For the last decade, I have been interested in managing and improving my level of ENERGY. I once wrote, Your Energy Level Matters. But I’ve also written a lot around energy management!
In 2012, if there was any doubt, I learned that I Am Not Invincible! I had an elevated heart rate for much of a 6-month period. It wasn’t my heart (I even wore a heart monitor to check but my heart was fine). I’ve just always struggled with stimulants like sugar and caffeine, so I’ve had to limit those as much as possible. My daughter, Sarah, calls me a “healthy buff,” though I don’t always live up to that!
That year, I read books like, “Replenish,” “Secrets From the Treadmill,” and “Leading on Empty,” which were helpful (the links are to the posts I wrote on each).
During that experience, I wrote several other posts …
- 3 Steps I’m Taking to Manage Stress Better
- God’s Crushings
- Simple Techniques to Manage Stress
- The Discipline of Replenishment
- 4 Practices of Sustainable Leadership
In 2016 (the last full year before the stroke), my One Word for the year was ENERGIZE (i.e., myself/others). That year, we did a Short-Term Sabbatical and part of my Sabbatical Growth Plan involved reading two books on managing energy: “The Power of Full Engagement” (actually, I finished it just before the sabbatical, I believe) and “Are You Fully Charged?” (You might be interested in my Sabbatical Reflections.)
This was all good preparation for what would happen in September 2017. I wrote about it afterward: My Stroke and My Stroke Recovery.
Since the stroke, I continue to focus on energy management, that is, I want to have as much energy as I can. I regularly review a list of foods that help with energy that I had started in 2016. And I recently started reading another book, “Fully-Charged Life,” by Meaghan Murphy. Thankfully, my energy level continues to improve.
In recent months, my exercise/therapy has been the most consistent since I was doing inpatient and outpatient therapy (before the move and most of the pandemic). I think this is a result, and perhaps a cause, of greater energy.
So, I hope there’s something here that encourages you to improve your energy. Feel free to share what you have found helpful in your attempts at managing energy.