Battle energy vampires

Cope with tasks and people you find draining

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:05):
Good morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the New Corner Office,
the podcast where we share strategies for thriving in the
new world of work, where location and ours are more
flexible than in the past. Today's tip is about how
to battle energy vampires. We all have tasks or people

(00:26):
who seem to suck the life out of us, but
as people in the stories, found ways to battle vampires
so we can keep these energy vampires away. This episode
is airing right before Halloween, and I will admit I
have creatures like ghosts and ghouls and vampires on the brain.
One of the reasons people are drawn to Halloween and

(00:47):
horror in general is that it's an over the top
manifestation of some things we encounter in real life. Fright, dread, anxiety.
We all have stuff we dread, people, tasks, and these
can weigh us down considerably. But when we do break
free of them, we can feel like we've battled literal monsters.

(01:09):
We feel triumphant and light. But how do we do that?
The first step is to see things for what they are.
As you go through your day, keep track of your
energy levels. When do you feel most excited and motivated?
When do you feel like you'd be willing to pay
some serious cash to get out of something. Pay attention.

(01:31):
We can't automatically change some energy draining situations, but sometimes
we can. Is there a particular person who you find draining.
Maybe you notice that every meeting with him or her
leaves you at a two on a ten point energy scale.
If so, ponder if there is a way to limit
your exposure. Perhaps there are new projects you can pursue.

(01:56):
Perhaps you can create your own teams for projects with
new and different people. If it's not possible to move away,
you can also create better boundaries. Say at the start
of any conversation what you will be covering, and end
the conversation. If it moves beyond that, say how long
you have and simply end what you're doing. If the
time moves beyond that. When you don't appear to be

(02:18):
a good source of fresh blood, the energy vampire will
move on to more fertile hunting grounds. You can also
do things to replenish yourself newte when the vampire appears
on your calendar, proactively plan in something rejuvenating before and after.
That could be a walk outside, reading something inspirational, calling

(02:41):
a work friend, having lunch with your spouse. I note
that this is a good approach for people who are
behaving in a vampire fashion in your personal life too.
I love my children dearly, but from time to time,
one or more of them will go through a bit
of a vampire phase. When that's happening, I recognize that
I can ford if I myself to deal with them

(03:01):
by taking care of myself too, and I can share
the burden. I have a co parent, other relatives, adult
mentors the kids know, and I can teach them coping strategies,
like taking deep breaths or getting some exercise. As for
work tasks that are uniquely draining, we always have the

(03:23):
option to ignore, minimize, or outsource. Does the work truly
need to be done? Sometimes it does, but not always.
Maybe you can make sure to limit the total time
you will work on the draining project for no more
than an hour before you move on to other things.
You will be very clear on the scope in order

(03:45):
to set boundaries, or you'll see if there are other
people who enjoy this sort of work. Much work is
neither good or bad per se, it's how we view it.
You can do this with personal tasks as well. If
you find bathing kids draining, bathe them less often. It
will be okay. Foist it off on your partner, or

(04:06):
make this part of a babysitter's duties. Teach the kids
to bathe themselves as soon as they possibly can. Unlike
the mythical vampires, energy vampires are unfortunately real. They walk
among us, but we don't have to succumb to them.
Push back, rework your schedule, limit exposure. You'll feel far

(04:29):
better whether it's Halloween time or not. In the meantime,
this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's the succeeding
in the New Corner Office. The New Corner Office is
a production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts, visit

(04:50):
the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
get your favorite shows.