In previous blogs, it’s mentioned that our bandwidth is a FINITE resource. This concept can be a struggle for overthinkers and overdoers to embrace because of our capability to power through situations (and why I imagine you are burned out).

The Nine to Kind Possibility Planner includes an energy tracker in the weekly layout. Why? Because it is far too easy to ignore what our bodies might be telling us and just assume we can do all the things with little “gas.” Just because we have in the past doesn’t mean we should continue doing so.

Using an energy tracker can help you understand what in your day or week is adding to or taking away from your bandwidth. Having this awareness can lead to more reasonable planning, more preventative boundaries, and more self compassion as a whole! Keep reading to learn how to begin identifying your energy levels.

How Can I Better Understand My Energy Levels?

First things first. This is a subjective experience based on your lived experience. Your 100% or 25% will be different from your friends, parents, teachers, or anyone else you meet. All of the information below is to serve as a starting point or template to work from. This is not the time to mold yourself into another standard, but to truly accept your lived experience and proceeding with compassion. Yes we all have the same 24 hours, but all of us have different resources we can utilize or access within those 24 hours.

Your scale can be 0-10 or 0-100–whatever feels best for you. But I do suggest working in increments of 1’s or 10’s.

Note: It might start by doing the extremes (example: 0 and 100) and a more median/neutral (5 or 50) at first. Then you can fill in the rest of your scale as you gain more insight.

Another thing to keep in mind…”high” energy is not always associated with “positive” emotions. I’ll admit, when I feel intense anger or a sense of being out of control–my body has a lot of energy and I start to rage clean. Other times when I am happy or content, my energy is actually lower and my motivation can become non-existent. This is where taking a more observant stance without interpretation can be helpful.

Below are some areas (physically and mentally) to get acquainted with in order to gain a solid understanding of your energy levels. This list is to serve as a way to better describe your bodily and mental responses, not interpret them.

• Bodily Tension: Mentally scan your body from the tip of your head to the tips of your toes. Are there areas of your body that are holding tension? Is it more “energetic” tension (urges to push you into action or approach something) or is it more of a “bracing” tension (frozen, stand still). If there is no tension, does your body feel relaxed or at ease? Does it feel numb? Is it possible the tension (or lack of tension) is more neutral?
  
• Restlessness: This can be a byproduct of emotions like excitement, anticipation, or anxiety to name a few. Does your body feel like it is radiating, buzzing, or electric? Are you restless and frozen or restless and moving around? Do you want to approach something or run away? Where do you feel it the most? Does the restlessness feel more mental (racing thoughts, bouncing around) or more physical (can’t sit still).
  
• Mental Clarity: I didn’t use the word “attention” on purpose. Mental clarity is about awareness and being able to observe what’s happening in our mind. Are we able to take in information and digest it fully? Can we understand instructions or make decisions on how to go about a task? Do you feel a sense of understanding for what is happening in the present? Are you able to express your thoughts with minimal effort?
  
• Your Senses: As a refresher, things you can see, smell, hear, taste, or feel. Is your vision fuzzy or clear? Is your vision sensitive to things like light or change? Can you smell what’s happening around you or are you struggling to identify specific scents? Can you smell everything and it’s overwhelming? Does your hearing feel clear or is it muffled? Are sounds too intense or faint? Are things losing flavor, balanced, or too intense? Are you more aware of your clothing or how your body is sitting? Do you feel disconnected from your senses as a whole?
  
• Mental Flexibility: Are you able to pivot when things change? Do you find yourself mindlessly agreeing to keep the peace or quick to argue? Can you zoom out for the big picture or lean into the details? Do you feel like you’re caught in all or nothing thinking? Can you take in information what challenges your point of view? Are you open to considering different ways to get to your goal?
  
• Thought Content: Are your thoughts neutral, positive, or more negative? Do you find yourself venting, comparing, keeping score? Are you focused only on others? Are you focused only on yourself? Do your thoughts feel full or light? Clear or crowded? Can you understand what’s going on mentally or do you feel like you’re only getting half of the content? Any “catch phrases” (positive or negative”) going on in your mind?
  
• Hunger/Thirst Cues: Are you aware of your hunger or thirst? Are you meeting those needs? Does food sound good or repulsive? Any specific cravings? Do you need more cooling or warming?
  
• “Background” Behaviors: This is going to be more specific, but an example for me is if I am low energy I stop singing in the car and vice versa if I am feeling more energetic. Other behaviors could be posture, tidying the house, singing, talking, humming, etc.
  
• Emotions: Are you feeling more intense or less intense emotions? Positive emotions or negative emotions? Do your current emotions fit the context of the moment or seem off?

Once you gain more awareness, come up with a time to check in. Do you assess your energy levels first thing or once you get going? Do you pair your energy assessment with making your to do list or once your list is created? This may take some trial and error, but once you get the hang of it, your planning and boundaries will be easier to outline!