What takes our energy?

Everyday demands, illnesses, conflicts and changes in life are all examples of things that consume our energy. Individually, they may not seem such a burden, but when put together, the load increases. Let’s take a closer look at some factors.

Demands

There are many everyday demands on us - work, study, shop, cook, clean, do the laundry, pay bills. There may also be demands that you make of yourself, what you think you should do or cope with. The list can be made long and looks different for all of us. Things that are meant to replenish our energy, such as exercising regularly and keeping in touch with friends, can also cause stress and feel like a must.

Worry

Although we may not always be aware of it, worrying or overthinking can drain our energy. It might be performance anxiety about studies, getting stuck in a task and being afraid of not making the deadline, not getting enough credits to qualify for study grants or not getting a job after graduation. We can worry about our health, about our loved ones, about what others will think of us, about setting boundaries and about receiving criticism. Concerns about hypothetical scenarios, that is, things that we think might happen, can cause as much stress as things that actually happen.

Hurry sickness

We deal with stress in different ways, often in the belief that it makes us more efficient or that it will allow us to avoid difficult thoughts and feelings. “Hurry sickness”, meaning that we do things quickly even though we may not be in a hurry, is common. We talk quickly, walk quickly, eat quickly or not at all, or do several things at the same time. We can easily forget what it means to relax.

Avoidance

When we feel that we don’t have enough time, a common strategy is to cut back on things we like to do or that relax us and increase things that drain our energy. For example, missing training or a film night with friends to study late instead, or avoiding things that we think will lead to more stress. Overstudying or studying to compensate for free time is also common.

Think for a moment and try to come up with specific examples: