Three Ways to Increase Your Well-Being Capacity

I like analogies and metaphors.  They help me better understand and explain life situations. I hope my use of a vehicle analogy will help you understand the concept of your well-being tank. Just as a vehicle has a fuel tank you, metaphorically speaking, have a well-being tank. And, just as a vehicle fuel tank can only hold a limited amount of fuel, your well-being tank also has a limited capacity. Additionally, just as one can increase a vehicle’s capacity, which for the sake of this analogy equals the number of miles driven per tank of gas, you can increase your well-being capacity. Our definition of well-being capacity is the ability to thrive and make progress towards well-being.

An initial step to increasing your well-being capacity is determining your current level of well-being capacity. Your well-being capacity may be described as high, diminished, or drained.

a.       HIGH – You are at 100 percent. You are living life at a high level of capacity meaning, as you are expending energy, you are replenishing it at an equal rate.

b.       DIMINISHED – Your energy level is below full capacity. You only find time to partially replenish the energy expended, but you are still able to maintain a perform adequately. Headaches and other aches and pains may be symptoms of your diminished capacity.

c.       DRAINED – You are exhausted. Your level of capacity is below average, your warning lights are blinking indicating that your capacity is nearly depleted. Depression, anxiety, and other health problems may occur.

Ways to increase well-being capacity decreases and/or become more challenging the lower the level well-being falls. For example, Cathy may be able to work an eight-hour day, come home, prepare dinner, and take care of her family 5-days a week as long as she can find time during the weekend to relax and replenish her well-being tank. But if something happens where she is not able to get that down-time it will be difficult for her to continue at her diminished level of well-being. And if her level of well-being drops to where she is completely drained, it will be even harder for her to return to a high-capacity level.

There are three ways to increase your well-being capacity; change the quality of the replenishment, change the source of the replenishment, and change the level of demand on your well-being capacity.

CHANGE QUALITY of REPLENISHMENT – Does your vehicle require Premium Only? Using Regular instead or Premium gas in your vehicle is analogous to making a poor choice in what meets your well-being needs. If what you are using to replenish yourself has negative “side effects” you could be using a poor-quality method. A quick nap may still leave you drowsy and exhausted. You may need a few hours at a day spa or a full treatment vacation.  The point is to know what you need for your self-care to achieve your desired level of well-being.

CHANGE SOURCE of REPLENISHMENT – Do you buy your vehicle fuel from a local retail service station instead of one of the top-tier distributors?  When it comes to increasing our well-being capacity sometimes, we use a less credentialed or reputable source for our well-being needs hoping that the difference in outcomes will insignificant. When compromise on from whom or from what we seek for replenishment it could have a harming affect our well-being capacity. For example, energy drinks or pills and other stimulants may boost your stamina capacity but diminish your overall well-being capacity. Alternatives include an exercise or diet regimen, good friends, and quality health care.

CHANGE LEVEL OF DEMAND –High speeds and long idling while waiting in traffic are not fuel-efficient vehicle operations. They can diminish vehicle capacity over time. Similarly, if you are living and giving at high capacity your well-being will diminish over time. Just as you take your vehicle in for a tune-up you should also schedule regular health check-ups for yourself. You should also set boundaries. Health coach Lauren Kenson writes that “Boundary setting helps you prioritize your needs over other people’s wants.” No, is a word we sometimes forget to use. Author Anne Lamont writes that “No is a complete sentence.” For the sake of our well-being we need to set boundaries and saying no is sometimes the best way of doing so.