by Marissa Mosley, NU Scholar
Click on our playlist to listen to soothing music as you explore this blog post!
In honor of Public Health Week and April being Stress Awareness Month, we chose to feature a blog written by one of our amazing scholars—Marissa Mosley! Keep reading to learn more about how to manage your energy to promote mindfulness and avoid burnout. Enjoy!
P.S. If you find this topic interesting, check out our Public Health Week Virtual Panel! The panel recording can be found here (passcode: JL+yuu7O). You’ll hear from student leaders across multiple programs as they discuss how culture plays a role in overall health. This year’s Public Health Week focuses on cultural health, community, mental health, food, & nutrition. 🌍
We frequently hear of the importance of time management, but very rarely do we discuss the significance of energy management. The perfect plan does little to help us produce results if we lack the energy to follow through. Learning to manage your energy well can lead to greater productivity and a more balanced life.
It is beneficial to know to what extent certain tasks drain you. In addition to requiring different amounts of energy, various tasks also require different types of energy. To maximize our ability to follow through with our plans, it is important that we understand the primary types of energy that we utilize daily.
If you are struggling to find the energy to take steps toward your goals, you may be depleted in one or more of the following types of energy.
4 Energy Types
- Physical: The energy that you use to do anything physical.
- Mental: The energy that it takes to plan, create, contribute to conversations, etc.
- Emotional: The energy that you use to process your emotions and relate to others.
- Spiritual: For those who consider themselves to be spiritual, this is the energy that you use and receive for spiritual purposes beyond the physical.
4 Tips for Managing Your Energy Well
- Perform an Energy Audit
- Take notice of your daily rhythms (the times of the day when you generally feel drained, and times of the day when you have the most energy).
- Pay attention to which tasks energize you and which ones drain you.
- Figure out if your current routines are conducive to maximized energy.
- Practically Prioritize
- Keeping your energy audit in mind, create a priority list for the day.
- Prepare
- Each week, on a high-energy day, take time to prepare for your busy days.
- Don’t Forget to Breathe
- Prioritize rest.
We can take steps toward establishing positive routines and finding balance. As you navigate this chaotic season of life, please remember to take care of yourself. Do not neglect the filling of your energy tanks.
In managing your energy well, you will be better equipped to be a help to both yourself, to those who you love, and to the causes that are important to you.
–
Let’s keep the mindfulness going! If you use of any of these tips and post about it on your socials, be sure to tag @nationaluniversity and use our hashtags #NUfam and #NUCSEA so we can repost!
To keep up with the Center for Student Engagement and Activities, make sure to check out our Linktr.ee and monthly flyer which can be found on the “What’s NU this Month?” tab at the top of our blog!
The CSEA Student Voice 