I am constantly asking the question of whether or not I have “energy for that.” In a world where we all have to be budget conscious, it is always interesting to me that we are not spending more time budgeting for our emotional energy.

Each morning we all have a different amount of emotional “money.” This depends on how yesterday went, how well we slept the night before, what our day looks like and how long it will be until we can be home to rest and recharge again. I think that it is important to figure out what your emotional “money” budget is each day and set intentions on how to use this “money,” where we get more “money” and who is stealing our “money” from us, so to speak.

For example: If I have $100 of emotional “money” to work with when I wake up in the morning, in an ideal world, how would I budget this?

I would give $80 of this to my work. I enjoy putting my emotional “money” and energy into my job and I find that even if I do not get any “money” or energy back, it was well worth it.

This leaves me $20 for the evening. This may not seem like much but here is something to consider…

I know what gives me “money” back. I know that if I have a good laugh with my husband or get to spend time with my nephews or my family that I will very likely walk away feeling “rich,” and emotionally more energized. So $20 is enough, and if it is not, I know how to “fill up my bank account” again.

The trouble comes in when the day is not this straight forward and simple, which, to be honest, is a more typical day for me and for most people. Sometimes my $80 is gone by 10am, and I am now pulling from my “evening reserve” of emotional “money” which starts to feel stressful. When my clients come into my office and say things like “there are not enough hours in the day” or “I am so stressed out and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight,” I immediately think about their emotional “money,” how they are using it, as well as how they are getting their “money” back. People that feel stressed often could start considering this to see if there is a better way to budget for their day. It is important for them to learn how to set boundaries and limits and to decide whether or not they want to spend their energy on something.

My advice:

Learn what refills your “bank account.” Learn who makes you feel happy and fulfilled, what situations are energizing, and how you can spend time in peace and calm and what that will do for your “funds.”
Learn who and what drains your energy. Set boundaries with those that you know are challenging for you and have extra “funds” for situations that will take place that are unexpected and stressful.
Practice letting go of things that are not worthy of your emotional “money” or energy. Worrying about whether or not it will snow tomorrow may be a waste of emotional energy, as you have no control over it and your energy could be used for much more productive things in your life.

No one has it all figured out, and that is ok, but this could be a tool to help you be more mindful of your energy. Find moments of gratitude each day and do the best you can to use your energy for what is important to you.

- Anna Desai