Running on anabolic energy

I started executive coaching with a former colleague a few weeks ago. One of the first exercises we went through was something called an energy audit. During the debrief, we discussed something called anabolic energy. Basically, this is the energy you draw upon in a fight or flight situation.

It’s a great energy to use in certain moments, but it’s also something that cannot be sustained in the long-term. You can’t keep drawing on anabolic energy indefinitely or you will drain the tank.

Today, I put my coaching sessions to work perhaps for the first time.

I didn’t have a great night of sleep last night and went into 5+ hours of calls to start my day. By the time my last call ended at 2pm, I was zapped and my first instinct was to grab a coffee and power through. In other words, I was going to try to activate my anabolic energy to get through the rest of my work day.

Instead, I came to the realization that I was basically running on fumes. Instead of trying to power through, I ended up just laying down on my office couch and took a 15 minute power nap. I woke up feeling energized and as I sit here right now, I’m feeling optimistic and ready to crush some work.

I wonder how many of my problems today can be fixed simply by just taking a nap.