You can think of your personal energy just like money. You can save it, spend it, optimize how you use it, and give it away to others. And, importantly, how well you invest it, will determine your returns. For example, how much you can do, how well you can handle the complexities of life, and how you feel.
At EMQ, through our extensive research into what makes people feel good and show up as their best version of themselves, we found there were four “stocks” to invest in. These energy stocks, so to speak, are areas to dedicate energy to, so that you can feel a baseline sense of good no matter what happens throughout the week. Any time we do something, think about something, or process choices we are using up our energy, so it is an important skill to direct your energy in the best way, for the most meaningful impact.
The four areas to invest energy into are:
- Time for self. This is time just for you. For example, moments for silence and joy.
- Time for self-care. This is the foundation of your physical energy. For example, nutrition, rest, and movement. Take healthy nutrition for example. It takes energy to think about what you will eat, to make a healthy choice, to get the ingredients , prepare the food etc. rather than grabbing something quick to-go.
- Time to nurture relationships. This is directing attention to experience quality interactions with others.
- Time for progression and achievement. This is time spent, for example, on work efforts or professional achievement. Or, for a stay-at-home parent, it could be feeling like they are progressing and achieving in this capacity. It is a sense of accomplishment in whatever you are spending your time doing.
You can borrow from the stocks when one does badly!
The amazing thing we found was that if one stock is doing badly, or dips, your mind, body, and soul can borrow from the other stocks to give you a boost of energy to get through the down-time or crash. For example, if you are having a crappy day at work, but you are taking care of yourself and spending time with those that matter to you, you can still feel baseline good and find the energy to get you through this moment. The key here, is that not too much can drop all at once!
What’s your minimal viable energy distribution?
How much to invest is personal. Everyone has their own personal ratio based on their needs and what makes them feel good. For one person, working out for an hour every day may be what’s needed for that boost of energy. For someone else, they may take a walk every day for 20-minutes and that works for them. For someone else, the activity may not be as important, but they just want to do some aerobic exercise for an hour, 3-times a week.
Just like in product, we have a Minimum Viable Product — the absolute minimum needed to provide meaningful value — you can think of having a Minimum Viable Energy Distribution. What is the absolute minimum you need to invest time in, to feel generally good? Think across all four stocks, what do you need in each? Think back to times you have invested time and energy in certain activities, how it made you feel, and the impact.
Now, this can take some trial and error. So create some space to try some activities, at different times, for different durations, and see how you generally feel throughout the week. Of course, this can ebb and flow with life, but if you try and keep your baseline consistent, you will feel more positively, have more energy, and be able to handle life’s challenges much better.
So, ask yourself, how well are you investing in these stocks today? You can also take this quick self-check in, to guide you through!
Then, think about what shifts you can make to make better investments? What do you need to do to create space for these shifts? Once you have identified some actions, take it step-by-step, making small, feasible tweaks, and seeing how you feel.