There are many ways to save energy in a house, some involving little investment, such as turning off the power strip that the TV is plugged into.  Others involve more of an investment, such as buying a more efficient refrigerator.

Emotionally, we have similar energy-wasters that we’re often unaware of.  They exist in our internal thoughts that can go on all day without our notice: like the TV draining energy while on standby.  We may be thinking negative thoughts all day and not notice how much they’re impacting on us.  We end the day drained and unhappy, but might have no idea why.  

If you tune into your thoughts, you can notice how your body naturally tenses up when you think certain things.  Tuning in to your body you might for example notice your neck muscles are tight, or maybe it’s your stomach that’s taking the brunt. The awareness and release of these thought patterns and corresponding body reactions can be a low-investment way to save our emotional energy.

There are also high-investment ways for us to recover our emotional energy, which might involve some planning and time. High investment emotional energy recovery requires some changes in life.

For instance, if your work paid well but made you unhappy or tense you could choose re-employment or retraining. Making significant changes takes an investment in time, money and ultimately an informed committed decision. This is like buying a new energy efficient refrigerator. It costs up front but you reap energy saving efficiencies over time.

I suggest you do an emotional energy audit. Take account of the thought patterns that you have through your day. Notice the negative thoughts about yourself or the people and activities you engage with.  Observe how much tension these thoughts and interactions create in your body.  

Once you do your emotional energy audit, you can action plans to increase your efficiency and reduce the drainage. Small changes and large can have a cumulatively good effect. Developing emotional energy efficiency means you can regain that which belongs to you being the energy to do almost anything at all.