This is an example of an email I sent just last week. I wanted to share it with you because sometimes you have the time to practice your work but you don't have the energy. This is one example of me protecting my energy.
There are lots of ways I have to protect my energy these days.
-I have to take my antidepressant daily. If I were to stop for any prolonged period of time, I'd be like a cell phone that won't keep a charge. Not only would I be unable to write or speak publicly, but there's a host of ways I’d struggle to show up in my own life.
-I take a nap every single day. I love silence and darkness and coolness for just a few moments of my day. I also appreciate bright sunshine and warm walks around the block, don't get me wrong. I just need to hibernate a little every day. Once I've hibernated, I can emerge ready to work.
-If I'm going to write, it's going to happen while my kiddo is at daycare. Because when my beautiful tornado gets home, all my energy is going towards making sure he doesn't hurt himself as he attempts a roundoff back handspring over the side of the family room couch. I have to pay attention to when my energy can be present for writing.
-Even though writing is a solitary endeavor for me, I find that bringing people into my writing can ease the amount of energy it takes. Sometimes I will sit in my husband’s office and write. We aren't talking or even sitting next to each other. But just having him in the room can bolster my energy. Similarly, if I talk about what I'm writing with friends, their energy can bolster an entire writing session for me.
I know that your life isn't just a collection of hours. It's a collection of moments when you must determine how and where to expend your energy.
You might be a caretaker of kids or your parents, and that requires energy.
You might have a stressful, full-time job, and that requires energy.
You may be involved in a number of volunteer positions and each one requires your energy.
You may have a chronic illness or a disorder and managing all of that requires energy.
You may have a sensitivity that others know nothing about- maybe it's sensory so you can't work in loud spaces.
Or maybe it takes more energy than most for you to be on zoom, so meeting filled days aren't going to be days when you can practice your craft.
Maybe you are easily distracted, so going to a coffee shop to work would never work for you.
It’s important to not be ashamed of the things that pull energy from you. These things must be acknowledged so that you know when you can devote the best energy you can toward your craft or your business. When you become clear about the things that pull energy from you, the hope is that you can begin to limit those things. Or perhaps you can stack them, leaving space in your week for your energies to go toward your craft.
Just as important as knowing how your energy is spent, is knowing how your energy is recharged.
When I have to recharge my writing energy. I find two shortcuts for recharging that battery: 1. Reading someone's work that I love 2. Reading about writing. I love a good book on craft! Both of these are restorative for me. They get my brain buzzing, forming new connections and then I feel compelled to write.
In the past, I've also used a little ritual to keep my energy up when having to write vulnerably. I place a candle on my desk and light it just before I begin writing. When I'm in the thick of it and tempted to stop, I sit and look at the flame until I feel like I can keep going. And then I continue. When I'm finished writing, I then have deep satisfaction in blowing the flame out as a symbol that I did it and can let go now.
Our energies are different. What pulls at our energies are different. But we all have to protect the energy we need to create. Pay attention to those moments that get you buzzing! Look for patterns- are there certain friends that stir your inspiration? Are there certain locations? Or certain forms of media? Knowing the places that can be sources of inspiration for you, can be the key to
If you find yourself struggling with the motivation or energy to produce creatively, that does not mean you are not passionate or meant to create. Are there things that are clouding your ability to create? Things like anxiety, depression, fear, grief, self-doubt, negative mindset or even a relationship.
Without giving into shame, can you name the routines in your life that require the most energy from you?
Are there certain emails you need to send (or conversations you need to have) where you say "no" in order to conserve your energy?
What, who, or where are the places that replenish you?
What are small ways you can create rechargeable or energizing spaces in your day?
Ashley C. Ford is the author of the New York Times Bestselling memoir, Somebody’s Daughter, podcaster, writer, and educator. She speaks about self-love, body image, race, and her own life with a lovely, authentic, raw truth.
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