Creating a More Powerful You

KIRSTEN’S INSIGHT

Creating a More Powerful You

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez

Have you ever had one of those days where you had no energy? No motivation to get up and face the day, no energy to focus on what matters?

Or maybe you’ve been in a place where you had way too much energy, but focused on the wrong things: anxiety, stress, sleepless nights, and fear.

I’ve been there, and bet you have, too. Being in a low energy place keeps us from being our best selves.

How do we channel and grow our energy in a way that serves us and others?

I always know when I am ready for an energy shift when certain things start happening in my life: I toss and turn at night, I can’t focus, it takes me longer to complete tasks, and my eating habits and cravings change. I turn to wine and carbs and binge watching streaming shows. I feel unsettled like a ship without a harbor.

What can you do to get your power back, and more importantly, keep your energy from waning in the first place?

1. Show gratitude - I know this might be the last thing you think about when you are in a low energy place. Noticing the smallest things like: a good cup of coffee out of your favorite mug, a smile from a stranger, a roof over your head, can start the ball forward for the bigger things. It’s about the practice of being thankful.

2. Write it down - this can come in the form of a journal, a list, or a brain dump on paper or electronically. Reading back your thoughts can have a powerful shift of your perspective. Getting those thoughts out of your head and into a two dimensional space can clarify your outlook.

3. Build your community - are you spending time with the right people? The external influences in our lives can have a large impact on our energy. From a pessimistic co-worker,

to a doubtful spouse, these people can suck your energy. Look for people to incorporate into your daily life that bring positive energy, and- be prepared to bring the positivity, too. You may not always be able to remove those negative influences in your life, but you can build up the positive ones.

4. Give up gossip and negativity - do you know how much you gossip? To give you a refresh on what gossip is: casual or unconstrained conversation or reports about other people, typically involving details that are not confirmed as being true (from: Oxford Languages). It is easy to get drawn into gossip, and removing yourself from conversations that contain gossip will create more positivity in your life. Why focus on the negativity of others, when you can focus on the positivity of you?

5. Meditation - having quiet moments to reflect, be centered and create your inner calm can have astounding effects to your energy. The more you are able to build your power shield around the person you want to be, the better you will be able to move past those negative distractions when they appear in your life.

Growing your Energy

Think about your typical day. What time do you wake up? Are you an early riser, or someone who likes to hit the snooze button a few times? I want to challenge you to create daily habits, starting with your morning routine.

The morning creates a new opportunity for us each and every day. It is a chance to start a new page in our lives, and reset from the day before. I want you to get to a place where you can’t wait to wake up and take on the world! To be in a place where you are the master of your power and energy.

I tend to be an early riser. With my husband up and out the door around 6am, I am out of bed soon after him. With a dog to get outside and fed, he creates some instant motivation for not sleeping in. I have found that getting up around a consistent time every day (even on weekends) has forced my body into a regular sleep routine. Everyone needs a different amount of sleep, and I know that I function best on a good 7-8 hours. I can function on less sleep, but not for a long period of time.

I don’t sleep with my phone in my bedroom. It is in the next room plugged into the charger. For me, there is something about the ability to constantly have access to that device and communication creates anxiety for me. I also put my phone on “do not disturb” mode from 10pm to 6am (and have certain people flagged as “favorites” who could break through the do not disturb mode if needed during those hours like my kids and my parents). Having good interrupted sleep is very important to me.

When I first wake up, I don’t grab my phone. I wait until I’ve had a chance to greet the day, say a few words of gratitude and start the coffee pot brewing. I have about an hour of alone time before my son wakes up for school, and I use this time to do several things:

Exercise and stretch. My routine isn’t that intense: it involves walking on a treadmill for about 20 minutes and stretching, or doing strength and core exercises. I don’t always put on workout clothes, and sometimes just slip on a pair of tennis shoes with my pajamas (no one is looking!). The focus here is to get my heart rate up. I also listen to podcasts while exercising.

Meditate. For ten minutes I listen to a guided meditation. There are great apps, or even music that you can download to assist you with this.

Shower and get dressed. Being a woman with longer hair, washing, drying and styling my hair takes the longest amount of time. I can get away with not washing my hair for several days, which saves a lot of time in the mornings. I can usually shower, apply make up, fix my hair and get dressed in about 20 minutes if I don’t have to wash my hair first. If it is a hair washing day, I try to plan for extra time for it.

Breakfast. I eat breakfast every day. I started seeing a wellness doctor about six months ago, who advised me to eat 100 grams of protein each day. As we age, our muscle mass decreases, and having enough protein helps to build muscle. I didn’t realize how hard it would be for me to get that much protein! It has forced me to pay much closer attention to what I’m putting in my body. Even for a food like yogurt, there are higher protein choices that keep you fuller throughout the day.

Make the bed. This activity should take you no more than 60 seconds. By making your bed, it creates a distinction between sleep and relaxation and go time.

Having a morning routine has put me into a place of high energy power. I have complete control over my attitude and how I want the day to go. It is a routine that feels amazing and grows my energy from the very start.

Creating positive energy in your life takes practice. It is like a muscle that needs training. You can use the ideas in this article to start your practice of developing a more powerful you, and over time, it will come more naturally. High energy people are like magnets - they attract more high energy people.