What is Energy?
Scientists define energy as the ability to do work. We need energy to do literally everything. Without energy, we don’t get anything done. We need energy to do literally everything from breathing, moving, building, working, creating, cooking food, lighting our homes, and flying airplanes.
Now, let’s move on to energy in the context of you as a person, as an energetic being. There are four layers of energy. There is physical energy, emotional energy, mental energy, and spiritual energy.
Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time
Manage your energy, not your time. When you prioritize and manage your energy, you will always have time to do all the things you truly want.
Suppose you prioritize and manage your energy versus time. In that case, you actually end up always having the time to do all the things that you genuinely want.
Become mindful of how you spend your energy versus your time. The more energy you have, the more you can produce in a smaller amount of time.
Energy Vs. Time
Time is not a renewable resource, but energy is. You can always renew your energy. You cannot renew your time. This is why energy management is everything.
Time is your most valuable resource, and energy regeneration and renewal are crucial to maximizing your time. Energy management is also a lifestyle, and it’s how you maximize your time, which allows you to experience more of the things you want.
Energy can be intentionally and systematically expanded through routines, rituals, behaviors, and practice. You can intentionally and systematically expand it all. So the more you expand your energy, the more you expand your time.
What is Physical Energy?
Your physical energy is your ability to exert physical force. First of all, your physical body needs to be on point so that you can get out of bed and make shit happen. It makes it possible to raise your child, feed yourself, work out, stay focused to work on all your projects at work, and so forth.
It’s literally just physical force. To maintain and produce physical energy, you have to ask yourself, how are you taking care of and spending your physical energy?
You only have so much, you can also renew it, but the more you waste, the more time you waste as well. Physical energy is managed by nutrition, exercise, sleep, and your essential lifestyle habits.
What is Emotional Energy?
Your emotional energy is your ability to stay in positive feelings and higher vibrations. You need emotional energy to lead and create and produce effectively. These are the things to consider when it comes to managing your emotional energy. Emotional awareness, become proficient at naming your feelings. Emotional regulation, through breathwork, gratitude practice. You are now thinking about things that make you feel good versus focusing on what you don’t have.
Emotional exchange, this is about you exchanging energy with other people. What are you giving and what are you receiving, and with who? From there is emotional responsiveness. How are you responding to other people, your own emotional states, and how are you internalizing what you are exchanging with other people?
What is Mental Energy?
Mental energy is your ability to concentrate and take on challenging work. You need mental energy to make decisions and stay focused. So how are you taking care of and spending your mental energy? Here are some things you want to consider.
So first and foremost, stop multitasking. When you are multitasking, you’re actually not present because your brain can only focus on so many things at one time. There’s a difference between multitasking and being responsive. You can still be responsive and not do five things at once. One way you can create that space and exercise your ability to focus on one thing at a time is through meditation.
These are all the things that help expand mental energy. Processing regularly, doing journaling, freewriting, sharing, because it all has to go somewhere.
If you’re not processing, if you’re not spending time with yourself, if you’re not journaling, that shit is accumulating, and it bogs you down, and you feel stuck.
What is Spiritual Energy?
Spiritual energy is your ability to believe in yourself and engage in things that bring you joy. You need spiritual energy to have meaning and purpose.
When your spiritual energy is depleted, that’s when you start to lose hope. That’s when you begin to lose faith. That’s when you stop believing in the process, in yourself, in goodness, in abundance, in the Universe. Whenever you start to get into those negative spaces, I want you to think of it as energy.
- Is your spiritual energy depleted right now?
- When’s the last time you did something that gave you joy?
- When’s the last time you connected to nature and went outside and connected to something bigger than you?
Prioritize what matters to you. Do things you love on purpose.
Give appreciation and recognition. If someone says a nice thing to you, say, “Thank you, I believe you.” That’s how you bring that spiritual energy up.