Lots of us are giving our energy away needlessly every day. It is no wonder that a lot of us feel drained, in the morning and at night when we have finished working. It's time to start gaining back your energy.
We are giving our energy away to people and projects we shouldn't be. We can all save our energy and distribute it more to ourselves and the people who truly matter in our lives.
What do I mean by this?
Think of your typical day it could go something like this;
wake up with an alarm clock at 7am, drag yourself out of bed, get the kids wakened for school, brush teeth, shower, get kids wakened for school, make breakfast, shout at kids to get up for school, put make up on (if you're a woman, or a guy whatever flicks your switch), tell the kids to stop arguing, get packed lunches ready, shout at kids to get ready, get them into the car, kiss your partner goodbye, go into the office, read your e-mail, think of all the things you've got to do that day, talk on the telephone getting harassed sometimes, you get worried as time is running out and you haven't finished your work, go home at 5pm or stay on, feeling even more harassed as you know your partner might be upset, you eventually go home, speak to the kids and your partner, make the dinner, clean the dishes, kick back, relax and then go to bed, and do it all over again the next day.
This is a typical scenario and I've only scratched the surface.
We drain ourselves every day by talking to people who steal our energy. We drain our energy by waking up in the middle of a dream (we are more lethargic if we have woken up during REM sleep). We drain our energy shouting at our kids, getting upset over the little things. We drain our energy fighting with loved ones, when you argue and fight with someone and it upsets you afterward you are giving someone else your power, you need this power so keep it to yourself.
Here are 7 tips for raising your energy
1. Ditch the alarm clock
If you get up each morning with an alarm clock try and stop this habit. It might sound a little scary at first but it is worth it. Whilst we are sleeping we go through stages of sleep. In the morning we are often drifting in and out of REM sleep. If are awakened abruptly from REM sleep it is difficult to recover from the grogginess we feel. The alarm clock often wakes us up smack bang in the middle of REM Sleep
By ditching the alarm clock you wake up naturally and your brain will automatically adjust to your sleeping cycle and prompt you when to wake up at the right time. Sound a bit far fetched. I have been doing it for over 12 years and I have honestly never used an alarm clock in all that time. If I need to get up a little earlier than normal I remind myself what time I need to get up. What does happen is that I sometimes wakes up a few hours before the stated time and then 1 hour before it and then half an hour before it, but I still get a good rest as my brain is taking care of the sleep.
Don't go cold turkey; set the alarm clock for 10 minutes later than normal. Before going to sleep tell yourself what time you want to get up.
2. Stop shouting at the kids
This is a tough one for some of us. I still shout but only when I've reached saturation point. Children learn by example and I started to notice that my boys were using the same technique as me when they wanted to get their point across or they were upset. This is clearly not good for you or for your children.
Now if my kids do something they shouldn't have we will sit them down make them know we are angry or upset and punish them accordingly (by this I mean take away something they like e.g. the TV, computer or something else).
When you shout when you are upset you are literally throwing your energy to that person and the bad vibes it creates can last a long time.
3. Fighting with loved ones
One of my clients was really upset a few weeks ago and couldn't stop crying. I asked him what the problem was and he said he had had a fight with his girlfriend and they had split up. He felt as if he was having a breakdown. I spoke with him for over an hour and once he had calmed down I asked him if he realised he was giving his power to another person.
He was letting someone else control how he thought about his life therefore how he felt and how he acted. This was a simple statement but a powerful one, my client got it. He was able to control himself and to a degree his thoughts and able to reclaim some of his power. That's not to say you shouldn't get upset, I was simply pointing out that he felt his life was over, and in that statement he had given all control of his life to his girlfriend.
Every day we lose some of our energy by giving credence to what other people think about us or say to us. Be yourself always and you will lose less energy.
4. The silly things
How many times have you got angry or upset waiting in a traffic jam, a queue for a bus, a queue in the shops, losing your keys, your wallet. If we stop to think about the things we get upset about we would realise how silly it was. I lost a sheet of paper this morning for an insurance pack I had to send back. After 5 minutes of looking for it and not finding it I was starting to get angry. I immediately recognised this and just let it pass. I still couldn't find it and thought "˜what's the worst that can happen'. I wrote a quick note to the insurance company and explained I had lost the paper they had sent but I was sure they would have a copy of it themselves.
It's the little things that can upset us the most.
5. People you work with
They are just that, they are people you work with. They are not your friends, they are not your relatives they are people you work with. Their opinion of you doesn't matter therefore do not let them upset you. If you need to say something to them do it immediately and don't let a small comment from them simmer inside you. If you do this you will gain a lot of your power back and sometimes a lot of respect.
6. Stand up for yourself.
The quickest way to gain control of your energy and gain more power is to always stand up for yourself.
When I was younger I was bullied and later on in life I had massive problems with confrontation, I just couldn't handle it at all. I realised what an effect this was having on me and over time I realised I didn't really stand up for myself. An incident happened when I was around 17 and I stood up for myself, scary as it was, and I was empowered. I gained my self respect back and gained respect from others.
I always stand up for myself in the right situations, choose your battles well. Don't think everyone wants a fight with you; you can still have a laugh with someone if they are making fun of you as long as it is with your consent i.e. they're laughing with you.
7. What's the worst that can happen?
This is one of my favourite phrases "˜What's the worst that can happen?'. If you find yourself panicking about things, anything, ask yourself "˜what's the worst that can happen' and most times it's not as bad as you think it is. When you're panicking you're giving your energy away to something non existent. When you worry about things you're giving your energy away to something non existent. Change your thoughts, gain back your energy and change your life.
