I bet I’m not the only one having a challenging time keeping up with everything I need to do in one day.  Besides work, there suddenly seems like there are more chores – cooking, cleaning, and even sewing! (My grandmother would be so proud.)  If you are time-challenged to the point it’s affecting your energy and mood, then learning how to zap the energy sappers is for you.

Here’s what I mean by energy sappers:

1. What does your desk look like right now? Is it clean or messy?  If it’s messy, that’s an energy sapper.
2. How about your dining room table? Stacked with stuff or a beautiful bowl of fruit or flowers on top?  If there’s clutter, it’s an energy sap.
3. Go around the rest of your house: laundry on the couch, unmade beds, dirty dishes in the sink, dead plants that didn’t get watered, stacks of paperwork, books, or bills.  Identify these sappers.

When you pass by these items every day, you look at them and what happens?  Your inner critic says “I am behind.”  “That needs doing.”  “Why can’t I keep up?”  A little piece of your energy escapes each time you look at these items and feel deflated.

How can you get your energy back?

1. Clear the clutter, especially those items that have been sitting there for six months without moving. The world hasn’t fallen apart because you haven’t been able to get to this task.  Put it in the closet to get it out of sight.
2. Get help from other family members, or if your state’s shelter-in-place rules allow, hire a housekeeper. If you feel that “help” is a 4-letter word, consider reframing that thought to a more powerful one:  It’s a gift to let people help us.
3. Create an environment that supports and nurtures you. I buy a bouquet of cheap flowers at Safeway, then cut the stems off and place the flowers and buds in glasses around the house for an uplifting, beautiful (and low-cost) look that lasts a week.

Transform your energy sappers into energy boosters and watch your energy and happiness grow.