Recharge your wellbeing with an energy audit
There are some days that we finish with a bounce in our step, and others that find us flagging by lunchtime, slumping into the evening, and finally heading to bed in a state of pure ‘bleurgh’. And it can be hard to pinpoint what’s made the difference.
An energy audit can identify the moments that give you a buzz and those that set the snooze button on your day.
Of course, there can be physical and emotional reasons for a lack of energy. Maybe you’ve had a sleepless night, you’re hungover, or you’re worrying about a problem at work or home. But perhaps there’s more going on.
We feel energised when we’re engaged with activities that use our strengths, align with our values and ignite our passions.
And we feel demotivated when we’re bored, disengaged or lacking in purpose.
While our days will have a natural rhythm that ebbs and flows, we can help to reduce the troughs and raise our energy baseline by tapping into the activities and experiences that fuel our joys and passions, and doing less of the ‘so what?’ stuff. An energy audit can raise awareness of the buzz builders versus the energy sappers. Then it takes just a few small shifts to add more joy, purpose and vitality to our day.
My day is always better when I take a walk at lunchtime.
It allows me to slow down the pace and let my mind roam (always when the best ideas come) after a busy morning. I find being on noisy trains saps my energy, so I mitigate the effect by wearing noise-cancelling headphones and listening to music or a podcast. I feel energised in small groups and wiped out after too long in large crowds. A great coaching session, or an afternoon coming up with creative content ideas, will make me feel like I’m flying. Managing finances and the daily admin of making appointments is necessary but doesn’t light my fire, but reading gives me a warm glow that restores it, so I make that my reward for doing the ‘meh’ must-dos.
Overwhelm and stress occur when we don’t consider what’s fuelling our energy and what’s depleting it.
An energy audit is a simple check-in to help you identify your emotional and physical wellbeing boosters, so that you can take steps to add more of these into your day.
How to do an energy audit
Do this for at least seven days, or a fortnight if possible.
At the end of each day, reflect on the moments when you felt most energised. Note down what you were doing at the time, and the strengths and skills you were using. For example, you might have been talking with a colleague about a project, helping a child with homework or an activity, presenting to a group of people, or engaged in a solo craft project. Try not to apply judgement to the activity and your feelings; just note them down.
Do the same for the times when you felt de-energised, bored or disengaged. What were you doing at the time? What skills and strengths were you using? What emotions and thoughts are associated with that time?
At the end of your week or fortnight, take time to look through your notes and identify any patterns. What activities gave a positive charge to your day? Which sapped your energy reserves? You could put the answers into + and - columns so you can see them clearly.
You may find some of the answers surprise you. For example, something you consider a strength – accounting, say, or presenting at meetings – may leave you feeling drained or demotivated. But just because something is part of your skillset doesn’t mean it energises you or gives you joy. There may be things you’re not adept at yet – drawing, massage or business planning, for example – but these are activities that fire you up.
For each of your energy boosters, think about how you might incorporate more into your day, or even do them at a different time to give you a boost when you need it most. What would you need to put in place to do more of them? Whose support could you enlist? How can you give yourself ‘permission’ to do the things that energise you and elevate your day?
For your energy drainers, consider if you can do them less, or else reorganise your schedule so they’re more of gentle dip than an energy freefall. Can you delegate any of these tasks or ask others for support? Do you really need to do them, or are they things you feel you ‘should’ do?
If you’d like to discuss how coaching can help bring you more energy, purpose and passion, book a free intro call with me and get ready to recharge your life.
