Mental Energy: Being Laser-focused, Faith-filled Women of God
“Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12:2).
When speaking about the mind, we often use the terms mental and emotional interchangeably. Last month, the focus was on emotional energy — feelings and relationships. This month, we will explore mental energy.
Mental energy is our brain cognitions, the focus of our energy, awareness of the present moment, concentration on a task at hand, critical thinking, and a growth mindset. Mental energy is being fully present and fully aware (Philippians 4:8).
Think of a recent time you were fully present and fully aware. It may have been at a work meeting, giving a presentation, watching a sporting event, having dinner with friends, or solving a problem.
How did you feel?
In positive psychology, there is a concept called flow. Flow is a state of complete immersion and focus on an activity. When this happens, it can enhance performance and increase satisfaction and well-being.
There are two main barriers to managing and enhancing mental energy: multitasking and storytelling. Multi-tasking is the simultaneous processing of two unrelated tasks. It results in poor energy management and disengagement in each task. Storytelling is the stories we tell ourselves about people, situations, and experiences. It too can shape our brain patterns, affect energy, relationships, and how we view ourselves.
Multitasking
As humans, we take pride in being able to do multiple things at the same time. What we are actually doing is switching between tasks, almost instantly in some situations. Multitasking may seem like a productivity booster, but based on the research, multitasking decreases productivity, creativity, focus, and quality of work.
At the same time, multitasking increases stress, burnout, and the likelihood of making a mistake. It can also raise blood pressure and cause the brain to function at a lower level.
It’s not to say you shouldn’t or won’t ever multitask again. The question is: Where do you want to multitask less in your life? Where can you focus more intentionally and even inadvertently, experience flow? What do you consider “mission critical” (2 Corinthians 10:5) to your faith, family, business, decisions, core values, purpose, and experiences that will benefit more from not multitasking? When is the time to multitask, and when is the time to focus? By answering these questions with the intent to make some small changes in how you approach multitasking, you will better manage your mental energy and focus on what is most important.
Storytelling
Storytelling shapes our lives. The stories we tell ourselves make us into who we are and drive how we interact and deal with the world around us. Stories can serve us, and they can derail us. A story can be grounded in truth or lies (Ephesians 5:8). We can grow from our story, and we can remain stuck in our story.
A growth mindset (Psalm 37: 23-24) allows us to move forward with faith and hope, seeing the silver linings, the joy in the sorrow, and learning lessons along the way. A fixed mindset is the belief that life “is what it is,” that things will not change, which leads to fearing failure, giving up easily, low self-esteem, and inhibited personal growth.
Our private voice is the master storyteller. What is your private voice? It could be your voice, God’s voice, or the enemy’s voice in your thoughts and feelings. The private voice serves as a tool for self-regulation, cognitive processes, and preserving memories (pleasant and unpleasant). We want our private voice (and God’s voice) to serve our faith, energy, purpose, and well-being.
To better align your private voice with what is most important to you, reflect on the following questions:
What is your private voice like during times of stress?
Are your current stories taking you where you want to go?
How aligned is your private voice with your public voice?
Is it aligned with what is most important to you?
How do you feel when your private voice is critical? How about when it is supportive?
We need to train our private voice to be supportive and nurturing. What happens when it isn’t serving us? Praying (Matthew 7:7-8), reading the Word, and spending time in silence with the Lord help us to sort out where we are misaligned, discover possibilities of course correction and behavior change, and let the Lord guide our next steps.
In John 6:10, “have the people sit down” is a purposeful statement. Jesus doesn’t say “chat with the person next to you” or “lie down and rest” — He wants our undivided attention so we can listen, learn, and apply. When we truly listen, it requires deep reflection and introspection, united with Him.
Write down or journal the thoughts that enter your brain, or visualize scenarios in your mind where you are focused. This is called mental rehearsal. It can be very powerful. If you have the financial means, coaching (such as professional, executive, or health) may be helpful. Above all, we have the power and ability to improve our mental energy by reshaping the stories we tell ourselves, or the devil whispers in our ears.
For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control (2 Timothy 1:7).
Megan Amaya is an associate clinical professor, director of health & wellness, board-certified health coach, and certified group fitness instructor.