Do you find yourself...
Feeling like you are managing crisis after crisis
Taking things too personally
Losing your excitement for your work
Saying 'yes' when you really want to say 'no'
Making decisions based out of blame
Feeling tired and burnt out often
Feeling overworked and resentful
Reacting instead of responding
If any of these are ringing true for you, this might be a sign that you are operating from an energy draining tendency.
What are energy draining tendencies?
Energy draining tendencies are tendencies that we call upon under stress or uncertainty. They do a great job of keeping us safe in the short-term, but if we continuously operate from them, there can be a significant cost to our overall health, energy and time.
So what are they?
and
How do I know if I am operating from an energy draining tendency?
There are three main energy draining tendencies according to LCP*:
Complying, Protecting, and Controlling
Under a controlling tendency you might strive to be perfect. You might see yourself as the only one that can be in charge. You may push yourself and others to win often and tend to see the world as only "winners" and "losers".
When the protecting tendency is activated, you might find yourself holding back, avoiding risk or thinking of yourself as 'not good enough'. You might only see that others have to be wrong in order for you to be right.
Under the complying tendency, you might strive to be liked or work to serve everyone. You may find yourself having a hard time saying 'no".
There are many more behaviors, feelings and mindsets that may arise under each of these tendencies, but if you find yourself landing in a particular category, there are some intentional practices you can engage in to reclaim your energy and operate from a place of sustainability.
Try this practice:
Notice when you tend to move into a space of complying, protecting, or controlling
Pause and Breathe
Reconnect to what you care about most
Looking to go deeper?
Gain valuable insights into your creative competencies and reactive tendencies. Schedule a call to take the LCP Leadership Assessment today.
*Courtesy of Leadership Circle®, all rights reserved. www.leadershipcircle.com