Energy

[mrsbrown]

I once had to give a 5 minute talk about myself. It turned out that I am was all about rationing the things I do in my day, so that I have enough energy to make it to the end. Carefully planning whether I should catch a tram or walk somewhere depending on what I had planned for the evening.

Later in that personal development course I learnt that I could keep doing stuff even when I felt tired. I could even walk 14 hours a day and have enough energy to cook dinner for 7 over a campfire [1]

I know a bit more about myself and energy now:

If I exercise regularly I have more hours in my day to do stuff, 'cos I don't need to flop on the couch in the evenings.
If I have too many things on in a weekend I'm likely to get up one morning during the week and procrastinate leaving the house. Luckily I can now work at home on those days[2]
If I'm doing something exciting and challenging that fills my weekend, I'm surprised at how well I feel on Monday.
If the exciting and challenging project continues into the evenings of my working week, I can just keep going for about a fortnight, but I will collapse at the end and have trouble moving again for a few weeks.
I have physical and intellectual energy and, while one influences the other, they're not the same. So telling myself that I could walk for 14 hours and still do stuff necessary for my survival, isn't enough to keep me at work for 14 hours, even if I do have a deadline.
Hanging out with my friends frequently gives me the energy, that I didn't think I had, to do stuff afterwards.
Since being Baroness, I can do more than I thought I could and work on more projects than I thought I could. And I like the feeling I get when I move from one project to another, even though I'll get hijacked by my brain and stop.
Just keeping on going, and forgetting about how much energy I have, I get more done and I like it better.

and the kicker?

When I'm worrying about rationing my energy, I use it up and get less done.

To illustrate; yesterday I wandered around the Healesville Sanctuary and got home feeling like crap. I went out with my friends anyway and got home at 1.30am feeling better than I had when I left. This morning is my only free time, so I carefully slept in and then read some book 'cos it's my only opportunity this weekend. Now I'm writing this, 'cos lying in bed often loosens my muse and I like the achievement of letting it loose. I've been interrupted several times by the small child in my life and now I'm angsting about both finishing this and getting on with being sufficiently organised to have a reasonable time this arvo. Soon I'll do the Baroness stuff I want done so I can hold my chin up at Bash. I'll then spend the arvo at Bash where I'll put on my happy face and probably have a good time. It's time with friends and frequently energising, even if I'll get home and wish I'd spent more time at home this weekend. I've got someone coming home with me, but he'll only get an hour of my time, 'cos then I have to go and have dinner with my mum and sister. That will also be better than I anticipate and I'll probably get home feeling good. Until I realise that I have to work out what to wear to work tomorrow.

The whole time I'm doing all that, I'll be worrying that I should be having quiet time to store up for my work week, which includes 2 major projects, a bunch of interruptions I know I'll have, a new employee I'm responsible for and ongoing negotiations with the owners of the company I currently work for. There's no time to stay home on the couch this week. And I have a big weekend next weekend.

So, how much energy do I have available for all that? hmmm, maybe I should take it one thing at a time and enjoy as much of it as I can.

But how the f%^k am I going to get through next week?




[1]that's one pot with boiled pasta, milk powder, chicken seasoning and plastic cheese - not so much dinner as food.
[2] But probably not this week

Comments

[splodgenoodles.livejournal.com]

When I'm worrying about rationing my energy, I use it up and get less done.

I find anticipation/worry is a real energy suck.

Interesting!

[mishymoocow-2.livejournal.com]

I read a useful book about introverts/extroverts. The basic definition is that Introverts get energy from being alone, and find socialising "costs" them energy. Extroverts get energy from socialising, and find time alone (even project time) "costs" them energy. As we enter our 30s & 40s, our initial - probably innate - preference evens out. So most extroverts become more introverted, and vice-versa. Except for the minority who become entrenched - that'd be recluses and socialites, for example.

I find this helps me to distinguish between different types of energy needed for different situations. You sound like a basic extrovert, who nonetheless needs precious periods of introversion. Congratulations on your sanity ;0P

I also differentiate between "legs" and "head" - on low energy days it's one or the other. It astonishes me that I can do spring cleaning, scrubbing etc. and keep going all day. As long as no-one needs me to talk, plan or think beyond a very bodily experience of the task. Equally, I can pore over research and writing all day, as long as you don't ask me to walk more than a block. And alternating the two works even better!

and of course the reason most of us don't have enough time to do everything is that we are trying to do too much, and some of it the 'wrong' (ie. not highly valued) things. Sigh.

[montjoye.livejournal.com]

this is all really interesting stuff. I like that other people too plan their time and try to balance their exertions. Like Mishymoocow, I find the best way to get the most done is to alternate activities, particularly switching between brain and physical. One of my problems at work is that it is almost all brain work so I slow down as the day goes on and there is not enough excuse to get the physical movement component to balance the mental effort. The flip side of that is no brain left when I get home and worse, I'm too tired to tackle the needed physical exertion. Actually if I force myself, I do have quite a bit of physical energy after work, it's the getting started that is hard.

With the social thing, I find that the optimum is a split between being with people and being alone. I go mad if left alone for too long but feel suffocated and overwhelmed if I am stuck with people at the wrong time. Often a hard balance to find. I have some coping mechanisms to deal with too much of either but I won't say they are perfect!

I too worry too much about getting enough done, to the detriment of appreciating what I am getting done while worrying about the next thing. I noticed a few years ago that I had stopped celebrating achievments, almost belittling them because they were not 'everything'. I conclude this is dangerous and symptomatic and/or partially causal of a downward spiral. I have tried to recapture more of an 'in the moment' attitude. It is pretty hard sometimes, particularly if I am feeling down. I found it though with the bell work on Saturday, yay. First time in weeks.

[sleepy-ermine.livejournal.com]

thank you so much for that post - I feel I can relate closely to so much of what you have said. my weekend felt like that and so does my anticipation of the next week. I'm sitting here at 1:00 am falling-off-my-chair-sleepy but still replying to barony emails, printing notes for one of my three work things for tomorrow and working out what to wear tomorrow - but knowing it will all happen somehow - it's a mystery...
in other words you are not alone, me too, all that stuff...
hugs and a belated happy birthday