There are moments in life when we feel that our forces abandon us. At such times it is as if our personal “battery” was discharging. It may be due to an intense period of work, a series adversity or simply to the excesses of the daily routine. The good news is that if we pay attention to the state of charge of this “battery” we can avoid reaching the point where exhaustion, despair and boredom take on us.
But this kind of “emotional battery” feeds on different types of energy of what we need to ensure the balance.
1. Emotional Energy
Emotions are a powerful source of energy that we often tend to underestimate. In fact, if you feel cheerful, happy or excited you also feel that you can do anything, believe that you can conquer the world and can better deal with the problems that arise because you have the appropriate emotional energy.
Conversely, if you feel sad, nostalgia or frustration or you are afraid, you will probably experience an unpleasant sensation of paralysis and extreme fatigue that will become an additional obstacle on your path, whatever it is.
The good news is that the emotional energy also depends on us and we are able to improve its quality. Joseph Campbell gives us a clue: “Find a place within you where there is joy and this joy will burn the pain.”
– Nurture positive emotions such as amusement, relaxation, gratitude … It is important that you learn how to maximize these emotions and plan activities that make you feel good. This way you can “recharge” yourself positively.
– Give a sense to “negative emotions”. Fight the negative emotions serves only to lose valuable energy. Instead, you must learn to accept them and let them go. It will also help giving a sense to them, because the learning will mitigate its negative impact.
2. Mental Energy
“The energy of the mind is the essence of life,” said Benjamin Franklin, and he wasn’t wrong. Our thoughts and ideas come not for free, they consume resources and energy. In fact, some psychologists have come to say that worries consumes as much as trying to perform two tasks simultaneously. However, we seldom notice how our thoughts, worries, catastrophic ideas and worst predictions subtract us energy.
Obviously, the mental energy also escapes us when we are involved in too many projects and activities since our mental resources, such as the ability to focus and the self-control, are limited. Therefore, it’s not surprising that we feel exhausted after a great intellectual effort.
Fortunately, we can reduce the “loss of mental energy”
– Do one thing at a time. Having several browser windows open, watching TV while surfing in the social network with the mobile phone or try to do too much things altogether, turns into a black hole that swallows all your energy. Therefore, you must concentrate on one thing at a time and eliminate the distractions.
– Alternate periods of work and rest. Breaks and rest periods allow you to “recharge” the batteries. So it will be easier to return to work or conduct any other activities and you won’t come to the point where mental fatigue paralyzes you.
3. Spiritual Energy
Spiritual energy is the most neglected, but it is essential because is the one that gives us the strength to get up each morning and don’t get discouraged, even when adversity are knocking at our door. This type of energy comes from the projects, the causes, the illusions and dreams which we are passionate to.
Spiritual energy is closely linked to the sense of life, it gives us a big boost and is activated principally in the most difficult moments to help us find hope, enthusiasm and desire to move forward. Unfortunately, in the words of the writer Vaclav Havel: “The tragedy of modern man is not that he knows always less about the meaning of his life, but rather that he always worries less about it.”
So, to recharge the spiritual energy is necessary that you:
– Cultivate your dreams. Illusion is the engine of life, without it everything gradually loses sense. Therefore, it is essential that you do not ever stop dreaming and planning constantly new goals to keep yourself alive.
– Take part in something bigger than you. Several studies have shown that people who involve in causes beyond their own experience reach greater satisfaction in life and feel happier. Therefore, it is important that you find that project that allows you transcend and connect with the others.
