Seven ways to refill your emotional tank
Running on empty damages you, your organization, and those around you. Eventually you’ll do and say things you’ll regret.
Leaders feel the ebb and flow of emotion.
Monthly cycles, duties you hate, unexpected failures, and persistent problems drain your emotional tank. Nagging stress pulls down like lead weight.
Beware! Apart from intervention, leaders end up defeated – running on “E.”
Caring for yourself enables you to care for others.
Seven ways to refill your emotional tank
#1. Create predictability by developing processes and procedures. For example, create check lists for repeated tasks that free your mind to focus on achievement.
#2. Tell a trusted friend or advisor you’re emotional tank’s running low. You may enjoy presenting the façade of invincibility but eventually it will crush you. Sharing frustrations, disappointments, and stress helps re-fuel your emotional tank.
#3. Leverage rituals. I eat lunch nearly every day with my wife. It’s a point of energizing sameness.
#4. Get some rest.
#5. Do the dirty deeds you’ve been putting off. Procrastination drains you. The dread of doing hated tasks is more draining than actually doing them.
#6. Watch your diet. I find eating fewer carbohydrates and more protein helps level the emotional playing field.
#7. Give yourself something to look forward to; a walk, reading a book…
It’s dangerous to constantly give-out and not take-in.
Do a quick inventory. Are you restoring your emotional well-being? If you aren’t, your emotional tank will run dry and you may get stuck on empty.
What refuels your emotional tank?
#4, is perfect! Read a book recently by Wayne Cordeiro titled: “Leading on Empty” that hits these very topics. GOD rested. HE created us to rest. When we do, our body (by design) is energized and ready for another day! One thing he points out, write down a list of things that drain you and beside that another list that energizes you. Often times we do things and don’t even know we’re draining ourselves. EACH of you reading this were created ON PURPOSE for a Purpose! 🙂 Operate in that purpose Philippians 4:13 HE loves you…
Mike,
Thanks for your comment. God rested indicates we don’t even have to wait to be tired to rest. After all, how can God get tired. If I understand this idea, there is something noble about rest.
Best to you,
dan
The lion is King of the Beasts. The lion is also a master of the art of strategic laziness.
Hi Joe,
Love the expression, “strategic laziness.” Thank you sir.
Best,
Dan
Great Posting! I agree entirely, and I want to share my posting on getting to a more positive happy place. Hope you enjoy it! http://db.tt/yq8TbbU
Very best, Irene
Hi Irene,
Thanks for sharing your insights.
Best,
Dan
Great list. I believe in all of them, and use them all. The important thing for me is to remember to use these tools! They are always there and available.
William,
So true, it’s easy to know and hard to do.
Best,
Dan
It’s a handy post!
If we haven’t emotional ups and downs, if feel quiet and comfortable, maybe we aren’t close to the edge enough, and so not innovative enough.
Regards,
Juan
Hi Juan,
Wonderful point and I think it’s true. Those who push themselves are in greater peril of the down side of emotional ups and downs.
Cheers,
Dan
Sometimes our emotional tanks run dry when we have a lot of emotional reactions such as stress, worry, anxiety. These may be due to problems at work or at home or both. My experience is when there is lots of pressure at work and things aren’t working so well at home we can become over whelmed and then we start to burn out.
Removing our Emotional Hot Buttons is a way of dropping off our emotional baggage permanently and freeing up negative energy in our body leaving more room to feel the positive things in life. Plus we don’t have as many emotional reactions when we drop off our emotional baggage. We become freer.
Hi Jacque,
Thanks for sharing your insights.
Best to you,
Dan
I agree with you Dan that we all need to refill our emotional tank.
I believe that sometimes environmental change helps us a lot to refill our emotional tank. like going out to somewhere beautiful and peaceful or some kind of sanctuary.
Hi Sharmeen,
Wonderful and practical insight. Thank you.
Best,
Dan
really thx but can i ask please
what if really i didnt have any time for rest and just only 4 hours every day to sleep and rest that is all and i cant rest ?
what plane to do specially need to work much coz there is somethings most do it as u know ,
u can answer please?
Great points Dan. I am finding the theme of what I am reading this week and my head space well in synch. I get the message, so best I get on with it.
Sports, week-ends outside town, take time enjoy life even if you don’t have time, it’s always a matter of priority, but we should not neglect the importance of relaxing the mind.
We’re de custodians of ourselfs as de Creator God is to His creation.
Thanks 4 being so of gr8 insight to me dan.tanx
Dear Dan,
Facade of Invincibility and leverage rituals are excellent suggestions to refill your emotional tank. Superficial appearance of putting masks will expose you sooner or later. I agree, initially, you may end up in enjoying the trust and credibility of your friends, but sooner they come to know realiy, they will no longer be your true friends. I appreciate your suggestions about taking lunch or dinner with your wife. It has miraculous effect and reenergizes you. It refills your emotional tank.
I believe emotion is always connected with authenticiy. Mask layered leaders are generally not emotional. They create space with their masks and this prevent them to be connected emotionally with others. I have experienced, real persons are more emotional than superficial ones.
So, emotion is about connectivity, empathy and sensibility. Without it, you are not emotional.
Hi Dan – excellent post. For me, the unexpected failures are the worst. When things go awry, it can sap all the energy in the organization if you let it. At those times, it is critical for the leader to present a calm & reassuring attitude. During my better moments, I will take a break to regain my composure and think things through (going for a bike ride is my favorite escape). Often there is a way to turn things around if you are thinking clearly.
Best way to refuel my tank? A hug from one of my kids. Nothing better than that for me!
Dear Dan,
An interesting post with some practical tips. I share my experiences in refilling emotional tank with listening to devotional music. going for a walk or visiting the temple to offer prayers. I even find playing with children too helps to get relaxed form the anxiety, stress or fatigue.
I suggest that one needs to find ways to rejoice to remove the work level tension and change the disturbed mood. However, one needs to discuss the perpetual issues with your well wisher who understands you and your causes of worry, and work on practical solutions with planned processes.
Making lists, jotting down repeated thoughts/ideas, etc all help free up your brain a bit and then you don’t have to keep telling yourself you need to remember…
Also, definitely the rituals Dan, positive moments that you and others share…makes all the difference.
Thanks for the rest reminder, need to get more o’ that! Can even be just 10-15 minutes mid-day…although 20 feels better!
Probably would add pace to the list…pace yourself if you know you have a big energy drain/boost coming or experience one, then it is time to pace yourself and if you really need a recharge time, do it!
#4a should be get some exercise. It can help relieve stress and if you are fit you will have more energy to get things done. If you manage by walking about, your job can give you a lot of exercise. Take the stairs not the elevator.
As for diet, too much protein can overwork your kidneys. It may help you control your weight, but at a long-term price. The human body was made to run on complex carbohydrates. As long as you burn what you eat you will be fine.
I would add do some daily learning. My blog was designed for that at DrDougGreen.Com.
Keep up the good work.
I sent this to my whole staff and they LOVED it! Thank you for the helpful tips : )
Hi Barbara, It’s a delight to be helpful. Thanks for letting me know. Cheers, Dan
Great list, Dan, thank you! A great “door opener” into all of them is to
“Err on the side of optimism and positive energy in all things” (Bob Sutton).