Today, we’re diving into a game-changing topic that you won’t want to miss: protecting your energy like it pays you, because, spoiler alert, it kinda does! You see, while we’re all hustling and bustling through our busy lives, we often forget that our energy is what fuels our ability to show up and really thrive.

In this episode, Nkechi and Gaby have a heart-to-heart about how managing your energy is just as crucial as managing your time. They share some hilarious anecdotes and practical tips on how to identify those pesky energy leaks, like draining conversations and people-pleasing habits and how to fill your cup back up through self-care, mindfulness, and even a little service to others.

Key Takeaways:

• Protecting your energy is more crucial than managing your time effectively, as energy fuels how you show up in life.
• We discuss the importance of self-talk and how the way we converse with ourselves can either drain or boost our energy levels throughout the day.
• It's essential to recognize energy leaks, such as negative self-talk and people-pleasing, which can sap your vitality and leave you feeling depleted.
• Nkechi shares her experience of taking a power nap, emphasizing that sometimes we need to prioritize our energy restoration over rigid schedules.
• Gaby emphasizes the need to curate our social circles, as the people we choose to spend time with can greatly influence our energy and overall well-being.
• We wrap up with practical tips on how to protect your energy, including setting boundaries and engaging in self-care activities that truly recharge you.

Have an empowering story to share on an Empowering Bytes episode? Submit your request, for a chance to be a guest.

Find us online: https://linktr.ee/nkechinwaforrobinson

Great day, amazing humans.

Welcome to the Empowered in My Skin podcast, where we have conversations that inform, inspire, and remind you that you matter.

This is the place where we share stories, wisdom, and experiences designed to help you live boldly, think empowering thoughts, and show up fully in the skin you're in.

I'm your host, Nkching Wafor, and I'm so glad you're here.

Now let's get into today's episode.

Great day, amazing humans.

How awesome are you doing today?

And today, I'm not alone.

I'm with my girl, Gabby.

Hey.

Hey, girl.

I'm so tired of having to make up these intros, man.

Jesus, I love it.

You know, give me a lot of work.

Out of the years that we've been doing this, I don't think that no two have ever been the same.

Never.

Very impressive.

Never the same.

Very impressive.

So what we got.

What we got going today?

Yeah, for sure.

I was gonna say the last intro of the last podcast recording we introduced in French and Italians.

Listen to that.

People needed friends.

Go back and listen to.

They need to use a translator.

That's right.

That's right.

Right.

All right, so what if I told you that your energy is more valuable than your time?

Okay.

Time, we know you can schedule it.

Put that in your calendar.

But energy, you can't put that one in your calendar.

Right.

So that determines how you show up in every moment.

So today, this is what we're talking about.

We're talking about something that will change how you move through your.

Your day.

Protect your energy like it pays you, because in many ways it does.

Protect your energy like it pays you, because many ways it does.

You know, I was.

I think the first thing that came to mind as you were sort of speaking that intro was that, like, time.

Time doesn't give you capacity.

Energy does.

Yes.

Right.

And I think how you energy definitely determines, like, is how you.

How you show up, how you show up for whatever the task at hand is, you know?

Right.

And so protect your energy like it pays you.

I'm gonna.

I'm gonna.

Oh, sorry.

I just.

Sorry.

Sorry.

Listener.

I think that.

I think that it's funny because I.

The first thing that comes to mind for me is.

Yeah, it's.

It's really important.

It is a valuable currency, and I am going to say that it is heavily.

Heavily receives deposits from.

From how we speak about ourselves.

Yeah, right.

Oh, my gosh.

Yeah, right.

I think we even said it in our B roll where I think you said.

I said, oh, I'm glad you said I need.

I think you said, I need some rest.

I need to rest.

Yeah.

And I said, oh, I'm so happy you didn't say, I am tired.

Yeah.

Because I don't know how many times, like, I even.

I did a speech and I was like.

I was talking about the power of I am.

I said, just hands up how many people said, I am tired this morning?

I said, okay.

And when you did, did it, like, say, yeah, give it up for the tired person?

Like, did everybody, like, just, like, all of a sudden say yes to the tired person?

No.

Suddenly everybody else is like, oh, yeah, yeah, I'm really tired too.

I can't wait for Friday.

All of a sudden, the energy around you is.

Is tired.

Is tired.

Is of tired energy.

Right.

And so I'm gonna say for me, number one, the.

The deposits.

The deposits for that, for the free energy starts with.

With how we.

How we talk to ourselves.

Oh, yes, you're absolutely right.

And you know what?

I feel like a lot of people manage their time, but they don't necessarily manage their energy like they manage your time.

So to your point, a lot of people will say, I don't have enough time.

We all have the same amount of time in the day.

Right.

Or, I'm so busy, or my calendar is full.

But again, this is all the management of time.

And if I were to put you in a room with someone who maybe isn't as energetic or values their time as much, I'm willing to bet.

Same scenario, two different experiences, right?

One feels energized.

That's you.

And one feels drained, which is the other person.

Okay.

And.

And it's because energy affects how you speak.

Right?

It affects how you eat.

It affects how you show up at home.

Your patience, your confidence, your health, your relationships, all the things.

And it really goes to the question of where is your time going?

But the real question is, where is your energy going?

Because you might have the time if I.

If I kind of paraphrase or what I took from what you just said, you might have all of the time in the world if you're not spending it with the.

Right.

I'm gonna.

Just for this sake of purpose, for Easy.

Yeah.

With the right humans.

Yeah.

That can drain.

And then suddenly, the results that you had desire to achieve are not met.

So the results are not from the cat.

You don't get the results from the calendar.

You get the results from the capacity.

And the capacity is created through the energy, the amount of energy that is able to be produced.

Right.

And that could just Be like, it doesn't just have to be people.

It could be if you're doing things that drain you, then it's gonna probably take you a lot longer to get through.

As in, if you're doing something that energizes you.

Right.

Oh my gosh, I love that so much.

Are you saying that people aren't necessarily tired?

They're drained?

It's quite possible.

Like, I. I always like one of the things I have and I think we have spoken about here, so related.

But just give me a moment to get to explain this.

Remember the mindfulness book that you gave me?

Yeah.

Yeah.

So one of the days of it, it says write your to be list and write your to be list before you write your to do list.

Because it says that, you know, in, in the whole, like this world, we are human beings, but we're constantly writing to do lists, which are, we have to do all of these things.

And all of these things then get added to list.

And typically the list gets appended to every single day.

And very rarely does it get right.

Unless, of course, some of that stuff makes it onto your calendar.

But I digress.

So the mindfulness technique was instead, write your to be list.

And so I'm going to take it one step further to.

What I recognize is if I'm putting on my to be list things that I want to become, and then if I look at my to do list and nothing on my to do list that I have to do for that day, for that week has anything to contribute to who I want to become, then it's very likely that by time I get through all of those to do's at the end of the week, I'm drained and not feeling any reward for it.

Because I think, I think the draining almost comes from the lack of reward.

Right.

But imagine, imagine if I write my to be list and then my to do list is informed from my to be list.

That's why I start my week writing a to be list.

Because even though I have all of these things that I need to do, whether it's for others, for work, for this, there's got to be something on my to be that I'm making time to add to my to do or on my calendar so that at the end of the week I. I feel like I had a harmonized week where I contributed not only to the greater good of others, but also I gave and poured back into something into myself, which I think is what is the energy refill.

Yes.

I love that so much.

Can we talk about energy leaks.

Ooh, yes, I know, right.

Like so we're talking.

We know the importance of energy and preserving energy.

Okay.

So I think our listeners, we know this.

So how do we get rid of the leaks?

Like complaining drama.

I think anytime you give your power away, you're leaking energy.

Yes, yes.

And we give our power away by one having disempowering conversations with ourselves for one, for sure.

Yeah.

I think for not having the right conversations with others.

Yeah.

For people pleasing I think is an energy leak.

I agree.

It's okay to say no, it's okay to say I'm not able to go to this event.

You don't have to explain yourself.

It's not selfish.

You can have boundaries.

I think lack of self care is an energy leak.

Yeah, yeah.

Like not.

I mean we've talked about it on this podcast many times, but I'm pretty even.

Even as I'm coming out of this period of like my surgery recovery, it I, my, my, my starting to go, my non negotiable still was starting my day with personal self care.

So yeah, even though I didn't have all of the other routines in me, I woke up, prayed, I used the Bible app, I was doing my bible plans.

So I, I like my mind intention was really set for the day.

I stood in front of my mirror, I did my affirmations, I did all of my self talk declaration, all of that kind of work.

I went and did my physio which was me working on healing my body.

And then I would come and then have a healthy, I would break my fast.

I would obviously, you know, sort of bathe and all that.

But I, but for me, like I love, I love con.

Like I love what I do for body care.

Like you know my scents, I love scents.

You know, I put on the aromatherapy in my house pretty much every day.

I'd open up the blinds to bring the sunlight in and I would have, you know, have a teddy bear which has kept me company all through.

But all of these things were whether like as I sit and I thought I felt comfort, that's I felt energy.

Like I like they all like I felt energized through that four weeks.

I didn't, even though I slept a lot, I didn't feel depleted, I didn't feel like I was leaking.

Yes.

I just love that so much.

It's important that we all recognize that the title here, which is protect your energy like it pays.

Right?

And so when we take a look at protecting energy, would you agree that it's Responsible and it's mature and that's really the way that we can be healthy and we can lead well and we have self respect.

It's, it's really.

Well, think about things that pay us.

Right.

Our jobs.

Yeah.

And think about how we, how we'll speed through like traffic, we'll cut people off just to get to our job really, really quickly.

Yeah.

But then if you think about like, okay, but then you walk into a room and, and, or you have a conversation where you're not being completely honest with the person and you leave that conversation demoralized.

Well, guess what, you just.

Oh yeah, that was the leaky, that was the leaky experience.

Right.

So yes.

If you start to think about, okay, what are the things that pay me?

And then how can I treat my energy in the same, with the same level of commitment that, that I give to that.

Yeah.

Okay, so could we wrap up this episode with each of us giving three things, three ways that we can protect our energy?

Okay.

Yeah, I think I did some, but sure.

We can wrap it up.

Yeah, we can say.

Okay, so I was, do you want.

Me to go first?

You go first.

Okay.

Yeah.

Sorry, I didn't even ask.

I was.

No, go, go do it.

Yeah.

I would say number one would be self talk.

So.

Yeah.

Watch how you talk to yourself.

Yes.

Very, very important.

I'm going to say that self talk, self care.

Right.

Is, is, is an energy boost.

And the other one, I'm going to say that is really, that is random and we haven't talked about it.

Is service.

Oh, yes.

I love that.

I think service is an energy generator.

I just think that's beautiful.

Yeah.

Not a people.

Yeah, Serving.

Yeah.

Okay, I love that.

So for me it's choosing who you want to spend your time with.

Yes, very important because time is very valuable.

Who do you want to spend it with?

I think that's important.

I would say blocking focus time in your calendar.

I have a lot of blocks.

I have prep time.

I give myself buffers after certain meetings.

There used to be time where I was literally back to back to back to back.

And then it's evening and I'm like, oh my gosh, I gotta keep my notes, I gotta do the contracts, I gotta send the follow up emails.

And it was just like, why am I running myself this way?

So having focus time allows me to, to finish that.

That's important for me.

I would say I take breaks without my phone.

I have my notifications off and I get to choose.

Yeah, I get to choose when I go on social media, when I reply, I don't like working and then having the notifications ding on me.

When I'm ready, I have time where I look at social media, and I think that has allowed me ties in with boundaries, but that really allows me to just take breaks and really be mindful, watch my energy.

I have.

I have to watch my.

I think one thing that you said that you haven't yet said on the set and on this podcast is a really great example, is we had originally scheduled an hour to do some batch recording.

Yes.

And you sent me a message and you had said that you needed to push it out because you thought you would get to the location where you do your recording from.

You want to.

I'll let you take it from here.

Yeah, for sure.

I'm glad you brought that up.

I actually wanted to mention that.

So as Ink mentioned, we had time to record this podcast recording.

And I knew that if I were to rush, I was at my mom's house at the time, rush from my mom's house to the location where I normally record from, that I would rush.

I might even risk being late.

I wouldn't have a chance to have dinner.

And it wasn't feeling right.

But I'm also a woman of my word, and I didn't want to actually reschedule this podcast recording.

And so I had asked, and thank you for the grace of allowing us to start late in that half hour gap.

I thought to myself, you know what?

Even if I still.

Even though I bought myself another half an hour, it still didn't feel right that I had to rush there, change, and then come back again.

And I was like, you know what?

It's fine what I'm wearing.

There is no judgment here.

Let me come to my best in this recording.

And that's exactly what I did.

I'm in a yellow T shirt, and that's okay.

Right?

You know, like.

But those are the ways, the ways you protect your energy.

Yeah.

If anything, I really like this T shirt.

There's a smiley face on it.

Yeah.

But the point here is there's no judgment.

Why do I have to have negative self talk and put myself in a stressful situation?

Right.

It's like, you know what?

I'm gonna be a woman of my word.

I'm gonna do this podcast recording, but I'm gonna do it so it feels right.

And thank you for understanding that.

And no guilt, no shame.

I was very responsible.

I gave myself a lot of respect.

Yeah.

And I think that that's.

I think that that's another really great tip for a lot of people is like, the things that we typically think are going to matter, they don't.

And a lot of times, really asking for grace is probably the biggest gift that you can give yourself to protect your energy.

Right.

And you'd be surprised how the, how the world responds to that.

It's true.

And you know, in the B roll, we talked about energy multiplying.

So, you know, kind of in summation, if you walked into a room and you feel that someone is calm, or you walk into a room and you feel that someone is stressed or someone is listening, or someone makes someone feel safe, or all of this, this is called energy, right?

And leaders transfer energy, speakers transfer energy.

Managers transfer energy both ways.

Either side multiplies others.

Yes, exactly.

So this is why this is an important topic.

Protect your energy, because it's not just for you.

It's not just for you.

It's for all the around you.

My energy, my kids feel your energy, your team feels.

This is very important.

It's for everybody around you.

I love that.

And can I just.

Before we rock, I have to let you know what I did with that extra 30 minutes that you gave me.

Yeah, I took a note.

I'd love to know.

Nice.

You protected your energy, and that's another way.

Look, if somebody gives you time, you take it and use it to give yourself some energy.

So I took a 20 minute power nap.

Oh, so good.

I love it.

So this is where we have to close this episode.

Okay, listeners, you've heard lots of tips, so make it.

Yes.

Protect your energy.

Decide what you're going to do, friends.

And this is where we have to say, we're out.

I'm Ink.

And I'm Gabby with Wendy.

And we're out.

Bye.

Bye.

Thank you for tuning in to the Empowered in My Skin podcast.

If today's conversation resonated with you, please take a moment to share this episode, leave a review and subscribe so you never miss an empowering conversation.

And remember, empowered humans empower humans.

Until next time, I'm your girl and I'm out.