The 7 Keys To Maintaining Energy, According To Zen Buddhism

We call “energy” that vital force that depends on both a physical reserve and an emotional state. Maintaining energy in a world like ours is not easy. There are thousands of factors that subtract it, such as stress and everyday problems.

That is why the feeling of tiredness is relatively frequent. We end each day with the feeling of having transported a ton of weight for a kilometer. All we want is to do nothing to maintain the energy that we have left.

It is not even that we do great feats during the day. Many times the routine alone is enough to exhaust us. Why is this happening? Perhaps there are factors that prevent us from maintaining energy and it ends up being wasted on issues that could well be resolved. There are keys to preventing this from happening. These are seven of them.

1. Have no debt

Not meeting debts on time is something that haunts anyone. It is not only the feeling of having a payment pending, but also the psychological perception of being at fault or doing something improper. To keep energy at the right level, it is best to avoid debt. If this is impossible, then paying for them should be an unquestionable priority. If we don’t do it materially , in many cases we do it psychologically.

2. Keep promises

Promises made have an effect similar to that of debts, even if there is not such a high haste. Before committing to do something, we must think carefully about whether we are capable of accomplishing it or not. Promising and not fulfilling creates a significant psychological burden.

Additionally, broken promises create discomfort with other people. An unnecessary conflict that prevents us from conserving our energy. Either we deliver on what we promise, or we admit that it is impossible for us and negotiate compensation.

3. Rest, a key to maintaining energy

Unfortunately, in today’s world we have to remember over and over the importance of rest. It would seem like an obvious matter, but it is alarming to see how many people forget it. They just feel condemned to do, do, and do, without pause.

Rest is the quintessential way to maintain energy. We must take care of and enrich our rest times to the maximum. That is the foundation of our physical, emotional, and cognitive well-being. If we do not rest properly, we simply cannot function properly.

4. Get organized

We do not always take the time to rethink our activities and assess whether we are performing them in the most practical way. Many times things just happen and that is how we assume them: how they come.

We can always organize ourselves better. Everything is a matter of spending time to organize our ideas. Also to try to find methods and mechanisms that are more functional. It is good to do this periodically to get the most out of it.

5. Take care of health

To keep energy at balanced levels it is absolutely essential that we take care of our health. This includes healthy habits and a careful and calm follow-up of any health problems that come our way.

Healthy habits have to do with nutrition, exercise, and rest. Those three areas are essential to maintaining a healthy life. We also have a regular check-up, especially if there are any new symptoms or we have any discomfort. Do not be alarmed and adhere to what the doctor indicates, if we are sick.

6. Don’t avoid difficult situations

Attempts to flee from difficulties, when there is no choice but to face them, only ends up enlarging them and making their handling and resolution more difficult. We can close our eyes to problems, but they will return, either in the form of anxiety, or because of the specific consequences they generate.

Once we are aware that there is a serious problem in our life, a heap of concern arises. That restlessness does not dissipate just because it does not, nor does it disappear. It remains there, gravitating over our lives and robbing us of more energy than we suppose. Thus, the  faster we take on a problem, the more possibilities or alternatives we will have to provide a solution.

7. Accept and forgive

Few attitudes rob us of more energy than resisting reality.  It almost never conforms to our wishes, which is why it is absurd to keep ourselves in a position of denial or partial ignorance. If we are interested in transforming it, the first step to do so is to accept the way it is configured.

Forgiving is part of that acceptance. To forgive ourselves for being wrong is to admit that we are human, that we make mistakes, and that this does not detract from us. To forgive others is to accept that they too make mistakes, but that this is only part of their reality. Holding grudges or lashing out only takes away our vitality.

For Zen Buddhism, energy is an absolute good that must be protected and conserved. All these recommendations to maintain energy are a guide and a catalog that surely brings many benefits to those who follow it.