Many of us glance at our calendars and to-do lists, wondering if there will ever be enough hours in the day. We plan, schedule, and organize, hoping structure will help us feel balanced, and yet we sometimes find ourselves overwhelmed at the beginning of the day and depleted by the end.
Basic self-care is essential to sustaining your energy– nutritious food, adequate sleep and hydration, and exercise or movement. Yet each person’s energy flows differently. Some mornings we feel a quiet spark, while other days, even simple tasks can feel heavy and overwhelming. Noticing these shifts is not about fixing them; it’s about being present with them with self-awareness.
A single hour of attention, when we feel awake and connected, can be more nourishing than a longer stretch when we are drained. Checking in with ourselves can be helpful. What supported you to feel awake and focused? What was draining your energy? Making conscious what might be simmering in the background can often give you important information. The STOP practice– Stopping, Taking a breath, Observing mind, body, and emotions, can be helpful before you Proceed. You can do it by taking ten minutes to observe.
A short practice might be as simple as taking a few slow breaths and noticing the state of your mind. Is it jumpy, clenched, spinning, tired, achy or something else? Paradoxically, just noticing our experience with no judgment can often cause a shift. Then you might notice what you are believing. Often, there can be an underlying stressful thought. Bringing it to consciousness can help you question it. Can you know what you are believing is true? Many times, you cannot. Dropping stressful thoughts can protect your energy.
Then tune into your body. What does it need? Perhaps you are tired and need to rest. Or are you jumpy and need to move or tight and need to stretch?
Challenging feelings, such as anxiety, frustration, or confusion can also drain energy. Pausing to notice what you are feeling and what the feeling is needing can help. Maybe you need more clarity on an assignment or support for what you are doing. Just the acknowledgement of the need can help the mind settle, as it makes clear what is creating the stress. You can also notice what might meet your need. Finding strategies to meet needs gives you agency– and a sense of agency can give you energy.
Shifting from time to energy awareness invites a softer way of moving through our days. Some moments lift us; others quietly deplete us. Mindfulness is an antidote to the stresses of modern life, and it gently encourages us to notice these patterns without judgment and see where our vitality flows and where it feels thinner. Using the STOP practice– checking into our minds, bodies, and emotions– can give us valuable information we can use to drop stressors that are draining our energy. We can respond with care, rather than pushing ourselves to keep pace with the clock.