Controlling Your Personal (Mental and Emotional) Energy

By Dr. Bob Rausch

Seven Rules for Increasing Mental Energy

It's all about what you tell yourself

Your boss just declared that you made a huge mistake on an important project. What you say to yourself afterward makes a world of difference in your attitude, performance, and energy. Every thought you think and every emotion you feel requires energy. Cars use gasoline. Light bulbs use electricity. Your body uses an unlimited supply of the energy we are all provided. How you choose to use your energy is up to you. The truth is that you drain more energy on mental and emotional issues than on physical ones. Here are seven rules to help you maintain higher mental and emotional energy.

1. Practice the Universal One-Third Rule. Psychologists have stated that no matter what you do there is a One-Third Rule. One-third of the people like what you do, one-third of the people don't like what you do, and one-third of the people don't care what you do. Just remember that, "People do things for their own reasons, not for yours."

1. Define the Focus of Importance. When you are working with others get your focus very clear. It's easy to spend too much energy worrying about what someone thinks of you. Keep the focus where it needs to be, on the other person. One way to achieve focus is to recite this statement: "It's more important what I think of you than what you think of me."

1. Depersonalize disappointments. This is about business, not your self-esteem. Life is not always fair, so love and help people, but do not allow them to define who you are or your level of success.

1. Reframe Energy Drains. People can't affect the outcome of your experience unless you let them. Nothing that is pushing against you takes effect unless you push back. Reframe the situation. "When you have an uncomfortable situation ask, ‘Is there something I can learn from this."

1. Evaluate the Energy Drain. Did you hear something negative or take something negatively? Your level of energy will determine how you hear information. When you are low on energy you are more vulnerable to feeling defensive.

1. Delete clutter. Develop a behavioral trash bin. If a behavior doesn't teach or offer you something, delete it and send it to your behavioral trash bin.

1. Celebrate your successes. Don't be modest. When you do well admit it to yourself. Celebrations are energy refuelers.