How to Protect Your Energy

Safeguard your energy and avoid burnout with our helpful tips

Protecting your energy is crucial so you can accomplish your goals and stay healthy, but where do you start? If you're looking for simple and effective strategies for optimizing your energy and protecting yourself from negativity, you've come to the right place! In this article, we're sharing the absolute best tips to help you keep the bad vibes away so you can maximize your energy and live your best life. Read on to get started!

[Edit]Things You Should Know

• Eliminate negativity from your mind by focusing on physical sensations and living in the moment.^[1]
• Create a positive, soothing space in your home where you can unwind, relax, and let go of negativity.
• Pay attention to your feelings rather than ignoring them. Give yourself the space to process them in a healthy way, like through meditation or breathing exercises.^[2]

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Practice mindfulness.

1. Banish negativity by focusing on the here and now.^[3] Take time to engage with the world around you. Observing the different sensations you experience is a great starting point, like the sights, sounds, and smells of your environment. Try to keep an open mind as you embrace life with this more intentional, negativity-free approach—when you truly live in the present, it's much easier to focus on the positives.^[4]
   
   • Take an extra moment to smell and savor a delicious lunch, or enjoy the scent of a passing breeze as you walk through the park.
   • Take time to note and count all the different items in your periphery, whether you're in class or at work.

[Edit]Try visualization.

1. Imagining a shield around you can help in moments of high stress. Shielding visualization techniques can help empaths and introverts block out toxic energy in real time.^[5] Close your eyes and visualize a beautiful white shield completely surrounding your body, or surround yourself with soothing white or pink light. Think of this “shield” as your own private bubble where toxic energy can’t reach you.^[6]
   
   • If you're having a tough time visualizing this on your own, check out guided meditations for self-protection. You can find guided meditations on mindfulness apps, YouTube, and spirituality websites.^[7]

[Edit]Declutter your space.

1. Tidy up the areas where you spend time to reduce chaotic energy. Our physical environments influence and reflect how we feel inside, so living (or working) in a messy space may actually be contributing to your stress and draining your energy. Work on decluttering areas where you spend a lot of time for a quick boost of mental clarity and positive energy.
   
   • Try to create a neat and comfortable sanctuary for yourself at home. Even if you’ve had a hectic day at work, knowing you have a refuge to go home to can make a huge difference.

[Edit]Dedicate a space to relaxing activities.

1. Promote positivity by making physical space for it in your life. Think about spots in your home where you feel the most relaxed and positive, whether that's your bedroom, kitchen, or somewhere else entirely. Add items to this space to make it even more soothing and calming, like scented candles, soft blankets, or fluffy pillows. Whether you're having a good or bad day, spend some time in this space to recharge your positive vibes.^[8]
   
   • Fill this space with colors that you really like, whether that's a light purple, deep red, or soothing green.
   • Add a potted plant of vase of flowers to your special sanctuary to give it an extra special touch.

[Edit]Give yourself time to recharge.

1. Carve out time for breaks to replenish your energy. Remember that life is a journey, not a sprint. If you're firing on all cylinders 24/7 without taking adequate time to refuel, you'll deplete your energy. Give yourself permission to rest when you need to! How often you need breaks (and what those breaks entail) is different for everyone, so go with what works for you.^[9]
   
   • For example, take frequent 5-10 minutes breaks during your workday to prevent burnout. Even a quick walk around the building or block can help!
   • On weekends, devote larger blocks of time to rest. Be sure to honor your needs—an extrovert might feel recharged after spending time with others, but introverts may need to spend some time alone to feel fully refreshed.

[Edit]Practice gratitude.

1. Focusing on what you're grateful for can shift and protect energy. When you’re in a situation that feels toxic, it’s easy to focus on the negative until it completely drains you. Practicing gratitude is a powerful tool for combating negativity, and you can do it anywhere! Get in the habit of making gratitude lists when you’re feeling energetically tapped out.^[10]
   
   • Showing kindness and appreciation also helps, especially in group situations when you're around a lot of people (like at school or in the workplace).

[Edit]Tune into your emotions.

1. Monitor your feelings and honor them instead of pushing them down. It's easy to repress anxiety so you can power through your day (especially when you're at work). Keep in mind, though, that mental stress eventually manifests in physical ways. Ignoring your emotional needs will eventually zap your energy and leave you feeling thoroughly drained. If you're constantly feeling fatigued, irritable, or generally overwhelmed, it's time to decompress.^[11] To process your emotions in a healthy way, try things like:^[12]
   
   • Learning to meditate
   • Doing breathing exercises^[13]
   • Taking up leisure hobbies
   • Writing in a journal^[14]

[Edit]Reconnect with nature.

1. Spend time outdoors to tap into the healing powers of mother nature. Visiting forests, parks, gardens, beaches, and other natural places of beauty can be extremely beneficial for you, both physically and psychologically. Studies show that spending time in the great outdoors can lower stress, boost your mood, replenish energy, and even improve empathy. Try activities like:^[15]
   
   • Camping
   • Hiking
   • Visiting state parks
   • Hitting the beach
   • Bicycling, walking, or jogging

[Edit]Set boundaries.

1. Work on asserting yourself and saying no when you feel overloaded. It’s easy to overextend yourself, whether it’s at work, in your relationships, at school, or all of the above. Instead of agreeing to take on that extra project or social engagement, really think about what you do (and don’t) have the bandwidth for. It's perfectly okay to set boundaries and say “no” to conserve precious energy.^[16]
   
   • Pay attention to how you feel before taking on something new; does the prospect truly excite you, or do you instantly feel stressed just thinking about it?
   • When you’re dealing with toxic people or negative coworkers, remember that “No” is a complete sentence and you don’t have to explain yourself.
   • Try to avoid getting involved in office drama and limit your time around negative workers.^[17]

[Edit]Take control of your schedule.

1. Work on time management skills to avoid spreading yourself too thin. If you habitually overextend yourself, or if it always seems like there just aren't enough hours in the day, organizing your schedule can help. Get all your tasks down on paper (or use a time management app) and allot specific time frames for each thing on your to-do list.^[18] As you're creating your schedule, remember to:
   
   • Prioritize the most important tasks
   • Block out time for focused work
   • Limit work meetings to certain times of the day
   • Build regular breaks into your routine
   • Set aside 7-9 hours per day for sleep^[19]

[Edit]Limit distractions.

1. Try to keep interruptions in check so you can focus on important tasks. Distractions can be a huge drain on your mental energy, especially in the workplace. And while multi-tasking is a great tool, constantly juggling email notifications, instant messages, meetings, and phone calls usually ends up being more exhausting than productive. To keep your energy up and really get things done, take steps to reduce the noise in the background.^[20] Try things like:
   
   • Block off time in your schedule to work on one thing at time.
   • Set your Slack status to “do not disturb” or “heads-down mode.”
   • Close any browser tabs, windows, and applications that you aren't using.
   • Silence your phone or tuck it in your desk drawer so that it's out of sight.

[Edit]Turn off your notifications.

1. Technology can drain your energy fast, so try to unplug sometimes. Devices allow you to do so many creative and productive things, but they can also steal your focus and demand more energy than you realize. Unplugging from technology completely for an hour (or more) a week can help, but if you can’t fully disconnect, try changing your notification settings so you can control what you’re seeing (and when).^[21]
   
   • If apps like Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and Twitter are draining you the most, consider trying a digital detox from social media.

[Edit]Limit your time around draining people.

1. Try to avoid demanding people who zap your time and energy. If you feel exhausted after spending time with someone or being around a particular coworker, that person may be draining your energy. People like this are sometimes referred to as energy vampires. To deal with energy vampires, try to limit your exposure to them or avoid them entirely.^[22] Watch out for people who:
   
   • Talk only about themselves
   • Show no interest in others
   • Are involved in constant drama
   • Need to be the center of attention
   • Are clingy, needy, or jealous^[23]

[Edit]Eat a healthy diet.

1. Nutritious food provides the fuel you need to tackle your day. Aim for a healthy balance of fats, proteins, high fiber, and carbohydrates. Include plenty of fresh fruits and veggies, and try to avoid processed foods with added sugars, like doughnuts and candy, since they're harder to digest. Consider eating 5-6 smaller meals (rather than 3 big meals) to sustain your energy throughout the day.^[24]
   
   • Remember to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated, as well! Dehydration can make you feel extra fatigued.
   • Limit caffeine and energy drinks so you don't experience crashes. Avoid ingesting more than 400 mg of caffeine (about 4 cups of coffee) per day and skip caffeine after lunchtime since it can disturb your sleep.^[25]

[Edit]Video

[Edit]Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about psychology, check out our in-depth with [v161658_b01].

[Edit]References

[Edit]Quick Summary

1. ↑ [v161669_b01]. 18 December 2020.
2. ↑ [v161658_b01]. 18 December 2020.
3. ↑ [v161669_b01]. 18 December 2020.
4. ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/in-depth/mindfulness-exercises/art-20046356
5. ↑ [v162354_b01]. 26 April 2023.
6. ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-empaths-survival-guide/201804/5-protection-techniques-sensitive-people
7. ↑ https://www.spiritualityhealth.com/blogs/pathfinding-yoga-and-mindfulness/2020/01/20/guided-meditation-for-self-protection-the-shield
8. ↑ https://laclinicahealth.org/wellness-as-a-way-of-life-creating-a-sanctuary-as-a-place-for-self-care/
9. ↑ https://hbr.org/2021/05/4-ways-to-manage-your-energy-more-effectively
10. ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/pain-rehabilitation/202101/5-surprising-ways-gratitude-improves-your-health
11. ↑ https://www.apa.org/topics/stress/tips
12. ↑ [v162354_b01]. 26 April 2023.
13. ↑ [v161658_b01]. 18 December 2020.
14. ↑ [v161340_b01]. 3 April 2020.
15. ↑ https://www.apa.org/monitor/2020/04/nurtured-nature
16. ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/prescriptions-life/201311/7-ways-protect-your-energy-enforce-healthy-boundaries
17. ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/when-kids-call-the-shots/202104/how-to-survive-toxic-relationships-at-the-office
18. ↑ https://hbr.org/2019/12/10-quick-tips-for-avoiding-distractions-at-work
19. ↑ [v161407_b01]. 13 April 2020.
20. ↑ https://hbr.org/2019/12/10-quick-tips-for-avoiding-distractions-at-work
21. ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/rethink-your-way-the-good-life/202001/20-ways-protect-your-mental-health
22. ↑ [v162354_b01]. 26 April 2023.
23. ↑ https://psychcentral.com/blog/how-to-avoid-being-drained-by-energy-vampires#how-to-spot-them
24. ↑ https://www.eatright.org/health/wellness/healthful-habits/eating-to-boost-energy
25. ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/caffeine/art-20045678