"What do you mean by Energy, Ben?"

A question I'm often asked

I’m obsessed with energy, and as I’ve become confident speaking about it, I’m getting asked: “What do you actually mean by energy Ben?”

For a start, it’s not about hyping yourself up on caffeine or using drugs. That’s just borrowing energy from the future, which is a debt you’ll have to repay. Nor is it being manic and constantly in a state of fight or flight.

I think energy is just another word for “feeling good” and we need a simple way to talk about well-being so people can understand what it is, and improve it.

Which we need now more than ever because the current conversation about well-being is contributing to burnout and making people feel worse. 

Not what I mean by feeling good 😂

We’re taught to treasure time and money. But energy is our most precious resource because without it, everything else loses value. 

I mean who cares how much time or money you have if you always feel like shit? And I worry that human energy levels are declining so fast, that burnout will become the norm and we’ll have to rely on robots and AI to do all our work, because we’ll be too tired to do anything hard.

This is bad because work gives us purpose and social connection, which boosts our self-esteem. And without it, the mental health crisis will worsen and suicide rates will skyrocket.

But I have hope, because once we all agree on a simple definition of what health and well-being is (e.g. “how much energy you have”) it becomes clearer how to increase it through natural ways (exercise, community, purpose). 

And with this simple focus, I believe nearly everyone can feel great, and most of today’s physical and mental health issues will fade. 

I've already seen this approach help 2 people beat their chronic diseases into remission. But it wasn't easy and it took time. Time figuring out what works best for them, and rejecting quick fixes like crash diets and crazy workouts. 

This approach has also worked for me and I’m so glad I took the time to understand how neurochemicals and the nervous system work. Plus some time learning about diet and psychology has helped me overcome my struggles and believe that how I feel is always in my control.

But enough from me. What’s your definition of wellbeing? And how do you improve it?