Energy exchange is a thing we should all leverage more

Fear of burnout can stop us from making positive life changes. But energy is a dynamic force, we can limit the leeches and make space for givers.

Many of us avoid making big changes because we’re afraid they’ll require more effort than we can give. It’s a common fear, especially prevalent in women (expected by society to sacrifice their needs) and ADHD folk (whose energy levels have a mind of their own).

We know we can do it, skill-wise, but we’re scared we’ll burn out halfway through and crash, or that the demands on the other side will be unsustainable.

Think about it: what has 🚫 blocked you from starting initiatives that have a real chance to improve your situation? Money? Time?

I bet you I could unravel those arguments and we’ll end up with: Fatigue.

Don’t worry, I’m not about to tell you that motivation and dedication are all it takes (because that’s b****t), or that you just need to stay hydrated.

I want to tell you that energy is more dynamic than we think.

Energy levels are not a one way street

Many of us (especially the videogame generation) visualise our energy as a bar or a pot that gets gradually depleted when doing tasks.

But that’s not it. You must have noticed there are things that take less energy than others, things we enjoy. They can even give us a buzz and make us feel less tired for a while.

You know those shows where there’s an actor practicing a speech with a partner, and they say “You’re giving me nothing! How am I supposed to work like this!”?

That’s a real thing. When I studied acting, they told us we weren’t there just to say our lines, our responsibility was also to get our partner ‘there’, as in do our part with enough intensity that they could bounce off of it and project an even stronger emotion.

“If you get tired, look in the eyes of your peers and borrow energy from them”

(My Movement teacher, who was a sadist but he was right on this)

What I’m getting at is, even the most energetic people don’t conjure up energy from thin air. They rely on the people, things, colours and sounds who can carry them through their task.

What should we do then?

Two things.

1️⃣ Stop putting all the pressure on ourselves

Even if we’re well hydrated, we slept right, ate only the recommended carbs, looked into our S.A.D. Lamp for 30 mins and took our vitamin D, we might still need 10 coffees to get through the day and at that point it’s not us.

What drains us could be:

• 🪫 Our job (the tasks, or even the colleagues)

• 🪫 Our home / office / city we commute in (loud, messy, grey, lacking light)

• 🪫 Not having enough happy hobbies

Something is stealing our energy, we need to find it and sit it down for a serious talk.

2️⃣ Make changes, experiment and observe

When I was a new manager, I made a big mistake: I scheduled all my team 1:1s on the same day, hoping it would reduce interruptions. It turned out to be a terrible idea - even though I loved my team, that day was emotionally draining.

So I learned to organise my day alternating tasks that require focus and emotional engagement, with tasks that give some of it back, and other things that make me happy (like lunch).

Here’s a few things that work for me:

• 🪫 After a big conference call,

  🔋 I chat with a favourite colleague for a quick laugh

• 🪫 Following a presentation or workshop,

  🔋 I keep a clear schedule for a few hours so I don’t have to talk

• 🟡🟠🔴 I surround myself with cute and colourful things that give me joy

  🧸🦄🐥🐰 🟣🔵🟢

Once you discover what works for you, you have the power to improve any situation you are in.

And you can chase that next job, or promotion, or project, knowing you’ll figure out how to be just fine.

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Bunny of the week

Miles keeps his energy high by doing the dumbest sh** and scaring his parents