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Brain Circuits
Five key energy batteries
How can you optimize how you use your energy? Check these five dimensions first.
The daily maintenance of your energy levels can help you thrive at the intense pace expected of leaders today.
Energy is not just physical or psychological – it’s multi-dimensional. Based on our experience over the last 25 years (and building upon the work of Tony Schwartz and others), we’ve identified five “energy batteries” that impact leaders’ well-being:
1. Physical battery, referring to physical health and vitality
– Depleted by: A lack of sleep, a lack of physical exercise, and poor nutrition.
+ Charged by: Sleep, movement, and a healthy diet.
2. Mental battery, referring to focus, clarity, and intellectual agility
– Depleted by: Constant demands and interruptions.
+ Charged by: Practicing mindfulness and learning new topics.
3. Emotional battery, referring to creativity, emotional intelligence, and self-regulation
– Depleted by: Managing conflict and rehashing hurtful events.
+ Charged by: Enjoyable activities, restorative hobbies, creative practices, and quality time with family and friends.
4. Spiritual battery, referring to motivation and sense of purpose
– Depleted by: Ignoring or neglecting the search for meaning.
+ Charged by: Time in nature, volunteer work, religious traditions, spiritual practices, and introspective activities.
5. Social battery, referring to our surroundings, relationships, and professional environment
– Depleted by: Feeling unsafe at home, feeling underappreciated at work, and worrying about the well-being of loved ones.
+ Charged by: Living and working in a supportive and safe environment, spending time in nature, and engaging in social activities with friends and colleagues (outside of traditional work activities).
Examining each of these five batteries can give you a clearer, more palpable sense of what recharges your energy – and what drains it. The next steps are to implement restorative mini-habits. If you wish to put these ideas into action, try out the anonymous online Energy Check.
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