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We have a finite amount of energy in our tanks. The demands of parenting can deplete this energy fairly quickly, leaving us with few reserves. Therefore, parents need to conserve their energy and be intentional about where they spend it. Get Wise(r) about how to do this below…
- Write down the activities that fill your energy tank and those that drain it. This list will look different for everyone. Then do your best to set boundaries around the activities that sap your energy.
- Take a personality quiz to determine if you’re an introvert or an extrovert. Why? Because introverts are known to lose energy through socializing (even when they’re outgoing), whereas extroverts gain energy from it. Introverts need daily “alone time” to recharge.
- Avoid the slow leak of energy that comes from harboring feelings of anger, jealousy, hatred, and resentment. A popular mindfulness quote says holding onto these emotions is like “drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.”
- Build time to rest and replenish into your schedule. Put it on the calendar, so that it’s priority.
- Check out the New York Times bestseller, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown. This book describes ways in which we can protect our energy by whittling our lives down to the essentials.
“Manage your energy, not your time.”
~Tony Schwartz & Catherine McCarthy
