Speaker 1: Good morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the New Corner Office,
Speaker 1: the podcast where we share strategies for thriving in the
Speaker 1: new world of work, where location and ours are more
Speaker 1: flexible than in the past. Today's tip is about how
Speaker 1: to battle energy vampires. We all have tasks or people
Speaker 1: who seem to suck the life out of us, but
Speaker 1: as people in the stories, found ways to battle vampires
Speaker 1: so we can keep these energy vampires away. This episode
Speaker 1: is airing right before Halloween, and I will admit I
Speaker 1: have creatures like ghosts and ghouls and vampires on the brain.
Speaker 1: One of the reasons people are drawn to Halloween and
Speaker 1: horror in general is that it's an over the top
Speaker 1: manifestation of some things we encounter in real life. Fright, dread, anxiety.
Speaker 1: We all have stuff we dread, people, tasks, and these
Speaker 1: can weigh us down considerably. But when we do break
Speaker 1: free of them, we can feel like we've battled literal monsters.
Speaker 1: We feel triumphant and light. But how do we do that?
Speaker 1: The first step is to see things for what they are.
Speaker 1: As you go through your day, keep track of your
Speaker 1: energy levels. When do you feel most excited and motivated?
Speaker 1: When do you feel like you'd be willing to pay
Speaker 1: some serious cash to get out of something. Pay attention.
Speaker 1: We can't automatically change some energy draining situations, but sometimes
Speaker 1: we can. Is there a particular person who you find draining.
Speaker 1: Maybe you notice that every meeting with him or her
Speaker 1: leaves you at a two on a ten point energy scale.
Speaker 1: If so, ponder if there is a way to limit
Speaker 1: your exposure. Perhaps there are new projects you can pursue.
Speaker 1: Perhaps you can create your own teams for projects with
Speaker 1: new and different people. If it's not possible to move away,
Speaker 1: you can also create better boundaries. Say at the start
Speaker 1: of any conversation what you will be covering, and end
Speaker 1: the conversation. If it moves beyond that, say how long
Speaker 1: you have and simply end what you're doing. If the
Speaker 1: time moves beyond that. When you don't appear to be
Speaker 1: a good source of fresh blood, the energy vampire will
Speaker 1: move on to more fertile hunting grounds. You can also
Speaker 1: do things to replenish yourself newte when the vampire appears
Speaker 1: on your calendar, proactively plan in something rejuvenating before and after.
Speaker 1: That could be a walk outside, reading something inspirational, calling
Speaker 1: a work friend, having lunch with your spouse. I note
Speaker 1: that this is a good approach for people who are
Speaker 1: behaving in a vampire fashion in your personal life too.
Speaker 1: I love my children dearly, but from time to time,
Speaker 1: one or more of them will go through a bit
Speaker 1: of a vampire phase. When that's happening, I recognize that
Speaker 1: I can ford if I myself to deal with them
Speaker 1: by taking care of myself too, and I can share
Speaker 1: the burden. I have a co parent, other relatives, adult
Speaker 1: mentors the kids know, and I can teach them coping strategies,
Speaker 1: like taking deep breaths or getting some exercise. As for
Speaker 1: work tasks that are uniquely draining, we always have the
Speaker 1: option to ignore, minimize, or outsource. Does the work truly
Speaker 1: need to be done? Sometimes it does, but not always.
Speaker 1: Maybe you can make sure to limit the total time
Speaker 1: you will work on the draining project for no more
Speaker 1: than an hour before you move on to other things.
Speaker 1: You will be very clear on the scope in order
Speaker 1: to set boundaries, or you'll see if there are other
Speaker 1: people who enjoy this sort of work. Much work is
Speaker 1: neither good or bad per se, it's how we view it.
Speaker 1: You can do this with personal tasks as well. If
Speaker 1: you find bathing kids draining, bathe them less often. It
Speaker 1: will be okay. Foist it off on your partner, or
Speaker 1: make this part of a babysitter's duties. Teach the kids
Speaker 1: to bathe themselves as soon as they possibly can. Unlike
Speaker 1: the mythical vampires, energy vampires are unfortunately real. They walk
Speaker 1: among us, but we don't have to succumb to them.
Speaker 1: Push back, rework your schedule, limit exposure. You'll feel far
Speaker 1: better whether it's Halloween time or not. In the meantime,
Speaker 1: this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's the succeeding
Speaker 1: in the New Corner Office. The New Corner Office is
Speaker 1: a production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts, visit
Speaker 1: the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
Speaker 1: get your favorite shows.