Battle your energy vampires
How to limit exposure to tasks and people you find draining
Every hour is the same in terms of time. But how we feel during each hour can be entirely different. Certain tasks — or people — can be much more draining than others.
These can’t always be avoided. But there are ways to ward off or battle the energy vampires of life, which can allow us to make more of the hours we have.
The first step is to become aware of what, exactly, is most draining. Some stuff is obvious: the mere thought of it fills you with dread. But a lot of other stuff is more a matter of degree.
So, if you’ve ever tracked your time, you might consider tracking your energy too. When do you feel excited and motivated? When do you feel bogged down and like you don’t want to start anything new? Assign yourself a score from 1 (flat on your back) to 10 (ready to conquer the world).
Many people’s energy follows a certain pattern during the day. During work hours, at least, energy peaks in the morning, right after that first cup of coffee. After lunch it dips considerably, rising again toward the end of the day as people see the finish line in sight. In the evening people might start off relatively strong, but by bedtime it can feel pointless to start anything new.
In other cases, energy is determined more by what we’re doing. Maybe a certain task leaves you depleted. Maybe you notice that every meeting with a certain person leaves you at a 2 on a 10-point energy scale.
