We are filled with personal energy. And our brains’ energy is primarily glucose, a type of sugar. Our brains detect the levels of “energy”, and manage it. Why? Because overall our brains are wired to survive, which means always having enough energy, and to avoid using it, or using too much.
And as we grow up, we realize some things can be used to turn into energy. And we have a list of these things. Money, for example, can buy food. This fact leads to an obvious lesson: having more money can mean more chance for survival, for having enough energy later.
So, money is an equivalent of personal energy, based on a concept. There are many of these personal energy substitutes. Understanding these equivalents, or substitutions, helps us recognize when we are reacting based on the “energy” aspect of a situation.
And, once recognized, we can have more self control. We can overcome the survival-based desire to treat these equivalents as “energy”. When we identify and separate out the energy bias, we can say in effect “it’s just energy”, and shift decision-making to our higher-level goals. These shifts can be instant, and dramatic.
First on the list…
Now, back to a primary substitute on the list: “Money is a powerful equivalent for personal energy.” Or, as the old saying goes, “money is power.”
Effort takes energy. Money often represents the stored value of effort, of energy. Money can feel like energy. Besides being exchanged to provide actual energy in the form of food, money can save us from using energy, when we acquire items or services.
We love to ensure that our energy supply is high. Money can buy food, comfort, and more. Getting money feels positive, too. Our brains translate this as having more energy available, now and in our future. Losing money has the opposite effect.
Second on the list…
The second equivalent of personal energy is time. In time zones when the clocks are turned back one hour in the fall, it can feel like free energy. We give and take time in our lives as if it were, well, life itself. Which it is, in a way.
But, we also can translate a period time to the energy we use during that time. Most professionals bill by the hour or other units of time. When we say “that took longer than I expected”, we can translate that inside our minds to “that used more energy than I expected.”
What else is on the list?
Other equivalents of personal energy include the areas of possessions, activities, and emotions.
Possessions – Anything you have or own would require energy to replace, rebuild, or rework. Also, ownership of places, even temporarily.
An example is someone relaxing after finding a parking spot, since they won’t have to use more energy to find one. And on the opposite side, someone is getting upset after someone else gets into a desired parking spot, because now more energy will have to be used. (By the way, a simple way to reframe this outcome is to take a deep breath, exhale slowly, and say out loud “I can move on. I have the energy to move on.”)
Activities and tasks – Incomplete and expected tasks, or activities. Your brain holds so many in-progress tasks in working memory and in other areas.
An example is when you are waiting for someone to pick you up in 5 minutes. You may start to do some small task, but you have to keep the pick up task in memory to avoid forgetting to walk outside. Once your ride arrives, your brain no longer has to use any energy to remember.
Although sometimes even some of these can come back, such as the infamous “Did I remember to turn off the stove before I left?” thought.
Decided tasks. – Once we choose a prediction as desired, and turn it into a decision, it becomes a mental “sunk cost” which has already been invested. To consider making a change, our trade-off starts with “How much thinking is changing this decision going to take?” or a related “Do I have the mental energy now to evaluate the choices for this decision?”
Emotions – this is a more direct substitute, since our emotions take mental energy. And happiness, joy and other positive emotions can transform our state, and we can feel more energy. So can anger and related emotions. And sadness can seemingly drain our energy.
Fun seemingly creates personal energy, and the motivation to keep doing an activity. And awe, when it is positive, is a powerful and complex emotion of feeling overwhelmed and inspired. We will pay money for experiences which bring us true awe, such as travel, exhibits, and the arts. And given that money is a strong equivalent for energy, we are figuratively trading our energy away just to feel awe.
Are we done yet?
And wrapping up, some other areas where we there are equivalents for energy.
Apologies. Making an apology take energy, and may feel like giving away energy.
Thanking. Being thanked can feel like being given energy. Having someone express true and heartfelt gratitude can uplift you, almost as if they are returning and even amplifying the energy you used for whatever the gratitude is based on.
Gifts. Receiving a gift can feel like the transferring of energy to us. Even a gift as nuanced as giving an employee the afternoon off fits this definition. Instead of predicting hours of having to use energy for work, the person will be able to lower their energy needed, and increase the reward (or utility).
How can knowing these potential personal energy substitutions help you? Once you spot the equivalent, it can help to make it a sort of equation, of simple life math. And while breathing slow, deep breaths will help physically trick your brain into relaxing, you can add to it by further tricking your brain to feel all is well on the energy front.
Losing a possession or money? You get to translate your brain’s pain (“I lost some energy and I’m feeling worried about survival!”) into what types and how much energy will be needed to get it back. Move fast to “acceptance” of the situation, and your brain can return to monitoring its normal energy levels.
Having time issues or running late? You can reimagine your brain’s pain (“I’m spending too much time, which is energy, and I must stop this feeling because I’m worried about survival energy!”) into an understanding that you have tradeoffs for time. If you are late to meet someone, what is the energy involved, or the difference from what you predicted? Your brain may be using energy to stressfully hold the thoughts of the explanation that will be needed once you arrive. Write it down, or record it, or in some way get it out of your brain, so it can return to normal energy management levels.
So, by spotting and managing the energy equivalents involved, you have a chance to get your brain back to the state it likes to be in (lower energy use). The saying “It’s just energy” becomes useful. And you can also think of finding these personal energy substitutions as a happy game, as fun. The fun aspect can energize you even further!