How To Protect Your Energy as A High Achiever and Avoid Burnout
Let’s face it – work can be stressful sometimes. Whether you're in sales, a managerial role, you’re an entrepreneur, or in any other role that requires you to be at the top of your game every day, protecting your energy is key to maintaining your health, happiness, and productivity.
As a Communication Coach of over 35 years, I’ve worked with dozens of clients and students who have protected their energy effectively, and some who haven’t. Getting burned out is never a position you want to find yourself in, so identifying what drains your energy and what adds to your energy bank is important to recognize as early on in your career as you can.
In this blog post we’ll go over the reasons why energy protection is vital to your career and overall well being, the concept of energy credits and energy debits, how to assess your energy bank, and some practical strategies I recommend to protect your energy so you can be more effective and confident within your role.
The Cost of Not Protecting Your Energy
Whatever your job is, you want to bring your best to the table. If you manage a team or give presentations regularly, it’s critical for your success and the success of your company that you perform optimally. In other words, feeling burned out is not an option.
When you aren’t proactively managing your daily energy limit, it's much harder to perform at your best. Sales and presentations require a lot of energy and enthusiasm, and if you're feeling tired and resentful, it’s that much harder to achieve the presentation outcome you want.
It’ll come as no surprise that protecting your energy also helps you maintain focus and stay productive. When you're constantly pushing yourself without taking breaks or allowing your energy bank to drain, you're more likely to become distracted, make mistakes, or become less effective at what you’re doing.
Now that we’ve established the cost of not assessing what drains your energy, let’s look at the concept of your energy bank and how to manage it.
Energy Credits, Energy Debits and Your Energy Bank
The concept of “energy credit” and “energy debit” is a way of understanding your energy levels and the impact of your daily activities on your overall well-being. In this context, “energy credit” means any activities that replenish your energy, and “energy debit” refers to activities that drain your energy (1).
To assess your energy bank, map out what a typical day looks like for you.
From that reflection, create a list of activities you do on a daily (or weekly) basis that typically replenish your energy. A few examples could be – exercise, spending time with people you love or engaging in your favorite hobby. These activities are considered energy credits because they add to your overall energy level.
Next, create a list of activities you engage in often that drain your energy. This could include working long hours, scrolling on social media, or doing tasks you find boring or unfulfilling (2). As you probably guessed, these activities are considered energy debits because they deplete your energy level.
It’s important to note that everyone’s energy credits and debits will be different. For example, if you’re an introvert, spending time in groups might drain your energy (even if you enjoy the activity itself), whereas an extrovert might fill their personal battery by spending time with people.
It's all about recognizing the kind of person you are and being honest about what activities truly give you energy – and then prioritizing that in your daily routine.
Now that you have your list of energy credits and energy debits, take a look at your current daily routine.
Here are a few questions you can ask yourself:
- What’s your current ratio of energy credits and debits?
- Does one outweigh the other?
- If your lists are unbalanced, how can you add more activities that enhance your energy bank throughout your day?
For example, if you know that exercise is an energy credit for you, make sure to prioritize it in your schedule even if it means waking up earlier or making sacrifices elsewhere. On the flip side, if you know that spending time with certain people drains you, make it a point to limit your time with them or budget in time for an energy credit afterwards.
In the next section we’ll look at some practical strategies you can use to maintain a strong energy bank.
Strategies to Protect Your Energy
Set boundaries
One of the most important things you can do to protect your energy is to set clear boundaries. This might mean having a healthier sleep schedule, saying “no” to projects or tasks that don't align with your priorities, or establishing a clear cutoff time at work. All of these are easier said than done, so start with one at a time.
In the beginning of my career as an entrepreneur it was all too easy to work long hours and neglect my need for rest and downtime. As I’ve grown my business and discovered more about myself, it’s clear that I do my best work and feel my best when I have healthy boundaries in place.
Take breaks
Another important strategy for protecting your energy is to take regular breaks throughout the day. This might mean taking a few minutes to stretch or walk around, practicing deep breathing or meditation, or simply stepping away from your work for a few minutes to recharge. By taking breaks rather than barrelling through your daily tasks, you'll be able to maintain your focus and productivity, and avoid feeling exhausted or depleted (3).
Build supportive relationships
Building supportive relationships with colleagues, friends, family members (and even within an online community) is another important strategy for protecting your energy. Having people you can talk to, vent to, or seek advice from can be helpful when you're facing a challenging situation or feeling overwhelmed.
If you’re looking for the best community around and want to improve your communication and presentation skills – head to this page to learn about our signature group coaching program, Encore. Not only will you elevate your communication and sales abilities in a matter of weeks, you’ll also have access to a network of people who value personal development and pushing past their comfort zones as a top priority.
Our next session kicks off on April 24th and we would love to have you there. We’re always adding new dates so be sure to visit this page or send us an email at [email protected] to enquire about our upcoming programs.
Conclusion
Whether you’re a high achiever or in a job that demands a lot of you every day, assessing your energy credits and energy debits will be a game changer. By being intentional about what activities you engage in and making some adjustments to your routine, you can protect your energy and maintain a healthier work-life balance (even as an entrepreneur).
As a rule of thumb, make sure you’re setting healthy boundaries at work and in your routines, taking frequent breaks to recharge instead of always powering through, and building a support network around you – with the people in your life and by taking advantage of the multitude of online communities out there. The Connect To The Core community happens to be my favorite, and I’m also a little biased.
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References
- Psychologist shares the No. 1 exercise highly successful people use to be happier
- 14 Energy-Draining Everyday Habits To Avoid
- How to protect your energy in a chaotic world