It is estimated that over $30 billion is lost annually by companies due to employees not being able to perform their work.
While you may not necessarily think about your boss and how the company is losing money in revenue, there is a cost to you too. It is not only that you are not making money because you don’t have energy. You are actually losing money and holding yourself back.
And let me tell you, there isn’t a better feeling than getting up in the morning knowing that you have the energy to create something big and be rewarded for it.
Interested? Then read on to find out what mental and physical energy really is, how lack of energy is costing you time and money and it holds you back, and what to do about it.
But before we start, are you part of my community? Join my newsletter to get the latest action steps on how to eat a healthy plant-based diet, de-stress, manage your time better, prioritize yourself, and anything in between so that you INCREASE your energy, SAVE time and INVEST well in your wellness!
What Is Mental Energy
For a really long time, I used to be a worrier. I worried about the weather, how am I going to pay the rent, what am I going to wear to a party, what others would think about me. I worried about my loved ones and if they were all right, if they were healthy, and what if something bad would happen to them?
I also used to prepare myself for the worse. I would mentally rehearse how I didn’t feel motivated, how there was no point in starting something, or how there were more experienced people applying for the same job as me, so I wasn’t going to get it anyway. So why even bother applying?
Does this sound familiar?
You may have other worries or do things out of guilt (this one is my favourite!), or you may keep comparing yourself to others. On the surface, this may look like nothing, after all, you are only thinking about it.
But my dear friend, this is mental energy. And the way how you use it matters.
If you want to lose weight, but keep snacking on cookies after dinner, your weight is not going down. If you are not speaking up in a meeting although you have a great idea, your colleague is going to get that promotion. This is the result you are getting out of the actions you take.
Your actions come from your thoughts, meaning that your mental energy may be low or high. Guess how much is it going to cost you in time and money if your mental energy is low? Think what you would be capable of achieving if your mental energy didn't hold you back.
What is Physical Energy
When I talk about physical energy, I don’t necessarily mean that you are strong enough to lift heavy weights at the gym. Or that you can compete in an ultra-marathon.
Of course, you need to have the physical energy to do that. But what I mean here, is to have the physical energy to deal with the daily stress and overwhelm. When you are low on your physical energy, getting yourself motivated and moving may seem almost impossible.
The thing about energy that you need to know is that energy creates energy. This means that if your mental energy is low, you won’t have much physical energy either. And it will be that much harder to make healthier decisions around food choices or exercise.
You know I’m an advocate for the body-mind connection. But if you start your morning with negative self-talk you create low mental energy for the rest of the day. Don’t be fooled. What you tell yourself matters to your physical energy too.
Then add the mix of a project deadline, picking up your kids after swim class, rushing home to cook dinner, and still remembering that it is your wedding anniversary. What is the cost to you if you don't have the physical energy to do it all?
What Is the Cost?
Have you heard the expression: time is money? If you work in a job (rather than running your own business), this is really true. You are being paid a salary for the hours you work. How often do you do overtime and you don’t get paid?
Time is money.
But do you know that energy is money too? There is a direct link between your energy levels and your money. If you believe that you can bring fresh ideas to the table (high mental energy) and you have the motivation to do the work (high physical energy) you not only make money for the company you work for, but most likely you are up for a bonus too.
How about your eating habits? If you trust yourself that you deserve the best (high mental energy), you are more likely to pick nourishing food (high physical energy) rather than eating empty calories. You will fuel your body, feel better, and will go for the next opportunity.
Let’s not forget that when you have high mental and physical energy you are more productive, accomplish tasks quicker, and move forward with your goals. You stress less and can withstand the daily pressure.
So, what does low energy cost you?
How many times have you gotten up exhausted? Drunk a cup of coffee to wake up, but still half-slept through the morning meeting? Then stared at your emails for half the day, wishing it was time to go home.
And what is the cost to your health? If you always feel stressed, the last thing on your mind is exercising. You procrastinate a lot and have more pain and aches in your body. And when it gets to the point where it hurts so much, you call in sick.
Increase Your Energy Levels
Remember you always create energy. You always have thoughts, and you always take action. Spoiler alert: not taking action is an action in itself. So, you always get results.
Creating high mental and physical energy may seem like a balancing act, but it comes down to one simple thing: habit.
Habit is an activity that you repeat over and over until your brain recognises it as a default way of acting on something. In other words, habits are routines. Your daily routines.
You may think that routines are boring. After all, we all want to escape our daily routines (that is why we go on holiday!). But routine is the antidote to stress.
When you feel stressed, you feel like you are out of control of what is happening to you or around you. The only way to feel ‘safe’ again is to direct your brain to something familiar. And what is more familiar than a routine?
As a Health and Wellness Coach, my first job is to teach you healthy routines aka habits that you can fall back on no matter what. There will always be moments when you feel stressed. And there will be moments when creating high energy would be hard.
But you can get yourself out of that situation as long as you have healthy habits in place.
How to Invest in Your Energy and Make Money
Having high mental and physical energy can not only save you time but it can make you money. When you have a positive outlook on your life, you can see challenges as opportunities, you can make healthy food choices, and fuel your body to take you through the daily stress and overwhelm.
But low energy has its price too. You feel always tired, unmotivated, stressed out and you feel stuck. It is that much harder to enjoy the things in your life that matter, have the time to play with your daughter, and have the energy to exercise or make healthy food choices.
You need to develop the three most powerful habits there are. You need to know how to start the day to create high mental and physical energy, how to manage your day wisely, be productive, and how to end your day so you still have some fuel in the tank.
And I’m here to help you. Join my newsletter to get the latest action steps on how to eat a healthy plant-based diet, de-stress, manage your time better, prioritize yourself, and anything in between so that you INCREASE your energy, SAVE time, and INVEST well in your wellness!