To Manage Burnout, Try a Personal Energy Inventory
Burnout is on the rise. Experts say that stressors like economic uncertainties have increased levels of stress particularly among women and workers under 30. Whether it’s pressure at work, the obligation of caretaking, or just the ongoing demands of daily life, many of my clients have recently shared that their energy is depleted.
When my clients present with burnout, my go-to exercise as a therapist is a personal energy inventory. If you imagine a battery inside your body, consider how much you provide your body in the way of nutritious food, the amount of sleep you get, or activities that bring you a sense of meaning. These are examples of how you can charge your battery.
Now think about the activities you may need to do that drain your energy: chores, work obligations, or household planning. Burnout stems from using too much of your battery. Taking an inventory can help you balance what charges you and drains you. The goal is to be left over with a surplus of what charges you.
Your Personal Energy Inventory
The purpose of an energy inventory is a reflection of how you spend your time and energy. There will always be 24 hours in a day, and your life obligations might not change, but the way you spend that time should. Even small changes can have positive effects.
Start with your values.
Value setting allows you to be more intentional about life choices that matter most to you. If you don’t already feel aligned on your values, follow the steps below
First, think about how you start your day. What is my ideal morning routine, getting down to the nitty gritty? Do I always feed the dog first? Do I make my bed before anything else? Do I make sure I wash my face and brush my teeth? Do I say good morning to my family/partner? Do I turn on my laptop and check my calendar? Note the value(s) that come to mind.
Reflect on your relationships. What kind of connection do I want to have with each of them? How do I currently communicate with them? How would I like to communicate with them in times of conflict? How about in times of joy? Also think about relationships you may have walked away from.
Consider the last time you felt fulfilled. Was it overflowing? What were you doing? What was the environment around you like? What need or desire was met in this situation? Mark the values that align with your feelings during that time of deep fulfillment.
Think about a mentor or someone you admire. For example, if you admire your grandmother because she’s always honest, you’d select ‘honesty’. Select the three qualities about them that you admire – look for corresponding values.
Achievement
Adaptability
Adventure
Ambition
Authenticity
Balance
Beauty
Belonging
Career
Caring
Collaboration
Commitment
Community
Compassion
Confidence
Connection
Contribution
Courage
Creativity
Curiosity
Equality
Ethics
Excellence
Fairness
Faith
Family
Financial stability
Forgiveness
Freedom
Friendship
Fun
Giving back
Gratitude
Growth
Harmony
Health
Honesty
Hope
Humility
Humor
Inclusion
Independence
Integrity
Joy
Justice
Kindness
Leadership
Learning
Leisure
Loyalty
Making a difference
Nature
Openness
Optimism
Parenting
Patience
Peace
Perseverance
Pride
Recognition
Reliability
Respect
Responsibility
Risk-taking
Safety
Security
Self-discipline
Self-expression
Self-respect
Serenity
Service
Simplicity
Spirituality
Success
Teamwork
Tradition
Travel
Trust
Truth
Uniqueness
Usefulness
Vulnerability
Wealth
Wisdom
List the ways you spend your time.
Think of your life in six buckets: family, household, social/friends/community, self/hobbies, physical health, and work/school.
In each section list the ways you spent your time in each category over the last week.
Gauge how you feel after every activity.
After you have listed the ways you spend your time, mark each with a plus or minus meaning the activity gives you energy or takes away.
With my clients, I like to remind them that putting a minus next to picking their kids up from school shouldn’t make you feel guilty. There are some parts of parenthood and life that are just exhausting. Fill this part out without shame or guilt and just focus on how you feel – not how you want to feel or how you “should” feel, but what is actually happening.
Tie it together.
Now, take your three values and ask yourself the following: Are you spending your free time in ways that align with your core values?
Maybe there was an activity that brought you a lot of happiness that you haven’t been able to engage in like reading a fantasy book, playing tennis with a friend, or ___.
What is keeping you from doing these activities?
Make small adjustments that are dynamic to your routines and habits that uphold your core values. I highlight this with my clients all the time, small changes can have massive impacts on your day to day well-being.
You can choose 2-3 themes in your life that you would like to make adjustments in. If you have someone close that you trust, share your goal to help hold you accountable.
Example: After journaling about my routine, I noticed that I felt like my anxiety started in the morning and really affected the way the rest of my day went. When I look at how I spend my time each day, I notice as soon as I wake up I check my work email and get overwhelmed with the amount of tasks I need to do. I will make an adjustment in my routine by choosing to after
Life can feel like it’s moving so quickly that we step away from being present to moving on autopilot. Taking an energy inventory is a way to check-in with yourself on how you’re feeling or what you need. If completing an energy inventory feels too overwhelming, it might be a good time to seek therapy.