Let's talk about...Energy

Are you feeling like coffee is the only way to get through the day, when you long to feel ready for the day, healthy, and like the energiser bunny?

ENERGY IS EVERYTHING

Energy is what allows us to feel and function well. It is the difference between being present and being on auto-pilot. Energy however is not exclusive to our physical health, but directly impacts our mental and emotional health as well. Energy supports our cognitive function, which means it influences our ability to do all sorts of things... make decisions, regulate emotions, think clearly, be resilient, collaborate, concentrate on work tasks, and work productively.

When we only connect energy to our physical body, we fall into the trap of thinking it is all about diet and exercise, yet this is not true. Yes, it may be a part of physical health and building energy, but what is more important is knowing what charges and depletes your energy. With this, you also need to know when you need a full battery, compared to when you can function half full. This is different from person to person. We all need different things to help us feel energised and recharge our energy.

Whilst we often focus on building energy we too need to know what depletes our energy. We are built and designed differently, what one person finds draining or challenging, someone else may not. You may love creating resources, but your colleague may not. Your colleague may love spreadsheets, and you might prefer to watch paint dry. Either way, these things give us or deplete energy.

Along with working to your strengths, there are 5 main things that contribute to energy and how you function which are different from person to person:

1. Nutrition - this is not a diet, this is eating for energy.

2. Water - you need more than you think.

3. Movement - is not the same as exercise, but can include exercise.

4. Rest - doing nothing is not the only way to rest, there are many more and we need all of them.

5. Sleep - perhaps the most underestimated thing we can do for our overall health and wellbeing.

These may sound simple, but if that were the case we would all be doing them, and we aren't. We need to take personal responsibility to build our personal resources and skills in these 5 areas.

Looking for a safe, supportive space to learn about these things in a way that is contextualised to teaching (because let's be honest, it is a job like no other), then join us in 2024 for the TEACHER WELLBEING MEMBERSHIP where we will help you achieve this and much more.