Eliminating Energy Drains :
Identifying Stressors in Your Life
2020 Issue 3 | GearedUp
52
Have you ever noticed how much energy it takes to stew about something ? Stress is your body ’ s response to an undesirable situation . When you experience an event you perceive as stressful , the stress hormone adrenaline is released . Your heart beats faster , your breath quickens and your blood pressure rises . Your liver increases its output of blood sugar , and blood flow gets diverted to your brain and muscles . You ’ re now ready to “ fight or take flight .”
After the threat passes , your body relaxes again . You may be able to handle an occasional stressful event , but when it happens repeatedly , the effects compound over time and can have negative effects on your health . Long-term , stress has been shown to cause heart disease , ulcers , high blood pressure and low immunity .
You either reduce stress with energy deposits or increase stress with energy drains . Some people expose themselves to constant energy drains . To reduce stress , you must seek to minimize things that sap your energy :
Time commitments . When I began my speaking business in 1992 , I joined seven different professional organizations to expand my network of contacts . After a year of attending all those meetings , I dreaded the thought of going . I stepped back and evaluated each one of them in terms of my return on time : “ What do I receive from this membership ?” “ Is my investment of time and money worth the benefits I receive ?” “ Has this organization directly impacted my bottom-line ?”
Everything can have some benefit to your career . Ask yourself what specific benefits you can trace to your involvement and determine its worth . I quit all but three associations , to which I still belong today .
Chronic worrying . Worrying can be a big waste of time . Legitimate worries are real concerns and are actually problems to be solved . Other worries may never happen , such as , “ The company lost money this quarter . I wonder if that means we ’ re in trouble and I ’ m going to lose my job .” This type of worrying is often a symptom of insecurity and reflects a lack of selfconfidence . Worrying about the future causes nervous fatigue and can destroy your focus . So , make an appointment with yourself to worry . Start a brainstorming session with , “ What should I do about …” and write down possible solutions . If you discover there ’ s nothing you can actively do to reduce your concerns , it ’ s probably not a worthy thing to worry about . Promise yourself you ’ ll worry about it when and if it happens . You can only afford to spend time and energy on legitimate concerns .
Interpersonal conflicts . “ I simply cannot stand that man .” “ I can ’ t believe she did that .” Unresolved conflict dissipates your mental strength , causes tension and fatigue , and is self-destructive . Ongoing anger wears you down emotionally and leaves you feeling out of control . Instead of letting conflicts eat at you , determine the most expedient way to resolve the situation . You could choose to give into the other person . You could settle on a compromise and give up something to get something . You could develop new alternatives , so that both of you still reach your goals and feel good about the situation . You always have a choice in how you handle a conflict . Choose the best reaction and let go of the situation .
Demanding friendships . Friendship is a delicate balance of give and take . When you ’ re having a rough time , you need support . by Laura Stack
Sometimes your friends need you . In the end , it all balances out , right ? But what if it doesn ’ t ? I ’ ve had people in my life that took and took and never gave back . I no longer have a friendship with those people . Friendship isn ’ t psychotherapy .
The above items are all examples of things that sap your energy . There are many more . You can create a T-chart that lists “ Things I enjoy ” on one side and “ Things I dislike ” on the other . Once you identify the things that sap your energy , you can identify possible ways to eliminate them . The important shift is to recognize that you have choices and options in the way you live and respond to stressful situations . Make it a productive day ! G
Laura Stack , MBA , CSP , CPAE , aka The Productivity Pro ® , gives speeches and seminars on sales and leadership productivity . For over 25 years , she ’ s worked with Fortune 1000 clients to reduce inefficiencies , execute more quickly , improve output and increase profitability . Laura is the author of seven books , including “ Doing the Right Things Right : How the Effective Executive Spends Time .” To invite Laura to speak at your next event , visit www . TheProductivityPro . com .