Balancing your personal energies

We’re all about getting the most out of life, and to do that – we need a constant, good balance of physical, mental and emotional energy. We refer to this triangle as your “personal energy”, and we think this is the secret to being able to live a full life. Maintaining good personal energy helps you to get more out of life, juggling everything from family to work, social activities to exercise.

Maintaining the balance between your physical, mental and emotional energy

You likely already know that when one of these three energies is low, your whole life feels off kilter, making even easy tasks seem hard. If you’re feeling emotionally drained, the fatigue you experience will most definitely impact your desire to work, or move your body. In the same way, when you spend time recharging or filling up your own cup – you’ll notice that you naturally feel like you have more to give, whether that’s at work or within your personal life. Maintaining the balance of all three energy types will enhance the way you show up in all areas of your life. But don’t worry – it’s not about maintaining this balance 100% of the time, because you probably never will. It’s really about identifying where your energy is going, noticing what batteries are running low – and knowing what to do about it. Becoming aware of the different ways you could be taxing your energy will help you make those small adjustments to support your personal energy when you start to feel a little off-balance.

Physical energy

When we think of physical energy, exercise and endurance often comes to mind. But a better way to understand this type of energy is to think about your incredible machine of a body, and all the hard work it puts in just to keep you alive and well. The amount of energy required to sustain you each day before you do any movement at all is immense. So if you're wondering why you don’t have the energy to smash a HIIT workout, it could be that you’re skipping the foundations (e.g. nutrition and recovery) - or that you’re feeling taxed mentally or emotionally, which will be impacting how hard you can push yourself physically.

Physical energy drainers:

• Poor sleep
• Lack of nutrition
• Excess alcohol
• Dehydration
• No rest days / poor exercise recovery
• Everyday stress

Mental energy

If you’ve ever survived a 3pm slump at work, or studied for hours on end without a break - you’ll know what it’s like to feel mentally drained. In the same way that intense exercise causes physical exhaustion, long periods of flexing your cognitive muscles can also lead to mental fatigue. While problem solving and putting your brain to use isn’t a bad thing, too much stimulation can impact other areas of your life from the way you make decisions to your ability to regulate emotions. You probably know of several gym-goers who rave about the mental clarity they experience after a great workout. This is a perfect example of how you can build your energy in one area by giving back to yourself in another.

Mental energy drainers:

• Demanding workload
• Long stretches of work or study without a break
• Acting as a key decision maker
• Having an overwhelming amount of responsibilities
• A high perception of stress

Emotional energy

Your emotions can provide you with the resources to either tackle the day with excitement and enthusiasm – or retreat back to bed. If your emotional energy tank is low, everything becomes a challenge. Most of us aren’t taught how to express our emotions or protect ourselves with boundaries, and as a result it can sometimes feel like we’re ruled by our own highs and lows (and the energy fluctuations that follow). Researchers have explored the link between our thoughts, feelings and beliefs and how our body functions for decades, identifying that this mind-body connection plays a hugely influential role in our health. In short, the mind impacts the body – and vice versa. Emotional fatigue often follows a prolonged period of psychological stress, and it can affect your ability to cope with normal everyday tasks if you don’t address the signs early on.

Emotional energy drainers

• Self-doubt
• Low confidence
• Stressing about the past or future
• Worrying about how people perceive you
• Perfectionism

Balancing your personal energies starts with your cell health

While diet and exercise trends are forever changing, we believe that having good health and great energy starts with something that’s always been there – your cells. You're almost entirely made up of cells that generate their own energy, all thanks to your mitochondria. These tiny organelles are found inside almost every cell, and they’re responsible for generating the energy that fuels your entire body.

Your mitochondria convert the food you eat and the air you breathe into a fuel source called “ATP” that powers your cells, and in turn, you. ATP is a source of energy that fuels your entire body and it’s used for almost everything you do – from breathing and blinking to walking and thinking. In the process of generating such a huge amount of energy, your mitochondria also produce waste products called free radicals. These free radicals can cause damage to your cells if they’re not neutralized by antioxidants – and when your cell health is compromised, it impacts your energy at the deepest level.

So what does this all mean exactly? In short, your cells need all the help they can get. When your cells are supported, your body is able to produce enough energy to not only fuel everyday processes – but to help you maintain your personal energy and live a purpose-fueled life.

Learn more about how MitoQ can help you fulfil your personal energy potential