Energy is a precious commodity that when spread too thin leaves people feeling drained, overwhelmed, and stressed. When there’s too much going on in your life, I call that clutter. Clutter happens when people try to put everything at top of their priority list and then try to give everything equal and immediate attention. It’s like throwing a whole bunch of tennis balls up in air and then running around frantically trying to keep them all up there. Of course, this is impossible! The end result… Half finished projects, burnout, not enough rest, illness, lack of focus, lack of direction, feeling stuck, etc.

So how do you get more energy to be able to handle everything?

You don’t.

That’s right, you don’t!

The truth is, you only have so much energy. Once it’s used up, that’s it, there’s no more! The trick is to manage your energy more effectively. To do this, start to implement these easy and simple strategies:

1) Tune in to yourself – Start to pay attention to messages you send yourself. Are you telling yourself that you should be able to multi-task and get everything done? Do you criticize yourself if you don’t get everything done? It is important to shift these internal messages and give yourself permission to let things go.

2) Set priorities – Setting priorities is about asking yourself 2 questions: 1) what absolutely needs my attention right now, and 2) what do I need to let go of? In asking yourself these questions, you will make choices that will conserve your energy. Determine what your top 5 priorities are and stay focused on these.

3) Schedule “you time” – “You time” is a period of time in day when you do something for yourself. During this time, you’re not answering phone, checking email, answering door, listening to messages, responding to any demands of any kind, etc. It could be a block of 15 minutes or it could be an hour. It doesn’t matter. Just as long as you make a commitment to yourself that during that time, you are doing something for you (going for a walk, listening to calming music, closing your eyes, enjoying a cup of tea, reading a good book…).

They cannot. Suffering and joy exclude each other. Suffering is fed by feelings of self-devaluation and failure. They confirm one's notion of worthlessness and legitimate one's suffering.

It is important to distinguish between suffering and pain. Pain signalizes an injury or an imbalance in our system. Suffering is a fixation on pain, an attitude of ignorance or an attempt to find an identity.

For many people their life drama is basis of their identity. Their aim in life is to gain recognition for suffering that they have endured. This is a very human and legitimate need. The problem is that recognising suffering does not cure it. On contrary.

The knowledge that it gets you attention and compassion from others gives suffering additional value. It becomes a tool for gaining affection. The suffering is thereby strengthened, and it becomes even more difficult to free yourself from its grip.

Suffering can be result of daily little disasters that for many people is a way to feel alive. For some is it only familiar way how to participate in life.

Suffering can also be a quiet accuse that life is unjust and hard. In such a case, you may feel like a victim of circumstances. As a victim, you give your power to circumstances.

We suffer when we lose a loved one. It is important at this point to distinguish between pain over loss and suffering. Pain is a natural reaction to loss. The pain passes, if you allow yourself to mourn loss. After such active mourning you turn back to life.