What energizes your life?
Some things energize us. Some deplete our energy. Jobs, people, relationships, activities, places—they can invigorate us or drain us dry. Oddly, even things we think we want in our lives can end up sapping us, and things we thought we wanted nothing to do with can turn out to be energizers.
We often forget to pay attention to what is providing our lives with energy and what is drawing energy out of us. Some days we get up in the morning facing our day with excitement, and others we feel a sense of dread or annoyance. We may notice that at the end of some days we feel dried up, weary, and fatigued and at the end of others, we feel peaceful and pleased. But often, we fail to look closely at what is causing these shifts.
If we pay attention to the waves of energy and exhaustion, sunny moods and blue ones, peace and aggravation, that pulse through our days, we can better deal with the things that give to us and those that take from us, helping us to live healthier, happier, more tranquil lives.
Where does writing come into this? In many ways:
1. Writing can help us identify nourishers and energy sappers.
Journaling can help you identify what is supporting you and what isn’t. As you write about how you spent your day, notice the words that come to mind and the way you feel as you write. You may identify things in your life that are depleting your energy when you didn’t even know it, as well as sources of support that you weren’t aware of.
2. Writing can diminish the effects of the negative elements in our lives.
It would be wonderful if, once we identified the things that are sapping us, we could simply eliminate them. Unfortunately, we can’t always switch jobs, change roommates, move to a new city, or stop doing difficult but necessary tasks—even if they are draining our reserves of energy and vigor.
When we can’t leave draining people, jobs, situations, or tasks, we can take steps to create mental distance from them. Writing is an excellent way to do that. Journaling can help us vent emotions, get fresh perspectives, and recognize our own strengths—all ways to put energy-sappers in their place.
Writing is a form of practice that Buddhist teacher Pema Chodron calls “sitting in the cave with the demons.” The demons in our lives may seem ready to gobble us up, but if you spend time simply sitting face to face with them, they tend shrink and cower. Writing can be the space where we meet the demons that drain our energy. It can reduce their impact on our lives by forcing us to simply be with them.
3. Writing is an amazing source of energy.
When you’re feeling the effects of energy-sapping experiences, use your writing to renew and refresh yourself. Few things are more energizing than opening the gates of creativity. Let yourself be carried away on the current of words and images. Journey off into the world of your imagination. When you come back, you will feel recharged, invigorated, and ready to face anything.