Energy Audit
Assessing what activities, people, and contexts give versus drain your energy.
Also known as: Energy tracking, Energy assessment, Personal energy inventory
Category: Techniques
Tags: energy, self-awareness, productivity, well-being, reflection
Explanation
An energy audit is the practice of systematically assessing what activities, people, and contexts give versus drain your energy. The audit recognizes that: different activities have different energy costs and returns, energy patterns are personal (what energizes one person drains another), and awareness enables better design of days and work. The process involves: tracking energy levels throughout day, noting what preceded energy changes, and identifying patterns over time. Categories often include: energy-giving (leave you feeling more alive), energy-neutral, and energy-draining (leave you depleted). Factors to assess include: specific tasks, types of work, people and interactions, environments, and times of day. The audit enables: scheduling draining activities strategically, ensuring sufficient energy-giving activities, and redesigning work and life for better energy management. Audits can be: daily tracking for a period, retrospective reflection, or ongoing awareness practice. For knowledge workers, energy audits help: optimize schedules, make better role and project choices, and maintain sustainable energy levels.
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