Taming the Modern Energy Vampire

A Modern Day Energy Vampire
The modern day vampire is not a thief who comes in the night and drains our energy. These days the vampire is right out in front of us, on our desks, night stands, in our living rooms, pockets and pocketbooks. No capes, no fangs for a techno-vampire!

A vampire can also come in non technological form. We need to attend to them as well if we are to reclaim our energy, time, attention and sanity! Below are some of the common sources of the modern day energy vampire or drain and some suggested strategies for eliminating them.

An Energy Vampire in the Screen

We all have multiple screens that occupy us throughout the day we even carry many of them with us!! Computers, TV, Kindles, phones, I Pods, tablets –we love them but may at times can feel as if there is no escape from their noise and demands!

There is an escape and that is to become more conscious and committed to YOU—your time, energy, values, health and peace of mind.

Screens have a curious quality. They suck us in and keep us fixated while our energy is being silently drained away through our eyes, attention and emf effect of the technology and the noise it creates within our energy fields, as well as within our minds. Preliminary research is suggesting that we get a hit of feel good chemistry from some of our on screen behavior which makes it act much like an addiction.

There are many good things about screens. It is a matter of managing our relationship with them.

Taking Your Energy Back

1. Problem
   Procrastinating: screens are great for this! We can avoid all manner of unpleasant task while believing we are busy or doing something useful, fun or necessary.

You are susceptible to energy drain from a screen every time you turn on, tune in, or log on.

Solution
Awareness and insight can lead to moderating your use.

Setting a timer can be helpful if you are playing computer games or surfing the net

Keep a list of your goals and values handy so you can remind yourself what is really important to you in terms of how you spend your time.

Be aware that if you spend time depleting energy and not rebuilding it, it will not be there to fuel your dreams, health or goals. Develop a reminder for this that is in frequent and easy sight.

1. Problem
   An Energy Vampire may be a person or project that suck the life out of you.

Solution
If you find yourself de-energized by a project or a person in your life, question your motives for remaining, resolve it so you can find the door out and you can move on. We are all different. What depletes one person will energize another. Your energy is not a negotiable item and you have the right, responsibility and deserve to determine what is correct for you.

Notice the people and projects that fill you with energy and commit to developing more of those in your life.

1. Problem
   The spirits of procrastination will haunt you in the night or at most inconvenient times! These are the tasks you dislike or things that you keep putting off. You expend a lot of energy reacting to them with dread, guilt or frustration.

Solution
Make a list make a plan including when and how you are going to take care of the issue and then follow through. As much as this may pain you as you change your habit, in the end you will have more energy as you will have eliminated a very insidious drain. The enhanced energy you feel will become a new motivation.

1. Problem
   Clutter! We all have it –it infiltrates our mailboxes, email, homes and offices. It exists in the form of requests from a multitude of directions, as well as in the information we pile up “just in case”, or because “someday I will need that”.

Solution
Make it a rule to only handle something once and set up a system for that can work.

Set up a system where every request does not reach you: get off lists, use voicemail delete, have a barrier between you and requests.

1. Problem
   Split attention is rampant with the profusion of electronic and other stimuli in modern life. It is a myth that we can be effective multi-tasking. We can’t and it is bad for our brain and nervous system.

Solution
Cultivate the ability to attend to your present moment and the task at hand.