Energy Rich | Energy Management for a PowHERful Life

Crush your energy hang-ups and reclaim your natural energy rich, powHERful state.

I spend a good part of my time researching, studying, interviewing, connecting and collaborating with powerful women.  These powHERful women understand the dance between harnessing their greatest power, capitalizing on their fullest potential, and living a fulfilling life.  When we use the term ‘powHERful‘, our definition is likely quite different than the one you are familiar with which can be primarily ego-driven, competitive and insanely insular.  Whether it’s background work for our lifestyle + leadership television series, PowHER TV, a future magazine interview or perhaps an invitation to speak at one of our upcoming events, the women on our radar are confident, vibrant and extremely focused on making a social impact in the world that far exceeds any personal gain.  Energy management is a top priority for their personal and professional success.

PowHERful women understand just how critical it is to keep our energy in check.  What you might not realize though is that energy rich is our natural state, and it’s high-time we reclaim it.  In our two-part series, we’ll explore the various energy hang-ups women endeavour to manage and manipulate in their daily lives as well as various methods to raise your own vibrancy and strengthen your energy.  We’ll also encourage a conversation around why we feel this topic is so important – not only for our health and happiness, but also for building strong – and much needed – female leaders both now and in the future.

Be aware of energy drains.

One of my favourite things to do is to watch sailboats.  Our West Coast home sits beside the ocean where many frequent, allowing a great view.  I’m certainly no sailor, but I appreciate watching the boats skim across the water with ease and grace.  Most times I visualize a parallel with my own life, seeking the greatest fulfillment and freedom with complete ease and grace. 

However, if your ‘boat’ has numerous leaks, its ability to move swiftly and effortlessly across the water quickly comes to a screeching halt.

Women spend much time playing offense – professional development, ‘beautifying’, networking, lead generation, skill-building, mastering the latest tech tools and gadgets – but do we honestly play enough defense?

If we were all born for greatness (thank you Rumi) – ready to soar – could it be that our journey in this lifetime is about returning to greatness rather than finding it?  Could it be that our greatest realization of powHER will be ultimately accessed when we return to our strongest state; our natural state, our Whole Self?

Let’s take a look at some potential energy drains:

Crap food | Okay, we’ll start with the basics.  Energy in = Energy out.  If you want to embody powHER, you must fuel up powHERfully.  Check our the #FuelMe section of our website for some simple cleaning ideas that taste good.

Lack of movement |  Energy breeds energy.  Human beings were born to move.  If you aren’t getting adequate movement in your life, your vibrancy won’t be where it could be, you’ll start to seize up, and you simply won’t feel energetic, strong and powHERful.  Get moving!

Lack of water |  Here are just some of the many benefits of water.  It may sound way too simple, but many women who find themselves yawning, lethargic, even headachy simply need to drink more water.

• The human brain is 95% water
• Without water, you would die within a few days
• A 2% drop in your body’s water supply can trigger signs of dehydration such as: memory problems, trouble with basic math, and problems focusing and concentrating
• Water is in the fluid that surrounds your joints
• Water moves food through your body – without it, you’ll suffer constipation (Adequate water intake can decrease the risk of colon cancer by 45%!)
• Water transports oxygen and nutrients to your cells
• Water helps the body metabolize stored fat. This means that a decrease in water intake will cause fat deposits to increase. Likewise, an increase in water intake will cause fat deposits to decrease.
• If you are not drinking enough water, your body will store as much as possible as a defense mechanism (aka bloating).

Lack of rest |  I’m not just talking sleep here, I’m talking rest.  We all have different sleep requirements.  Even the amount of sleep we might each require in any given month can vary throughout the year dependent on various stress factors, natural light, hormones and menstrual cycles, temperature and weather patterns, and more. 

For most of us, life is ruled by alarms and reminders.  These don’t change throughout the year, yet our rest requirements do.

Here’s how we can improve our rest:

1. Focus on quality over quantity:  There are only so many hours in a day so realistically you may not be getting your optimum number of hours of sleep each night.  Ensure the hours you are getting are of quality sleep.  Some suggestions to make this happen include:  a comfortable pillow, adequate time to wind down before lying down, not heading to bed too full or too hungry, ensuring the temperature of your room is comfortable and dark enough.
2. Give yourself regular catch-up opportunities:  If you answered ‘yes’ to the vacation question above, you’ll definitely want to start scheduling times for weekly catch-up opportunities.  They are not optional.  If you are looking to perform in your most powHERful, magnetic and attractive state, your tank must be full.  That doesn’t mean you have to sleep, catch-up opportunities for your rest are gold:  retiring 30 minutes earlier from time to time, enjoying a cat-nap even for 15 minutes, lying quieting in shavasana for just 5 minutes to let all of your systems settle and your mind clear.
3. Figure out how to de-compress:  I know meditation is not for everyone, so I’m going to cut you some slack.  What I feel is most important for being Energy Rich is the ability to powHERfully decompress.  For me, that might mean a brisk walk between the end of my work day and the start of my evening.  It could mean rituals such as nourishing teas and soothing music, baths by candlelight, conscious-stream journaling, or when necessary, a good cry with a close friend.

Here’s the thing:  Your energy is directly related to your emotions.  When was the last time that you felt complete and utter joy and total exhaustion at the exact same time?  Unless it was the birth of a new born, I’m going to guess, not often.

People

People are powerful forces in our lives.  They either give us energy or they deplete it.  There’s no in-between.  Those who run at neutral aren’t adding so they are depleting.  Who you associate with is one of the greatest sources of richness for your energy or one of its most challenging inhibitors.  We all vibrate at a certain energy or vibrancy.  When you interact with another, does that interaction leave you feeling more or less energized?

My friend Jock was a natural bodybuilder who prided himself in fueling his body with tip-top nutrition, exercising on a committed and regular basis, and maintaining a strong, positive mindset through meditation, visualization, good friends and gratitude.  I would enjoy the pleasure of ‘lunching it’ with Jock the odd Friday afternoon.  It was definitely a highlight for me.  Jock’s eyes would dance when he talked, his smile was infectious, and his laugh contagious.  By the time our lunch dates would end, my vibrational energy level would elevate to match Jock’s level, and I would leave his presence walking about three feet off the ground highly anticipating our next visit.  I craved Jock’s company.  I craved Jock’s energy.

Media

At no other time in history has the media been so accessible to us.  Plugging into the social media feeds means we are aware of the top headlines almost instantaneously.  But here’s the thing – there is a very small ratio of good news coming across those feeds.  Most stories bring up feelings of doubt, fear, sadness, anger, resentment, disbelief, and frustration.  We need to be aware of how much we’re getting sucked in and how we’re balancing it all out.

Solutions

Step 1 is being aware.  Monitoring.  

Step 2 which we’ll be reviewing in our second Energy Rich article is understanding and utilizing methods and best practices available to raise your own vibrancy and strengthen your energy.

We’ll also encourage a conversation around why we feel this topic is so important – not only for our health and happiness, but also for building strong – and much needed – female leaders both now and in the future.