Life force. Joie de vivre. Effervescence. Verve. Exuberance. Inspiration. Pep. Zest. Vibrancy. Sparkle. Passion. Oomph. Moxi. Bounce. Energy.

 

These are all things that nearly every woman I know wishes she had more of.

 

It’s easy to look outside of ourselves for more energy in the form of caffeine, sugar or whatever is easy and accessible in the moment when we need it. I’m guilty of reaching for dark chocolate in times of need. Chocolate is its own food group you know, and very high in magnesium and antioxidants…  😉

 

Reaching for something to keep us awake or keep us going is completely normal and commonplace in today’s fast-paced world. Sometimes life does ask us to go above and beyond what our bodies really want to do in the moment.

 

But most women are constantly operating from this over-extended place inside of themselves. Over time the body begins to interpret this as being in a steady state of stress and emergency, and it takes its toll.

 

When the body is in a steady state of urgency, the nervous system and the hormonal systems get out of balance, and the body begins to draw from and drain its natural energy reserves. The result is a constant feeling of fatigue, an inability to recover even after a good night’s sleep, and more.

 

For so many women, this is their “normal”. I’ve been there, and you may know exactly what I’m talking about here, too.

 

If you want to feel and look better, it’s helpful to take stock of the things that could be draining your energy so that you can plug your energy leaks and begin to replenish and restore your spark and spirit.

 

Here are 5 powerful energy drains that are easy to overlook and ignore:

 

1. Your diet. If your diet is full of white flour, white sugar and processed foods, it’s very likely that your diet is actually draining your energy rather than fueling it. The old adage “You are what you eat” is in fact true. You can become wholesome, colorful, energy-rich and nutrient dense, or you can settle for preservative-rich, nutritionally deficient and artificially colored and flavored. One will enhance and support your energy, one will drain and deplete it.

 

1. Lack of hydration is very taxing on your body, especially your organs. Up to 60% of the human adult body is water. The brain and heart are composed of 73% water, and the lungs are about 83% water. So, when you’re not hydrating your body well on a consistent basis, your body has to work a lot harder to perform its daily tasks, and that becomes a major drain on your energy.

 

1. Not eating at regular intervals throughout the day. This is a big one for most women who have learned to ignore their body’s cues around hunger. It’s also commonplace today to skip or work through lunch for the sake of productivity and deadlines. Just know that your blood sugar levels and the full function of your big, beautiful brain and hormone system all depend on regular and reliable fuel sources, a.k.a. eating at regular intervals throughout the day. Not doing this seriously drains your energy and can lead to mood swings and an increase in stress hormones in the body.

 

1. Pushing your feelings down or away is a serious energy drain, and one that most women were taught to do from a very young age. Think about all of the times during the day, or week, that you “bite your tongue”, don’t express how you really feel, don’t allow yourself to feel your own feelings, or make yourself wrong or bad for how you feel about something. It takes a lot of energy to push feelings down or away, and over time this becomes a serious drain on your energy.

 

1. Forgetting or being afraid of filling your cup first means that you are giving from a half or empty cup. It means that over time you can become seriously deficient in fulfillment and enjoyment, and then feel guilty that you’re not brimming with satisfaction and delight. We don’t expect our cars to run when the battery is dead or the fuel tank is empty, and yet women often insist that they can go on and on in life without consistently recharging and restoring themselves. This is one of the biggest and most often overlooked energy drains there is.

 

How many of these energy drains are operating in your life?

 

There are things that set a radiant, vibrant and energetic woman apart from the rest. It’s not simply “magic” or “divine dispensation” that’s bestowing its graces on some women and not others.

 

The woman who is feeling full of life and inspiration is making different choices for herself. She recognizes that in order to feel and look better, she has to tend to herself in better ways. And it all starts with one ingredient that many women fail to take into consideration.

 

The antidote to feeling perpetually drained and depleted is called SELF-DEVOTION.

 

It’s the #1 thing that will help you feel better, look better, and be the best version of yourself for everyone in your life – be they clients, kiddos, significant others, or loved ones – and you. There’s no way around this. Without this #1 antidote, as uncomfortable as it might feel, those energy leaks will continue to exist, and you’ll have a much harder time recharging your body and batteries.

 

If you begin devoting time and space to creating daily habits that sustain and support YOU, you’ll be able to be the best version of you. You’ll look better and feel better, and have access to the power and parts of yourself that simply weren’t available to you before.

 

I firmly believe that when more and more women have chosen self-devotion for themselves, and they’ve filled their cups and refilled their tanks, that the world will inevitably become a kinder, more thoughtful, cleaner and brighter place for us all.

 

I believe creating that world begins with being courageous enough be devoted to ourselves, our happiness, and our health.

 

Will you join me?

 

With power and love,

 

 

PS: If you’d like to learn more, and start filling your cup right away, come join the conversation that’s happening in my new online community here