5 Ways to Manage Your Mental Energy

Have you ever had that moment where you set a new goal such as joining a gym or starting a new workout program yet you find yourself not doing it? Instead, you have all of these thoughts of negativity going through your mind and you lose motivation.

Maybe it’s something like, “I don’t know what to do”, “It’s too intimidating”, “I don’t want to get bulky” or even “I’m not going to lose any weight doing that”. 

You've already made your decision. 

You’re basically telling yourself that you know how this is going to go and you make the decision based on your beliefs. Tony Robbins says it best, “Our beliefs shape our reality”.

Have you ever had an office job where you sat down all day yet you come home exhausted? You've been making decisions all day.

When you are making decisions every hour if not every minute of the day, you are using up your mental energy. Not to mention, there’s more decisions now than there ever has been:

• Should I eat this or that?
• Should I workout today?
• Should I check my phone?
• Should I respond?
• Should I call so and so back?

All of these are decisions that we make on a daily basis and that’s not even half of it!

Our actions are based on our decisions which are based on our beliefs. 

So how do we manage our energy throughout the day and make good decisions?

That leads me to 5 ways that I myself have found that have helped me manage my energy. 

5 Ways to Manage Your Mental Energy

There’s so many ways you can find to manage your own mental energy and I challenge you to keep track of the things that work for you. If you don’t know where to start, you can try these yourself and see what works!

1. Sleep

I always try to get at least 7 1/2 hours of sleep every night. Keep in mind this is on the lower end. At the most, I would probably sleep 8-9 hours (mostly on the weekends). It’s different for everyone, so keep track of the hours you sleep and how you feel during the day to determine what’s best for you. As long as you know the importance of sleep and how it affects our entire body and functionality. Why do you think babies need so much sleep when they’re younger? They need time to restore, strengthen and develop. As you get older, you’re body still needs that time to restore, strengthen and develop. 

2. Exercise

Exercising does so much more for us than helping us lose weight or gaining muscle. Your body releases chemicals called endorphins when exercising. Endorphins trigger those “I feel great and can accomplish anything” feelings. It helps decrease anxiety or depression and even improves your sleep. Not only does it give you energy to use throughout the day, but it also helps your body restore at night to have more energy the next day. 

3. Nutrition

I truly believe the saying, “You are what you eat”. I want to feel good and maintain my energy so why wouldn’t I fuel my body with the food that it needs to perform?! If I choose to eat crappy foods, then I probably won’t be sleeping as well or feeling as well as I could be. If I eat clean healthy foods that my brain and body needs, I’m able to have more energy, think clearer, make better decisions and perform better all around. 

4. Personal Space

I have always been one who loves my space. It’s not because I don’t like to be around people. It’s because I know my body and what it needs to have more energy, to think more clearly, to be more productive, to be more positive and to be the best for others around me. Finding time for yourself helps you be the best person for yourself and those around you.

5. Routine

I can’t emphasize the word ROUTINE enough! I’ve probably followed the same morning routine since I was in college. Why? Overall, it saves me time and energy in the mornings. I don’t have to wake up and feel anxious about what to do next nor waste my time and energy having to make decisions. I know what comes next and how long it takes, which puts my mind at ease and prepares me for a good day!

Managing our energy helps us not only feel good but perform our best. It helps us think positive which leads to positive decisions.

My challenge to you is to keep track of the things that distract you and deplete your mental energy. Remove those distractions and start incorporating positive actions to help manage your energy levels. 

In the meantime, I'd love for you to join me in my private Facebook group for more health and wellness tips! Click here to join.

XO

Courtney Marie