The 50 Point Energy Plan: No Go Snow

The 50 Point Energy Plan: No Go Snow: We have had wintery conditions up here in the Northeast, but not bad enough to warrant a snow day this morning. My kids do all these crazy t...

No Go Snow

We have had wintery conditions up here in the Northeast, but not bad enough to warrant a snow day this morning. My kids do all these crazy things to "beat the odds", they put a spoon under their pillows, flush an ice cube, and wear their pajama pants backwards and inside out. I roll my eyes and hope for their sake the voodoo might work.

This morning, after learning that in fact, school was open just like usual, they cried anguished cries of misfortune. Why me? they lamented and were confused with the large amounts of snow on the road not matching the flashing answering machine button with the school closed recording.

In this moment I realized what they were experiencing. The joy of being told you can spend your energy points however you want Without Guilt. The ability to know that whatever you do today is a bonus, as those energy points were destined for work and commitments.

As adults, we have the power to take "a snow day". We call them mental health days, but that sounds like we are losing it and if we don't take the day we will snap. My advice, schedule a few "snow days" for yourself. Allows yourself some freedom to choose on that particular day how you will spend your points. Without Guilt.

You will be healthier and I would imagine, happier.

Are those your points jingling?: Holiday Energy Points

The holidays are a great time to learn about the 50 Point Energy Plan.

The most wonderful time of the year is also often the busiest (although I think May is right up there).

For those with jobs that are in retail, the days get more exhausting. For those in health care, the need for services goes up this time of year. For those with friends and family, the thinking and planning about gifts and parties and traditions takes a front seat.

Let me tell you a quick story.

The spa has been open for 7 Christmas seasons. We are very busy from Thanksgiving to New Years with gift cards, services, products flying off the shelves. The first 3 years we were open I would get sick the week between Christmas and New Years. And not just a little sick. Like the crawling toward the door to attempt to make it to work sick. The full monty. And I was noticing that my staff looked as crappy as I felt.

We were using all our energy points. We had no more, and our bodies gave up.
This has to stop, I thought. This is in no way acceptable.

So I fashioned a way to make a change. The first thing we did was adjusted the schedule. No services on Christmas Eve, and the next two days off. And the way the calendar is this year, my staff is having 4 days off. Sure, we could be very busy. It's very easy to have a full spa these days. But at what energy cost?

We also changed how we planned our energy, maximizing what we can do before the holidays even start. The attitude of how your energy will be spent plays a big role on how you will feel. Visualizing the perfect outcome helps you manifest how your energy will be used.

If you have been reading this blog for sometime, or have been to a workshop, your energy has a currency. It has a value that you place on it. The value of my energy points during the holidays goes up. My decisions "to do, or not to do" are valued differently in a season that has so much coming at me.

If I want my staff to give their best to our clients everyday, I have to value their energy as well as mine. They have every right to spend their energy points however they see fit, and for me and them, it is not acceptable to have them giving more than they physically and mentally have.

Because what will happen?

Everyone gets sick.

My core belief is that if I can teach you how to manage your energy by using a simple points system, you can use it as a tool to decrease stress in your life and stay healthy. You have control over how you use your points, and given all the obstacles we can still plan our energy.

Commitments, Health, Environment, Work and Inspiration. These are your energy pods that create the 50 points. Keeping them balanced will keep you balanced.

Please come to my workshop this week: Thursday Nov 13 at 5:15 at Waterfalls Day Spa.
It will be energy well spent.

Turning toward Balance

At the end of my massages, I give my clients a toast. It is a 3-4 sentence mantra about receiving new energy, releasing stale energy, and turning toward balance. I have used the phrase hundreds of times "turning toward balance" and wanted to explore why I use it.

To turn toward something is to accept it. If I can steer you toward a feeling at the moment after your massage, I want it to be balance. I turn you toward it to allow you to realize that it can be attainable, and that even as we lose sight of it (we always do), that maybe just a gentle movement toward balance is enough for you to feel better and stay healthy.

The concept of The 50 Point Energy Plan is to calmly and rationally turn you toward balance. I imagine it in my mind as a "thing" like an Italian marble fountain.  The fountain is the center of those 5 circles: where Commitments, Health, Environment, Work and Inspiration all converge.

When you work too much, you get away from the fountain of balance. When you are over committed, you can't even hear the water, never mind see the fountain.  You lose perspective and feel lost.




50 Points is a tool. A way to figure out where the path is to get you turned around and headed toward balance.

The Fireworks of Inspiration

Fireworks just went off.  Boom.

My family ran to the window to see, and we all knew why the fireworks were happening.  We have a hard cider company in our town (Woodchuck Hard Cider) that had a celebration today (they charmingly called it a Cideration).

Inspiration is like fireworks going off. It's the magical moment when you feel success, pleasure, and awe.

The 50 Point Energy Plan wants you to use 10 points of energy a day feeling Inspired. These are the things that make you feel good, give you pleasure, let you escape. So many of us choose to forgo this aspect of our lives, and leave it as an optional energy expense. Optional?

It is not an option. You must consciously use your energy every day on small inspirational items.
If you do not, you will get sick.

Your inspiration points don't have to be as grand and flashy as fireworks.
But they need to be planned and honored as important.

Think of things that inspire you and that make you feel good. Some ideas are nature, journaling, being creative, talking with a friend, books, music, hobbies, antiques,...the list is endless. You may think it is without consequence........but there is one. I have seen people get sick because they stopped using their inspiration points.

Have your own mini celebration every day by using your available energy points for Inspiration.

Energy Zapped

It is 95 degrees outside today and I have heard people say, "Boy, this heat zaps my energy".

It does. As do all extreme conditions.

Here is what is noteworthy to me......

When someone says "The heat has zapped my energy", we believe them. We rally around the concept. We understand. We commiserate.

This does not happen with energy zapping in other instances. A day where you have "overspent" your energy points means little to the house brimming with chores. A boss asking you to "have a quick meeting" when you have planned other to dos, can leave you feeling energy zapped.

When you get too hot, you so something about it. You get out of the sun, go inside, regroup.

When your energy gets zapped, are you doing anything about it?

Feeling zapped of your energy leaves you feeling out of control, stressed and can lead to illness.

Learn how to use The 50 Point Energy Plan. Come to a workshop. Ask me when you see me. Budgeting, tracking and managing your energy will keep you from feeling the heat.

When 50 Points aren't enough

During 50 Point Energy Plan workshops, often people get concerned that 50 points isn't enough.

Before we even start to get to the meat of the concept, there is a hand being raised asking how to get more. I am here to clarify:

You are a human being. There is a limit to what you can accomplish in one day. Lucky for you that you have thousands and thousands of days. If you are exhausted and overwhelm yourself chronically, you will get sick.

Energy has value. Your energy is valuable to you at whatever exchange rate you set. I set mine very high as I value where my energy is going. Think about your exchange rate and that will lead you in the right direction when you are given choices on how to spend your energy.

 

Using the exchange rate analogy, put your name on this list of countries. When you know the value of your energy, you will not be willing to exchange it for anything less than you desire.

There are enough energy points in a day. Don't go looking for more. Focus on the quality of how you are spending them in the 5 areas of Commitments, Health, Environment, Work and Inspiration.

Have you hit bottom dead center lately?

Bottom Dead Center: the feeling in which you are unable to gain enough forward momentum to get you out of a trend of misused energy.

What does this look like? It is the feeling off being overwhelmed, it is describing your life as unbalanced, it is a feeling of lethargy and unfocused behaviors.

Yuck. You know when you hit bottom dead center as it just feels wrong.

Winter can be an energy drain in itself, as we are having to bravely face the days of subzero temperatures, icy roads, cabin fever. The cold makes me hit my bottom dead center faster and more frequently than ever before.

What can we do? Manage, track and budget your energy using the 50 Point Plan. Find ways to stay on track with your health, be inspired, and be sure you are using your commitment points by making plans to get out with other people.

I am always available to answer 50 point questions, so let me know if I can help you.

Sara

Ride the Wave: 2014

The New Year seems to be a time to wax poetic, make lists, set goals, feel optimistic, and make toasts. So if you know me at all.....it's right up my alley.

Before the 50 Pt Plan, I would have sat down and made a list on January 1st. For example:

1) Lose weight.

2) Be fit.

3) Make more money.

4) Be a better mom.

5) Make more friends.

6) Expand my career.

7) Learn how to surf.

Often our resolutions are very wish oriented, and not too structured. 

We feel endless possibilities.
  
Everyone is on this surfboard labeled New Years,  and we are caught on a wave of momentum, energy, and forward motion. 

We ride it as long as we can before it heads to shore.

But here's the shark in the water........

Be sure you have energy to meet your 2014 goals.

Think of it this way...you have 50 Points a day to spend on your energy.

If you want to meet your goals, you must plan on how you are spending your energy in the areas where your goals live: Commitments, Health, Environment, Work and Inspiration

It is pretty basic math.

50 Points of Energy a Day + 50 Points of Energy Spent in the Categories You Want = Success

50 Points/Day + Mismanagement and Overuse of Energy  = Depletion and Illness

50 Points/Day + Underutilized Points = Not meeting goals.

Waterfalls Day Spa is hosting a Reach the Top Event on January 17th from 5-7 to start the process of goal setting and acting as if it has already happened. Learn more at www.middleburyspa.com

The Indicator Light of Energy

Remember the last post about exhaustion and the holidays....well here we are in the midst of it. Christmas is over, and now we are cleaning, organizing, planning, and getting ready to usher the new year in. It is all positive, optimistic, and rewarding.

But we are still in the unstructured pattern of the holidays.

This morning I woke up not sure what day it was, my responsibilities, my commitments, it was all overwhelming. As I made my coffee, I got a quick visual in my head:

My energy indicator was lit up warning me.

Low energy. Brake. Check in. 

So I did. How did I do that?

I told a friend at work that my indicator light went off. 

I thought about my energy use for the rest of the day.

I packed a lunch to be sure I had fuel.

I delegated and let go of the little things. 

By letting someone in on my energy level, she was able to watch my back. She did it without much to do, but she was able to help me take my own edge off. By thinking about how much energy I had, I was able to not get frustrated and overwhelmed. I ate on time and didn't feel depleted. I felt like I was able to accomplish a lot without using my energy due to delegating (I had movers come clean out a room at the spa today, hired a painter, asked my assistant to do all my marketing tasks, and had made a list of to dos at home that all got done, like the Christmas tree is down). That's a tall order for someone on empty.

Learn to see your warning light and listen to the alert. Then have a plan to correct easily.

Your tool to use is The 50 Point Energy Plan.

Holiday Energy Plan: How to Avoid the Jungle of Exhaustion

I know you have a plan for the holidays: a gift list, a card list, a calendar of events.

But have you planned your energy? Time to start.

You have 50 points a day to spend on energy. Just because it is the holidays does not mean that you can spend your energy wildly. To do so will put you into energy depletion, which will then lead to you getting sick.

This is the 7th Christmas the spa has been open. The first 5 years I led my staff into a jungle of exhaustion. "This way," I encouraged and showed them how my exhaustion led to my sudden illness every season. Around the New Year, I would get violently ill with the worst flu like symptoms.

This is my visual of the jungle of exhaustion.

Now, I plan my energy points around the holidays, and I plan the spa points too.

To stay healthy this is what we do at the spa.

• We do not schedule spa services on Christmas Eve Day. 
• We are closed Christmas Day and the day after.
• We schedule a holiday party for January so we aren't cramming too much in an already crazy month.
• We use hospital grade disinfection on all surfaces daily to keep every client and staff member healthy.
• We make time to get treatments and feel good about ourselves.
• We don't stress about caloric intake and gluten for a week or two.
• We communicate about energy. We ask each other how everyone is feeling. If someone is able to verbalize they are overwhelmed, we listen. 

This is where I lead my team now.

We are happier, healthier, and better able to give the spa treatments we want to give and make connections with each client when we are traveling down this path. 

Use your energy in a way that fits you. 

My friends want me to do the plan for them.

You know you are on to something when one of your best friends from out of state calls you and says,
"Sara, I am totally overwhelmed and have gotten sick this week. I need you to do the plan with me".

This is the perfect example of noticing that the plan needs to be done. It is these moments where we are aware that our energy is depleted, are noticing physical symptoms, and need to get out of bottom dead center.

While she sat in her car, we reviewed her 5 energy pods and figured out where she is mismanaging her energy points.

Want to know where she is depleted and what she needs to do? Stay tuned.....I will let you know next blog post!

Crazy Idea

If my father has a catch phrase, it's "Listen to my crazy idea".

I grew up in a house where crazy ideas were good, and when he said these words, I would always lean in a little closer.

He taught me to have Crazy Ideas  (CI) and to share them.

My current CI is this:

If you have a social security card, as soon as you turn a certain age, say 15, you get a voucher on your birthday to use at a spa/wellness center. Make it a $50 voucher, Happy Birthday from Uncle Sam. You can then use this voucher at places that meet the governments regulations (blah blah blah) and the spa/wellness center can then have a reimbursement system. An easy one.

I have pitched this idea to a state senator even. He rolled his eyes, but this is why I like it.

• It proves that the government cares about the individual.
• It is equal.
• It is powerful to be touched, especially on days that have meaning.
• It would cut down on crime.
• It would reduce health care costs.
• It would introduce the whole population to positive wellness prevention.
• It is fun. 
• It would stir the economy up.

Trust me, there will be more crazy ideas to come. And I hope you lean in.

Sara

The Plan in the News!

http://physical-therapy.advanceweb.com/Archives/Article-Archives/Positive-Energy.aspx

My love/hate relationship......

I love and hate the term "wellness".

I love my concept of wellness, which is being balanced enough to make rational decisions and judgements to keep you from going into chronic energy depletion. That to me is being well.

Insurance companies, corporate America, and others have turned the term wellness into a garbage bin definition  of what they are trying to sell you. Wellness models, wellness practices, wellness strategies. They sound ok, but there is little meaning or substance behind it unless you are focused on prevention.

And to focus on prevention, you have to get way, way, way ahead of it. I take care of myself as a Type I diabetic so that I can prevent complications that can happen 60 years from the original diagnosis. That's a long time to be preventing, and a long view of wellness.

As a physical therapist, all I was doing was treating the pathology that I felt could have been prevented if I had just gotten my hands on you sooner! Doing straight leg raises and ROM after a stroke was not rewarding enough for me. I wanted my client to never have ever been in that place.

I had to leave traditional medicine and my clinical practice in order to practice true wellness. I had to get the insurance companies out of my way, create a spa environment that clients wanted to be in, and use my skills to keep you away from disability. To keep you doing the things you love at 85 years old, I need to see you at 40 for monthly massages.

My mission and passion is to get you to take care of you, to be balanced, and to not think of wellness services like massage as a luxury. You are worth it.

College Kids and Balance

I was invited to speak at Middlebury College to students who wanted to listen to my presentation on work/life balance. It was fascinating and interactive and this is what I learned.

• They feel like they work too much, and school work overrides every other energy pod
• They are aware that they leak energy in technology, but do not have good modeling behavior to learn otherwise.
• They learned that compliments can be a disarming tool for negative behavior. They practiced how to give an authentic compliment.
• They understood that when this plan is used correctly, there is no guilt about having or not having energy. One girl wrote on her paper, "Guilt is dumb".
• They struggle with commitments, either having too many or none at all. Having nothing to do on a weekend causes them anxiety.
• Decisions are difficult for them, and they feel frustrated by how to go about making larger life decisions on classes, study abroad programs, and jobs. They want to know where to put these energy points. (Work)
• They realized that they dont spend enough time being inspired, and want to figure out how to fit that in.
• They learned that sometimes you have to say to someone, "That doesn't work for me".  You don't have to go along with something that is causing more stress than you can handle. We role played an interaction where a demanding project mate wants to do "their" version, and learned how to stop the energy leak and turn the interaction around.

Everyone struggles with similar energy imbalances, whether you are a 50 year old woman with teenagers, or a college student with newfound independence. The 50 Point Energy Plan works for everyone. 

On the Road....

The 50 Point Energy Plan is hitting the road!

I am thrilled and excited about teaching The 50 Point Energy Plan on Monday to Middlebury College Students. The college years are a great time to start thinking about work/life balance, and how to spend your energy in the ways that you want and need in order to stay out of chronic energy depletion. Chronic energy depletion will lead to illness. 

The stories of kids who get run down and get mono, or bronchitis, or generally don't feel well can absolutely begin with more stress, more work, and imbalance of the other energy pods. My job as a speaker is to let them know that they have the power to manage their energy, to know when enough is enough, and to track their energy use.

I am excited to hear what they have to say about energy leaking while at school, the difficulties they have managing their different energy pods, and how technology is affecting their health. The topic of technology is important to me, and I put it in the Environment pod. Limiting and using your technology points is essential to be balanced.

Again, the energy pods are Commitments, Health, Environment, Work and Inspiration. My instinct is that they will feel that Work is the most overused pod and either environment or inspiration is the least used. I will let you know what energy struggles are for 18-22 year olds after I meet with them. I can assure you that their energy struggles are real, and they are impacting their health. 

Balance and Health: The Connection

The connection between personal energy balance and health is undeniable.

When you are out of balance, overwhelmed, and in a cycle of chronic energy depletion you are more likely to become physically ill.

Why?

Your immune system is overwhelmed, your fight and flight hormones are raging, your calming/bonding hormones are not released into your system, your sleep is affected, and your body generally feels run down.

My mission is to give you a system to notice your personal energy Before You Feel Out of Balance.
The 50 Point Energy Plan is a way to trend how you are currently using your energy, and a way to fill the gaps in your energy balance to avoid becoming overwhelmed.

I can show you study upon study where the immune system becomes depleted due to stress. I think most of us are aware that this happens and we can almost our own predict illness. Haven't you ever said, "Watch, now I am going to get sick on top of all this going on".

I am on a mission to keep you as healthy as possible and am developing a tool to make that happen.

A few words from our sponsors.....

Dream sequence........If I were to write a cheesy Infomercial on Energy......

Feeling exhausted, overwhelmed and burnt out?

Need to find more energy somewhere?

Look no further than The 50 Point Energy Plan.

This plan slices and dices your energy so that you can use it!

Get this feeling! Order now and receive not one, but two!

                           

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Contact Sara Daly for more details and shipping costs.

Visualize Balance

This is my image of balance. When I asked others their image, I heard the scales of justice, a sandy beach, floating, a yoga pose, walking on a balance beam. Have an image in your head so when you feel like "OUTOFCONTROL!!" you can use your image to ground you.

Here is another quick visualization tip: When you visualize something, whether it be a brand new car, a quiet beach, or strong abs, your brain lights up. The areas of your brain that are used for pleasure and reward light up whether you are actually receiving the reward or if you are visualizing it. Read that again. What an amazing tool.

You get the benefit from imagining what you want as if you have already gotten it. That's why we feel good when we think of the things we want to do once we win the lottery. Try it with other parts of your life.

The first part to having the things you want in life is to actually know what they are first! Visualizing narrows down your desires so that you brain can focus and start to find the positive things you want and need in your life.

More on this tomorrow when we talk about how once you buy a new car, you see about 100 a day on the road when you never saw them before.