Energy is all you need
Plus some definitions and why I prioritise it
Weight issues are just energy management issues, and last week I shared why I think that’s true.
So today, I want to dig deeper about why I think that, and explain how I think so much of life revolves around the pursuit of energy and how it impacts mental health.
But before I do, I want to give my definition on some things that might help you understand how I look at life:
Being Healthy - Having lots of energy.
Being in a funk or rut - Having low energy and unsure how to recharge.
Depression - When you have zero mental energy and lost hope you’ll ever recharge. Not a fun place to be.
Stress - When my brain says: “I don’t have the energy to deal with this”. I usually turn to food to distract myself from whatever is stressing me out.
Boredom - When you aren’t getting energy or stimulation. Again, I turn to food the moment I feel this.
Trauma - Reliving a stressful event over and over again inside your head. A huge energy drainer.
Social media - A quick energy hit that usually leaves me unfulfilled.
Unrealistic expectations - Underestimating how much energy is required to achieve something.
Work - A double edged sword. Can give energy thru camaraderie, creativity and purpose. But if you aren’t getting at least one of those… work sucks, regardless of the pay.
So there’s a bit of a theme emerging, and I don’t want to come across as oversimplifying poor mental health.
But as someone who’s had many mental health struggles, I don’t think it’s as complex as it’s made out to be.
Because what’s helping me beat them has been to look at things in terms of energy.
How much energy do I need today? How much do I have? How well did I sleep? How much am I burning and consuming? Am I consuming enough? Or too much? And what’s causing me to do that?
These are questions I ask myself weekly.
And after 8 years of tracking my diet and 4 years of monitoring my sleep, I’ve learned understanding their impact on the brain and how much energy we have is crucial to good mental health.
Crucial because unwiring negative thought patterns is bloody hard, and I had no chance of doing that if I wasn’t eating and sleeping well.
I needed to feel good before I tackled that hard stuff.
Stuff I would just avoid if I wasn’t feeling great.
Anyways, enough from me and I’m keen to hear what you think.
Do you agree with my definitions? And what do you think about viewing energy as vital to good mental health?
Thanks to
who asked for me to clarify my thoughts on those things last week.Hope I’m making sense with my definitions, but I did struggle to define caffeine as it gives me energy, especially having one after exercising with friends.
But drinking too much wrecks my sleep, which makes me drink more the next day.
Plus I drink long blacks because the calories from all the milk aren’t worth it.
Anyways, I’m just going to be writing about energy from now on, as it’s really all I think about.
So if that’s not want you signed up for, please unsubscribe.
Below are my rambling thoughts for you.
It is simple to say energy is all you need, but I think a little too convenient.
For example, you don't need energy to exercise - you can do it even when fatigued (which is what I did recently and immediately became ill but I have gotten away with it before!)
You don't need energy to go to work - you can feel drained and still turn up.
And even people who say "I have no energy" actually *do* have energy, because they're still alive and talking.
I think energy is more of an enabler. Yes, you can do things without much energy, but you're more likely to do them and do them well if you feel energetic than not.
And life is better when you do have more energy, but it doesn't solve all your problems. It does, however, give you a greater chance of being able to solve them than if you are depleted.
There is also the challenge of misdirected energy - you may be full of energy, but what are you spending it on, and is it the right thing?
Then there is "healthy energy" (such as generated from eating good food, having good sleep) and then artificial or "counterproductive energy" (my name for it) coming from things like red bull or even being nervous, stressed or anxious.
Do with these thoughts what you will :)
I think social media has some positives, doom scrolling is numbing/self soothing but the sharing and connecting aspect of it is great. it really comes down to the intent when you open the open and the intent of the post. Why do people post what they do? My observation is, a lot of people post for validation from others. I like taking photos and sharing pictures, but there are definitely times I know I've shared something to story or to my feed because I wanted someone to like or or to see it.