Another big part of energy management is routinely nurturing our emotional and spiritual worlds. As much as we wake up in the morning to think about making our coffee and what to wear based on the weather, we need to apply the same intentionality to those domains.
Here are some ideas to consider to invest in emotional and spiritual wellbeing to maintain high energy levels.
1. Having a spiritual practice. The way we may give daily attention to our bodies to take care of it by exercising, we can do things to nurture our souls. Some people have a prayer ritual where they recite something meaningful in the morning or evening or read a few pages from their scriptures. This is a way to keep them centered, grounded, and connected to something beyond themselves. You do not have to be religious to have a spiritual practice, for others, it could be reciting a poem, listening to inspiring song lyrics, or going for a daily walk where you spend time on the bigger picture – why are you here and what are you meant to do. How are you contributing to something beyond yourself? Find that practice that uplifts your soul.
2. Having a meditation practice. Taking time to focus on breathing, understand your triggers, nurture peace, engage your wisdom, and cultivate your sense of wonder can fill you with more energy. Many of us are unaware of how much in overdrive we can exist, so taking those moments to purify our minds, get rid of mental baggage, and induce calm can contribute to saving our best energy and wellness. In fact, Google developed a program Search Inside Yourself (SIY) led by Chade-Meng Tan, an early engineer who gathered a team of leading experts in mindfulness techniques, neuroscience, and leadership. The aim of SIY was to help people develop the skills of mindfulness, empathy, compassion, and overall emotional intelligence to create the conditions for individual and collective thriving. At one point, they had hundreds of people on the waiting list due to its popularity because people experienced numerous energetic benefits.
3. Connecting with others generally and deeply. Emotional health requires us to link up with others on a basic level. Something happens when we are engaged in good conversation, whether it be family, friends, coworkers, bosses, or strangers. Without having regular connections with others, we can feel lonely, which can negatively impact our health; smoking up to 6 packs of cigarettes a day can be the equivalent. Connecting with our pets and being able to hug and show affection can enhance our lives and make us feel less lonely.
Even though some of us may have a lot of people around us to interact with, they still need to be quality connections. How many of us come home feeling exhausted at work and have low energy, so we engage in transactional conversations, we zone out and drift from our loved ones because we are not intentional about putting good energy into maintaining a connection. Worst yet, we do not ask interesting questions because we assume we know their responses. Deep connections are about sharing our hopes, dreams, and possibilities with others and feeling fully heard. Having somebody that you can share your strengths, desires, and goals is essential. You know when you have a deep connection with somebody, are really excited to see them, and leave the interaction feeling even better. A lot of research shows that when you have a best friend at work, your happiness and work engagement improve. The quality of your relationships and conversations makes a difference in your standard of living, so when you take the time to connect deeply, it strengthens your energy. Take that time to grab coffee or lunch and go outside during your break to connect with others.
4. Having a professional support system. This is essential for maintaining your health and energic levels. Share your thoughts and feelings and processing events with others when necessary can be life-changing. It is why many people find value in therapists so they can have a deeper understanding of their tendencies and triggers. Or, why people work with professional coaches so they can share things they may not share with anybody else and have somebody wholly dedicated to their agenda, in ways that differ from what a friend can do. It is a trusted partner that can challenge our perspectives, illuminate our blind spots in service of our growth and development, and work intentionally about removing blocks and making progress on our goals, which keeps us energetically happy.
5. Have mentors and role models that you look up to. Connecting with mentors in or out of your industry who have your back, take an interest in your career development, push your growth, and root for your success. It is also deeply satisfying to identify role models that you look up to or set an example for you to emulate. Knowing what you value and admire in them can guide you to move through life with excitement.
6. Express your creativity. How do you exercise your creativity? What projects do you do which allow you to express yourself in interesting ways? When you can build, write, design, and craft something, it makes you feel accomplished and increases your self-worth and energy levels.
7. Play and laughter. How do you laugh, enjoy, play, get excited about something, and go after novel and positive experiences, all essential for your heart, energy levels, and a life well lived? When you schedule play in your to-do list, you are energized for the rest of the day because knowing you will do something fun later engenders a good feeling early in the day and helps you radiate positive emotions. Maybe you have movie night to look forward to with your family or you can coordinate with a friend to watch at the same time for joint enjoyment or you know you get to play sports later in the day. And when you find those activities that fill you up and put a smile on your face, your best energy will be transferred to many other spots in your life.
8. Create an environment of positivity. Reading good books, watching good movies, being around positive people, and having possibility conversations can change your mood and fill you with energy. Also being thoughtful about spreading that positivity and kindness engenders more of those good feelings. Spending your time smiling will nourish your soul.
9 Volunteer. Many of us have a fundamental yearning to matter and contribute and knowing you are making a difference in somebody else’s life is a great way to do that. What are the causes you most care about? How do you volunteer your time, resources, and connections for the betterment of others? What are the ways you multiply others’ best efforts? Helping others can fill you with joy and happiness.
Your spiritual and emotional health matters in sustaining your energy levels. What you choose to do to invest in it intentionally will pay dividends for years to come.
Quote of the day: “The mind divides the world into a million pieces. The heart makes it whole.” Author Stephen Levine
Q: How do you like to satisfy your emotional and spiritual needs? Comment and share below; we would love to hear from you!
The next blog in this series 6/8 will focus on the benefits of boundaries for better energy management.
As a leadership development and executive coach, I work with leaders to create winning personal energy management systems for themselves and their teams, contact me to explore this topic further.
What kind of spiritual practices do you have?