What Works: Are energy vampires burning you out?
Submitted by editor on Mon, 10/27/2014 - 11:02am
Energy vampires — they are everywhere, in people, in places, and in projects. They attack when you least expect it and suck the life blood out of you. After they are done, you are exhausted, less productive, and ready for a nap. But how do you know when you are working with or on an energy vampire? Here are a few ways to spot one.
1) It’s literally draining. When your time is finished with the person, place, or project you feel like you have nothing left to give. You have to lay down or scale back your activities for the rest of the day. Do this exercise. Map a meter, scaled 1 to 5 of your general energy level. Note where that meter changes. Can you delegate tasks that drain you or shift what you are doing to keep the meter full?
2) It’s an emotional roller coaster. One minute you feel great and the next you wonder why you are doing what you are doing in the first place. You become irritable, restless, and generally discontent. If you feel like this and start fault finding as well to give yourself an escape route, you know you are in the presence of an energy vampire.
3) It doesn’t feel like it “fits.” Working with an energy mismatch is difficult. If you aren’t the type of person who can sit at a desk all day, you are going to expend more energy just sitting than you would if you were traveling from work location to work location. You feel caged. Likewise, if you would rather have a familiar set of circumstances day by day, you will be exhausted by changing work locations too much.
4) It takes a lot of effort to get started. When something pre-drains us, we are more prone to procrastination on it. What are you putting off right now? Ask yourself why. Ask yourself what you could do to bring your energy level up and power through? Is what you are working on a long-term fit for you or a means to an end?
Working within your spectrum of energy will help you become happier, healthier, and more productive overall.
Sure, no one likes what they are doing or is happy with everyone 100 percent of the time. However, when the fights outweigh the victories, perhaps it’s time to step into the sunlight and avoid the vampire. What energy vampires are present in your life? Do you need help developing a work around or executing a change? The floor is yours, Carson City.
ABOUT DIANE HANSEN
Diane Hansen is the Chief Inspiration Officer of What Works Coaching, a coaching firm that has helped people worldwide with their businesses, careers, mindsets, and profit margins. She brings to Carson City more than 17 years of experience with a wide array of clients, ranging from top corporations, motivated entrepreneurs and individuals hungry for a fresh start. Her column appears every Monday, and sometimes Tuesday, on Carson Now.
