Energy vampires within us

Often we find ourselves victims of “energy vampires” because we ourselves use the body’s resources irrationally. How is this related?

Imagine: you are moving through the desert in the company of another person. Everyone has their own supply of water. Not enough – dehydration will come, and you risk not reaching. Then the satellite asks: “Can I take a sip from your flask?”. Share or save for yourself? As long as there is a lot of liquid, losing a little is not a problem. But if there are a couple of sips left, you are unlikely to give it to someone whose supply is not depleted. However, the main choice is made long before that. When you go on the road, you calculate how much water to take, taking into account that it may be useful to someone else.

Same with energy. No one will take it if we don’t give it ourselves.

In fact, those who skillfully and consciously “suck” us out are few. We are more affected by our own, internal “vampirism”, which increases susceptibility to the behavior of others. Then everything seems to be pressure, manipulation: criticism, banter, even a request for sympathy.

What fuels the vampire within us?

3 forms of internal “vampirism”

Bottomless pit. Wasting energy and time on useless and toxic activities like arguing about nothing or self-flagellation, we drain energy into the void. Forces are wasted, but there is no return. The mind can still be convinced of the value of these actions: for example, if you think about it. that they are done to increase motivation or search for the truth. But the body cannot be deceived: if you subject it to overload, it will respond with fatigue, lethargy and apathy.

Time loop. Poorly understanding what we really want, we invest in something that does not bring us satisfaction and benefit. Day after day, we scroll through the scenario where activity is the result of overcoming oneself. The discrepancy between the desired and the actual results in causeless anxiety, anger, resentment and other emotions. Some appear in flashes, devastating in a matter of minutes, others exhaust slowly and methodically.

Web of events. Improper planning also leads to energy wastage. Chaos, confusion and stuckness speak of an unproductive use of internal resources. It’s like an engine overheating due to traffic jams. And here, along with us, our environment also falls into the trap. Colleagues whose work “freezes” while we finish the report in a hurry. A friend who was promised to come at 6, but came at 7. The caregiver, whose time we are wasting because we did not have time to pick up the child before six.

How to Reduce Loss: Energy Saving Mode

It is easier to reduce the energy drain than to deal with the consequences: burnout, anxiety and other disorders. How? We need to create an ecological, healthy and productive environment for ourselves and those around us.

Using an example from the professional sphere, you can draw up an action plan.

• Be clear about the purpose of each dialogue. What issue do you want to solve during the conference? Why are you appointing a “letochka”? It would seem an obvious action, but we often lose sight of it. And here we are spreading our thoughts along the tree, spending more energy than necessary. If you feel like you’re going in circles, remind yourself and others of the main question. Focus on what’s important. And try to strike out of the schedule of the meeting for the sake of show.
• Make a daily routine and stick to it. This will help you stay in shape and perform typical processes “on the machine”, without wasting energy. As a leader, prepare a plan (agenda) of meetings in advance and make it publicly available to convey it to all participants. Apply this practice to any process. Value other people’s time and respect your own.
• Think about why you sit down to work every day. What is the meaning of what you are doing? Make a map of values ​​and priorities (a template can be found on the Internet) and check the intersections with the profession: does it really correspond to your desires and values? Senseless actions do not give motivation – an impulse that allows you to overcome obstacles with minimal energy costs. Choose activities that inspire you.
• Find “time wasters”. Get a notebook and record what you did during the week and how long it took. Note the “long-running” processes and actions that do not bring benefits. Optimize your daily routine and save energy.
• Be honest with yourself and choose your leisure time consciously. Choose an environment with which you can grow and move forward together. This will allow you to be in a developing and inspiring environment. Try to find like-minded people who are already moving in the same direction in order to consult with them and avoid wasting energy on unnecessary actions. Combining resources and information can “pump” anyone.
• Develop new interesting activitiesso that the brain creates new neural circuits – sets of ready-made reactions to what is happening. This will help to reveal internal energy reserves, potential, flexibility and adaptability. And experience less stress in response to external stimuli.

Where to get the strength to cope with the “inner vampire”

The less energy we have, the more diligently we empty ourselves, looking for hidden reserves in ourselves. If you want to get out of the vicious circle, stop running. Recognize that you need rest, and not on the phone or watching a TV show. To rest means to give up that which tires you, even if you love it.

It is difficult for a modern person to interrupt the rhythm of life – there are always “urgent” and “important” things that cannot be postponed. We often exhaust ourselves with overloads, even if we feel that the reserves are at zero.

And this can be a clue to others how we should be treated.

To get out of the position of the victim, you need to work on yourself. Refuse what overloads and devastates, meaningfully approach tasks and actions, plan the most valuable resource that we have – time.