Energy drainers come in all shapes and sizes. It’s important to understand our feelings and be able to identify when we are feeling drained. It’s especially important to develop ways to protect our energy and work through the negative effects of being drained.
Check out what our team does to tackle their energy drainers!
Josh: Feeling overwhelmed. Even little tasks feel impossible when under the weight of everything else. I’ve found that breaking down tasks into smaller goals and mentally isolating them from other unrelated tasks really helps.
Sanchi: Feeling like an imposter when I rest is what drains my energy the most. It is important for me to realise that How I work and when I feel productive is different from what my counterparts would feel. I like to disconnect from my devices when I want to take a break from work and studying. I try to meditate each morning and try to make sure I know and validate the work I do everyday.
Scarlett: Truthfully, as I’m still currently struggling with my depression, most things drain my energy (e.g. being around people, talking, simply leaving my room some days, doing my hygiene routine, etc.). However, I do feel this is improving gradually thanks to my current treatment regime! In the meantime, to protect myself I’ve gotten a lot better at being assertive, listening to my body, and setting boundaries.
Simran: I thrive off of positivity and authenticity. Surrounding myself around people who encompass these qualities really fuels my energy. To protect myself from feeling drained I make an active effort to spend more time with individuals who help me sustain my energy.
Elora: Pushing myself beyond my limits often drains my energy. When I ignore what my mind or body needs, I often find myself feeling drained both physically and mentally. For me, I tend to avoid how I’m feeling by keeping busy but this tends to backfire when I eventually become burnt out. I am working on being more mindful of this pattern and learning to accept that it is more than okay to pause and rest. In therapy, I am exploring what my needs are and how I can work towards better respecting them and myself. It’s tough but one step at a time, right?
Heather: When people are closed-minded and unwilling to see others’ POV, that can zap my energy. When I take on too much, and don’t take any breaks in my work, that also affects my ability to do my best, and affects my personal life as well. I am mindful of these things, so I do what I can, acknowledging that I can’t control others beliefs, and make sure I’m booking time off and holidays when I need to in order to recharge.
Carolyn: I think I could go on for a while about what drains me…what I do to keep my energy safe and to shift the negative energy from my aura and chakras is to have reiki done on a consistent basis. Whether I give it to myself, or have reiki done on me, it’s been essential to move negativity away. I’ve also gone to therapy on and off since high school in the 90s. I take medication for my anxiety and depression, as well as try to get as much rest and sleep as possible.
Kyle: I find unnecessary formality to be draining. I’ll quote director Werner Herzog, “I despise formal restaurants. I find all of that formality to be very base and vile. I would much rather eat potato chips on the sidewalk.”
Wedding season is coming up and all I own are jeans and t-shirts – and that’s all anyone is getting!
Michelle: Worrying drains my energy. I worry about a lot of things during the day and at night they fill my mind. Sometimes I meditate and try to clear my mind before going to bed and that has helped. Recently I have started writing things down. I have an ongoing list of things that I’m overthinking when I’m trying to sleep. I guess I also worry about forgetting things because putting them onto paper has really helped. When the sheet is full I review it and then rip it up!
Hmmm, we have a great tool, Stress Me Less, that I should use when I’m at my computer!! Lol