of yourself and focusing on your needs, then how can you expect to be able to give?

You should start by looking at what it is exactly that makes you feel better or calms your mind down when it gets out of control or overwhelmed. What are some ways that you can take care of yourself so that when others' needs come up they won't be as stressful?

Regardless of the situation or type of person, you can always protect your energy. This is one skill that will help you to maintain a positive state of mind and be happy with your life. It will also help others that are around you feel peaceful and good as well.