Protecting your energy is paramount in today’s world full of expectations, demands, and busy schedules. With so much thrown at you every day, it feels impossible not to get overwhelmed and burnt out. Not only can school and work deplete your energy, but social lives and people can also wear you down if you don’t take care of yourself first. I will be sharing some tips that I have used to make sure I protect my energy while balancing different aspects of my life.
- Be okay with saying no
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FOMO is a real thing. Your first instinct might be to say yes to every invite you get, but it is important to make sure that you are saying yes because you want to do something, not because you feel like you have to. By being selective with what you spend your time doing, you give yourself the power to make decisions based on your values and make time for what you authentically care about. The next time you get invited to hang out with a friend or participate in a social event, ask yourself if you truly want to or if you are just saying yes out of obligation.
- Don’t change your mood based on how others are feeling
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In other words, don’t be an emotional chameleon. If your friend is having a bad day and vents to you about it, you can support them without leaving you drained. When you are maintaining your positive energy and others spread their negative energy, you need to hold boundaries so that others don’t have control over your mood. You control you, not anybody else. A quote that I love and have written on my mirror is, “Don’t match energy; maintain yours so you can attract what aligns.” This helps me remember to keep doing my best and not let others get in my way.
- Keep distance from people who bring you down
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This tip might sound harsh, but in reality, it will help you remain working towards being the best version of yourself. People bringing you down can look like the following: not supporting your goals, taking advantage of your kindness, draining your emotional energy, pulling you into bad habits, or using you to dump out their negativity. This doesn’t mean that someone who does this is a bad person; it just means that it might benefit your energy to keep them at a distance. You don’t need to completely cut them off if you are friends, but it might be worth reconsidering if a relationship with that person is in your best interest.
- Set boundaries with others
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Boundaries are KEY in protecting your energy. You may have heard the phrase “you can’t fill other people up when your cup is empty.” Holding boundaries ensures that others don’t take from your cup when your cup is running low. One example is when you are having a stressful and overwhelming day, and a friend asks for your help with something. I will usually tell that friend something like, “I really want to help you out, but right now I’m not in a place where I can give support. When I take a few minutes for myself, I would love to help you with what you need.” When you are running low on energy yourself, you aren’t going to give quality help or advice to others anyway, so make sure you set boundaries around giving your energy to others. After you have some time to deal with the issues troubling you, be sure to get back to that friend to show that you do care.
- Have your own dedicated “me” time
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Reserving time every day for you to focus on just you can really improve your mood and self-image. This “me” time could be working out, meditating, cooking, painting, or anything that centers you and fills up your cup. Personally, I created a habit of working out every weekday. This ensures that no matter how crazy my school schedule is, I allow myself time to focus on my well-being. Committing to one self-care activity to do every day will make a huge difference in the quality and quantity of your energy.