Calm the Chaos & Cultivate Harmony: Step 3 – Take control of your mental energy – protect and improve it.

Over the last two weeks, we covered Step 1 – Taking back control of your time, and Step 2 – Taking back control of your attention to calming the chaos and cultivating harmony in life.

Now for the 3^rd step.  We need to protect and build our mental energy.

How do we do this? I have 5 tips, but good news - 2 of them are duplicates from Steps 1 and 2.  

Honor your priority for your rejuvenation time/self-care. Whatever it is that revitalizes you, make it a priority and keep your appointment with yourself. We mentioned in Step 1 how it leads to better efficiency. And I’m reinforcing it here in Step 3 because it really enhances your mental energy. Bonus points if it's a physical activity as it will also help your physical energy.

Be Present. In Step 2, we discussed how being present protects your attention. But by not being present with the person or task at hand, in addition to distracting your attention, also depletes your mental energy. 

Honor your time to sleep. Sleep helps both your mental and physical energy. So when you find yourself scrolling on social media, watching Netflix, gaming, etc., and staying up late, do yourself exhausted self a favor and just crawl in bed. You deserve it.

Journal or Make Lists. Many times, we keep a running mental list or have a jumble of ideas or thoughts in our heads. By journaling them or making lists, you 'right-size' them and make them tangible. Leaving them pinging about in your head makes them seem innumerable and drains your mental energy.

Become Thought-Aware. This is really key and where coaching is particularly helpful. Our thoughts rob us of mental energy and sometimes cause unnecessary suffering. Think about your inbox after vacation. If you are thinking, "I am never going to get through all of these," that will give you a feeling of overwhelm, dread, defeat, or anxiety.  And from those emotions, it's hard to get started.  You don't have to lie to yourself and say, "I love answering inbox messages." But you can likely find a more neutral thought that will serve you better. "I will get these done one message at a time." (Sort of like how you eat an elephant – one bite at a time.) If you have thoughts similar to that, you will feel a bit more at ease, maybe a feeling of determination.  And from that emotion, it's much easier to jump in and start.

So, there you have it – key steps to cultivating harmony in your life and getting rid of the chaos. They are skills that get better with practice.  Hiring a coach can help if you get stuck. So – take back control of your time, your attention, and your mental energy. 

Have a joy-filled day,  Tonya

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