Managing Energy (not time)
The concept of energy vs. time management has surfaced for me three times recently. Typically, if something crosses my path three times, it’s the universe telling me to pay attention and get curious. So here we are.
It finally happened – I tweaked my back - and yes, pretty sure that’s the medical term. 😊 For those unfamiliar, it’s when you’re doing a very ordinary task that you have done countless times and all of a sudden, your back decides, “Nope…not this time.” and sends the message via an excruciating pain that radiates through your body.
If you’re thinking, “Ouch, that sounds horrible.” You would be correct.
If you’re thinking, “Oh, I know exactly how that feels.” I am truly sorry.
Not only was it extremely painful, but it impacted what I could and couldn’t do the remainder of the day. It also slowed me down for a few days following the initial tweak. I had to do a lot less than I had originally planned.
The experience brought up the concept of managing energy (vs. time). It seems especially fitting to explore during the holiday season.
Did you know you have multiple energies – emotional, mental, physical and spiritual?
Are you familiar with the Spoon Theory? It was coined by Christine Miserandino when she was explaining to a friend the realities of living with lupus. She used spoons to demonstrate her energy, willpower and motivation levels.
You can read the entire article here (which I highly recommend) but in a nutshell, a spoon represents the amount of effort (energy) required to complete a single task.
Those with chronic health conditions, illness or other challenging situations are well aware of what it means to look ahead knowing what’s on their plate so they can plan and manage their energy levels (spoons). It’s something many of us (raised hand here) take for granted.
What if we use this same metaphor for emotional, mental and spiritual energy?
The holidays bring with them feelings, emotions, obligations, etc. We have good intentions and dream of the perfect holiday. If you’re a mom, it’s quite likely creating the ideal holiday is perceived to be your responsibility. Additionally, we are not the only ones with high (maybe even unreasonable) expectations.
Let’s make it a bit more manageable and set ourselves up for success. Let’s acknowledge we each have a set number of spoons per day.
With heightened emotions and drained energy, it’s not unusual to snap at a loved one or say something we’ll later regret. It’s normal to be so physically, emotionally, mentally or spiritually drained that we don’t have the capacity to be our best.
We have
parties to attend and host.
feast preparing, cookie baking, and card sending.
present buying, wrapping, and delivering.
traveling on busy roads or through crowded airports.
loved ones who have traveled those same crowded roads and busy airports.
people in our homes or we are in the homes of others.
Our routines and the routines of those around us are upended all in the name a joyous holiday season. (P.S. This is also true for everyone you meet when you’re out and about so a little patience and a smile go a long way.)
Regardless of how much you enjoy any or all of these, they each take energy above and beyond all the normal everyday minutiae required to keep our families, households and ourselves functioning.
This holiday season, I invite you to be very intentional with how you expend your energies. They are gifts for you to give lovingly and carefully. It’s totally acceptable to not give them all away and keep some back for yourself.
I invite you to hold back a few spoons each day and not run yourself ragged.
Sure, you probably won’t be able to do everything, but how will it feel to intentionally choose what is most important and show up fully?
I encourage you to save your energies for what you deem most important. If you are not living with a chronic condition, illness or other challenging situation, be grateful that this is truly a choice for you.
With that, I wish you all a joyous holiday season filled with energy, love and connection.