“You can only give what you’ve got.”
Most of us would agree with this saying and yet, many never really think about what this really means in terms of our own personal energy.
The energy you bring to your work is often more important than what you say or do. Other people unconsciously react to how you show up as a leader. If you are not well, you will unconsciously radiate parts of your own struggles onto other people. These energy levels are contagious – unless you manage to consciously block them out or transmute them.
Thus, the most kind and effective thing that you can do for yourself and other people is to show up as your best, most energised version of yourself. Obviously, this is easier on some days than others but it’s worth the effort – every day.
It all starts with noticing what is going on in you and around you in every moment. Self-awareness is vital for increasing your capacity to lead, influence and be impactful.
There are 9 pathways how energy enters and or leaves your body:
Vision
Hearing
Smell
Taste
Touch
Thoughts
Emotions
Movement / Balance
Chi / Lifeforce
Whenever you feel fatigued, down or ineffective, it is helpful to stop and screen through these 9 different channels and explore what is draining your energy in that moment.
The overall questions to ask are:
Is this pathway (chose any from list 1-9) energising me right now or am I losing energy through it? What am I noticing?
Here are a few examples:
Vision: looking at negative newsfeed vs. uplifting nature images
Hearing: listening to noisy traffic vs. inspiring music or silence
Smell: a smell that reminds you of a negative or positive experience
Taste: something you hate vs. something you love
Touch: feeling too humid, too warm vs. something comforting
Thoughts: limiting beliefs and reoccurring thoughts vs. helpful, supportive thoughts
Emotions: agitated and angry vs. calm and centred
Movement / Balance: unbalanced and unstable ground vs. good spatial awareness
Chi / Lifeforce: breathing in polluted air vs. eating healthy, nourishing food.
This is just a thought starter list. Allow yourself to explore what is relevant to you personally, in more depth and more often. You might be surprised what you discover on what is influencing your energy levels.
Go well. Be kind.
Naturally yours,
Ingrid