When we think of protecting things in our life, we might think of protecting ourselves, someone we love, our home or our finances. But have you ever thought of protecting your energy? Our personal energy is another form of currency and it’s the stuff that makes our life move forward. It’s the gas for our day, the fuel for our life and the fire for our spirit. When we treat it with care, our lives flourish but when we treat it carelessly, we feel and look tired and can’t seem to get anything done.
Here’s an example. Imagine you’re driving to work. You’re already tired; you had a rough night’s sleep. Your energy level is low and you’re headed into a meeting you’ve been dreading for a week. Someone cuts you off and in a matter of seconds, you go from mindful self-thought to full on reaction mode. You start swearing and driving aggressively. The person travels on, as do you, but in the aftermath, you’re more exhausted than when you started on your way.
Now, imagine the same scenario. You’re still tired, you’re still headed into that dreaded meeting but instead of reacting when that person cuts you off, you just let it go. You make a choice to avoid reacting not because you’re a wimp but because  you decide that it’s just not worth it. You decide that your energy is worth more than giving it away to some random person you’ll never meet again.
Now, imagine that your life could be lived like that. I recently went on vacation and for a week, I had no TV, healthy food and a daily yoga and meditation practice. I’ve been home now for exactly one week and while I haven’t figured out how to fit a daily yoga practice into my work/life schedule, I’ve been able to keep up with the meditation and stay away from TV, especially the news, every day. These actions have allowed me to shore up my energetic reserves and feel more energized throughout each day.
We all have choices we can make about how we spend our energy. We also have choices we can make every day about how we will renew our energy. Leaving class before shavasana, eating on the run, staying up late partying; these are all energy wasters. Keeping a regular bedtime, eating and drinking in moderation, making good choices about how and who you spend your time with; these are all actions that build up our energy reserves.
As you move through your day, look for ways that you can protect your energy. Look for ways you can build up your energetic reserves. Look for traps and patterns you typically fall into where you can create new behaviors that create better health.
Your energetic reserves are like a bank account and the currency is your energy. Treat it with the same care you’d apply to your bank funds. Make it last and do things to make deposits regularly.