Your energy is precious. Full stop. Period.
Despite how precious it is, though, we sometimes find ourselves drained by people or things that don’t deserve it. We may not even realize the drainage is happening!
Think about it: do you feel mentally tired more often than not? Do you find yourself dreading certain people or situations? Do you find you have little time for yourself?
If you answered yes to any of the above, chances are your energy could use some protecting. Here are some things that may help:
Listen to Yourself: This is important in all situations, but ESPECIALLY in energy protection. Do you feel dread when anticipating conversations with a certain person? Are you feeling reluctant to do an activity? We can’t avoid all people and activities, but we can certainly at least notice which ones are adding to our lives as opposed to taking away from our lives.
BOUNDARIES: Aw yiss. We love us some boundaries. Once you’ve identified something that drains your energy, try to create a boundary around it! That could be seeing a person less. It could be creating a cutoff time for answering emails. Get creative. Do you.
Figure Out what You Love: Actively seek out activities and people that make you feel good. That GIVE you energy.
Trust Yourself: Don’t second guess what your body is trying to tell you about a person or situation. If you’re constantly drained, trust that you and your body know what’s up.
When All Else Fails, Breathe: Taking deep breaths can help you center yourself and calm your nervous system during any situation so you can reevaluate where your energy levels are, and, if necessary, what is taking them away.
Remember, it may not be possible to throw out of our lives everything or everyone that drains our energy, but there are ways to care for ourselves so we make it clear to ourselves and our bodies that we come first.
Go out there. Go protect your precious energy.