Like me, you probably spend time every morning on your looks and personal hygiene. You brush your teeth, take a shower, wash and/or brush your hair, you may shave, you may apply lotions, creams and make up. You take time to make decisions on what to wear. Maybe, like me, you consider your mood and your schedule for the day, and dress in a way that fits both.
So let’s consider this routine a little more deeply.
For example, How much time does this routine cost on a daily basis? I think for most of us, this roughly takes anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour.
And why do you do this? For most of us the answer to this question will be an interesting blend of reasons having to do with our self and things having to do with other people.
Taking care of how we look makes us feel good about our selves. Even though I love to walk around in my yoga clothes, I feel a little sloppy after spending days in outfits like that. Taking care of how I look lifts my self-awareness and self-esteem, which has a clear positive effect on the things I am creating in the world.
Of course, this is also were other people enter this story. Returning to my personal example, I definitely expect others will think better of me when I look good and smell clean. I don’t want to give offence and if at all possible, I want to make a good impression by the image I project into the world.
So, how about your energy?
Now the big question of the day: do you spend equal time on the energy you send out into the world?
Maybe you haven’t considered this before. But, probably, you have talked about energy as something that impacts how you feel yourself, and how people experience each other. Think about it: have you ever used expressions like ‘I feel drained’, ‘I am low on energy’, ‘I have loads of energy after working out’, ‘He/She is jumping with energy’, ‘His/Her energy is contagious’, ‘His/her energy is putting us all down’ etc.
The power of energy
Apparently, we know that energy is something that can be high or low, positive or negative and that you influence yourself and others with your energy.
Much like personal hygiene and looks, the state of your energy impacts both yourself and others, even though we often don’t realize it. You feel good when your energy sends off positive and strong vibrations, that’s clear for most, but did you realize that if you don’t take care of your energy body, you will more easily absorb energy from other people?
And the other way around: if you haven’t tended to your energy, it will easily seep into other people’s space without you noticing, influencing their wellbeing.
Energy maintenance is a responsibility
So like taking care of your personal hygiene and your looks, it is a responsibility to both yourself and others to take care of your energy body. And the good news is, it’s not even hard to do.
You can easily influence your energy body. You may have experienced the impact of sports on your mood and energy, but even taking just a couple minutes of simple practice will instantly lift your mood and increase your energy.
Try it out!
I understand you may be doubtful, so I want to share a trick to try next time you feel a little drained: the body shake.
It’s very simple: Stand up, set a timer for 2 minutes and start by shaking your arms and hands, then your legs and feet, turn your head in circles (careful if you have neck injuries), and go back to your hands, arms, feet, legs. Shake your hips, your butt, and move on to an all over body shake.
Give it a full 2 minutes. When you feel done before time, move back to the beginning, or change it up by jumping, making it into a little dance, whatever works for you to fill the time.
And then, stand still and breathe slowly and deeply.
Take a few moments to really become aware of the changes in your body. Feel the shift in your energy.
I promise you, you will feel the difference. Just from shaking!