What’s draining you? Energy leaks and how to stop them…before they stop you.
I poured myself a cup of tea and noticed a puddle forming under the cup. I lifted the cup and saw water trickling from the bottom. But surprisingly, there was no visible crack in the cup. And yet it was leaking.
I got to thinking that life can be like that sometimes. We can be leaking energy in subtle ways – a little bit here, a little bit there – and not realize it until we are completely drained.
Some possible signs of energy leaks:
- Persistently feeling tired
- Headaches
- Heaviness
- Irritability
- Illness/difficulty recovering from illness
What’s draining your energy? It’s different for each of us, but some possible energy drains could be:
- Cluttered surroundings
- Unfinished tasks
- Negative people/toxic relationships
- Negative self-talk
- Dwelling on past failures
- Trying to control what’s beyond our control
We all have energy leaks at some point or another. But the good news is that being aware of them can lead to plugging them up (while ignoring them can lead to dis-ease).
Pay attention to what you think about before you go to bed. What keeps you up at night? What are you obsessing about? Write it down. Then take steps to release what’s not serving you – memories, thoughts, people, and clutter – so you can take back your power and your life.
By releasing those drains, you’ll increase your energy, clarity and overall personal effectiveness – which will lead to a much happier life.
If it’s no longer working for you, you have the power to make changes – if you choose to. Get support if you need it. Don’t wait for the cracks to be visible before plugging up your energy drains.
Please share in the comment section below, because we can all learn from and support each other: What’s draining you most? What’s one step you can take to let go of that energy drain?
I think that I have mentioned that I went through an extremely difficult period in my life – starting in 1997 and going through until I hit a wall in 2009. This included my marriage of 20 years collapsing when my then husband decided that the woman formerly known as “My Best Friend” would make a better partner for the second part of his life, being left to raise our three teenage children including one with a physical challenge and one with ADD (ask me which is worse, and I will tell you without pausing a second, ADD – not only is this something that wreaks havoc on the immediate family but one gets little or no sympathy/help with mental issues), having to recreate a career, getting let go, going through a job search in one’s 50’s, 2 downsizes…..there was more but I think that one gets the picture. Last year, I was SICK TO DEATH of my own self sabotage…negative thoughts, word that kept me shackled to a past that was gone. So, taking a cue from Ivan Pavlov, I decided to associate pain with negative thoughts. I placed an elastic band around my wrist and everytime I thought a negative thought or said something that was negative, I started pinging myself…….it worked! The other week, I was at a function where the two formers would be present. Previously, this would have sent me into a tizzy but this time – no problema!! Yea!!! Well done Old Girl, you can teach an Old Dog new tricks!!!!!
Woe Wendi, powerful story! You are amazing! Thanks for the idea of the elastic. I have never thought of that. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Hellen. It’s a well said message I needed to hear.
Bravo Wendy! You are a wonderfully strong woman and I am happy to hear that you are moving on … the elastic idea is great, i will try it.
One of my trickle-drains is doing too much for my kids and then resenting them for not doing things like chores and/or balking at helping out around the house. Double whammy.
The mental/emotional drain of negative thoughts and resentment is exhausting! So thanks for broaching the subject and for the helpful suggestions. All i have to do now is actually choose to put them into action! I am an eternal optimist!
I think what’s draining me the most right now is my parents. I still feel like I should have done more to help them in their final days. Dad passed away 21 1/2 months after Mom left us & I’m really not sure I’ve actually dealt with much of any of this. There’s so much to do with a 52 house even without the emotional issues. I wonder sometimes if I’ve been trying these past 6 months since Dad’s death to stay busy so I won’t have time to think or feel.
I ditto Claudia. Being a Mom and working fulltime just drains me when I think of it. I try to keep up with the house work because a cluttered house does add to the stress. Wendy your amazing and I will try the pinging. Nancy my Mom didn’t stop moving for about a year after my Fathers death. I’m sure you did everyhting you could for your parents and the feeling of not doing enough is just that you miss them so. I am very sorry for your loss.
trick and I … Together since 1992. We had our kids “late”. Our biggest block in our relationship is time. Lack of time. Demanding work. Young children with needs and we also want to spend time with them.
We need more time for each other, self. Changing jobs is not in the plans. I don’t think our challenge is unique, but it is heightened by long work hours and work needs. And I am exhausted most of the time when I am home. Families with both parents working, long hours oftentimes required. Young children. The unfinished home projects and clutter corners or even junk rooms paired with so little free time make me highly irritable.