Why You Need an ENERGY AUDIT (and how to do one)

Summary

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Episode Overview

Podcast: Love Your Life Show: Personal Growth, Mindset, + Habits for Busy Moms
Host: Susie Pettit
Episode: Why You Need an ENERGY AUDIT (and how to do one)
Date: March 19, 2025

Susie Pettit dives into the transformative concept of an “energy audit” in this episode, empowering her listeners—especially busy moms—to take charge of their emotional and physical well-being by understanding and managing how their energy is both depleted and replenished. Through personal anecdotes, practical exercises, and mindset shifts, she guides listeners to identify and plug “energy leaks” in daily life, so they can lead more joyful, regulated, and aligned lives.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Importance of Doing an Energy Audit

[00:23-04:51]

• Susie highlights that many moms feel exhausted and overwhelmed, even if nothing major has changed with their routines (“Why do I feel so blah? I’m living the life I want to be living… why do I feel so meh.” – 01:39).
• She explains that energy is not just physical—managing emotions, mental load, and relationships can be huge energy drains.
• “The truth is that how we feel in our lives is directly related to the energy it takes to be us in our lives.” (02:58)

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2. The Science of Energy: More Than Just Calories

[03:13-04:51]

• Emphasizes that calories are only one aspect; “Our brain uses more calories than any other organ in our body” (03:33).
• Emotional labor, mental tasks, and even silent worry sap energy just as much as physical exertion.

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3. How to Conduct Your Own Energy Audit: Three Key Areas

A. Physical Environment

[05:07-12:30]

• Clutter and disorganization are identified as significant energy drains.
• “Clutter drains energy. It represents decisions not yet made. If your space feels chaotic, your brain will too.” (09:05)
• Urges listeners to stop making excuses about other household members and instead focus on what they can control.
• Actionable advice: Pick up one thing right now—be it your keys or a coffee mug—and put it away to experience immediate relief.

B. Noise and Stimulation

[12:31-19:01]

• Noise, including background TV, constant notifications, and chatter, taxes the nervous system.
• “When our phone pings, it takes a minimum of 23 seconds to return to what we were doing… on average, it takes 13 minutes.” (12:36)
• For those with a history of trauma or hypervigilance, noise can trigger old stress responses.
• “Be deliberate about the noise you have on in your house.” (16:36)
• Recommends using earplugs, turning off nonessential background noise, and being conscious of auditory stimulation.

C. People and Relationships

[19:02-22:28]

• Other people can either charge us up or leave us depleted.
• Exercise: Write down 10–20 people you interact with weekly and rate their impact on your energy from -2 (draining) to +2 (energizing).
• “We all have people in our lives who energize us and people who exhaust us. The more aware we are of this, the better we'll be able to manage our energy.” (21:11)
• Emphasizes that awareness is the first step; you don't have to “cut negative people out,” but observe and be intentional about time and boundaries.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “How we feel in our lives is directly related to the energy it takes to be us in our lives.” — Susie Pettit (02:58)
• “Did you know that feeling emotions also take energy? Our brain uses more calories than any other organ in our body… An emotion is energy in motion.” — Susie Pettit (03:31)
• “Clutter drains energy. It represents decisions not yet made. If your space feels chaotic, your brain will too.” — Susie Pettit (09:05)
• “There will always be ways we can argue for our limitations. Excuses we can make to continue to feel drained and awful. Let’s skip that for today.” — Susie Pettit (09:33)
• “Problem solving feels light. … Push back against that stinking thinking, those automatic negative thoughts, those ants. You can declutter those right away.” — Susie Pettit (10:55)
• “Background noise keeps our nervous system on alert. TV’s on in the background, notifications dinging, kids talking, the hum of constant activity, it adds up.” — Susie Pettit (13:47)
• “If you knew there was a solution, what would you be thinking in problem-solving mode?” — Susie Pettit (18:20)
• “You might be the juiciest, most wonderful peach in the world and someone else doesn’t like peaches. … Get real with yourself and how you feel with these people because your energy matters.” — Susie Pettit (21:00)

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Practical Tips & Action Steps

1. Conduct Your Energy Audit:

   • List what's fueling or draining you in your environment, with noise, and with people.
   • Pick one tiny action—like clearing a surface or turning off a device—to plug an energy leak.

2. Notice and Rate:

   • Become aware of where your energy spikes or drops throughout the day and with whom.

3. Challenge “Yeah, But…” Excuses:

   • When you hear yourself making excuses about why things can’t change, push back. Assume there’s a solution and brainstorm three possible actions.

4. Be Deliberate With Noise and Relationships:

   • Reduce background stimulation. Intentionally shape your circle of influence, not by cutting people out automatically but by bringing mindful attention to how you feel.

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Why energy audits matter: 00:23 – 04:51
• Physical environment assessment & tips: 05:07 – 12:30
• Noise and stimulation analysis: 12:31 – 19:01
• People and relationships energy exercise: 19:02 – 22:28
• Recap and mindset for change: 22:28 – 24:40

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Final Thoughts from Susie

• “Pretend you have a little energy gauge on your forearm this week. … Are the people you’re around, the sounds you’re listening to, the physical environment you’re in … are they raising that dial or are they lowering it? Maybe ask yourself, what do I need to do differently in my life to feel differently and pick one thing to change.” (23:16)
• “Small shifts lead to big changes and you are worth the effort it takes to feel better. In fact, I would just say that it’s mandatory for you to take this effort. We need all hands on deck.” (23:56)

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Susie’s energetic, encouraging tone infuses the episode with actionable wisdom and a “let’s do this, Warriors!” spirit. Her compassionate, no-excuses coaching style urges listeners to take ownership of their daily energy and, by extension, their happiness and well-being.

If this episode resonates, consider joining Susie’s Love Your Life School for deeper support.

Transcript

[A]

Foreign.

[B]

Hi, this is the Love youe Life show with Susie Pettit, certified life and wellness coach. Join Susie as she helps you with your wellness and mindset so you can live a life you love. Let's go, Warriors.

[A]

Warriors. Hello, and welcome back to another episode of the Love youe Life Show. It is me, Susie Pettit, your certified life and wellness coach. And today we're diving into something that will help you in every moment of your every day. I don't say that lightly because it is freaking true. By the end of this episode, you will have specific things you can do, starting right now, that will help you. Right now. What are we talking about today, Susie? It is our energy and how it impacts our ability to stay emotionally regulated, AKA calm, not snippy, not snappy. This is super important. My dear warrior listeners, my wonderful person who's listening to this show, I want to speak right into your wonderful ear because you are so important, and the way you feel in this world matters. And with the things that are going on in the world right now, there's a lot out of our control, yet there continues to be a lot in our control and those things that are within our control and the things that are outside of our control. But all these things impact how we feel and how we act, which is why today I want to lead you through an energy audit. Have you ever had one of those days where you feel so exhausted, so overwhelmed, like, you're not only, like, say, your body was like a. You know, you had a gas tank or something. You're not only running on empty, it's like your tank is less than empty. And you think back and you're like, why do I feel this way? I didn't even do that much today. Like, I didn't exercise more. I got regular sleep. I ate my meals. You know what the. What? How come it feels like I don't even have the energy to raise my arm? Or like getting up from the couch would take a Herculean effort. Okay, maybe it's just me, but. Or maybe you have that moment when you're like, wait a minute. What's going on? Why do I feel so bleh. I'm living the life I want to be living. I'm doing the things I want to be doing. I'm in a relationship I want to be in. I'm living where I want to live. Why do I feel so meh.

[C]

All right.

[A]

So many of us. First of all, you're not alone. So all those things are normal. That's why I came to. That's why I can talk about them on this podcast. So many of us go through life feeling drained, wondering why we're snappy with our kids or our partner. Why things feel harder than they should. Okay. Why it feels like we have a weight on our shoulders just pressing us down. That's what this episode is about. Because the truth is that how we feel in our lives is directly related to the energy it takes to beat us in our lives.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

That's a combination of the energy we take in and the energy we put out. Think of it like a science equation. Because seriously, at the very basic level, it is. Like, remember calories? And this is not an episode on food or diet or anything, but calories are a unit of measuring energy. So, basic human math. We need to take in enough energy, that is calories, to fuel the kind of days we're having. Great. We can definitely look at that. And you know what else? Like, well, let me get to this. The challenge is that the things we're using our energy on sometimes are hidden. It's not as simple as, like, oh, I'm going for a walk later, so I need to make sure I have some protein before. Yes, yes, yes, do that. But did you know that feeling emotions also take energy? Our brain uses more calories than any other organ in our body. Do you know that the very word emotion tells you that that feeling of emotion takes energy? It's energy in motion is an emotion. And yet, like I said earlier, we discount this so quickly. We're like, why am I so exhausted? All I did was manage. You know, I didn't do anything differently. But you spent time consoling your lovely mother or listening to your friend talk about her current problem, or your kid had a rough day and she was telling you about it again. Or. Or maybe none of those things happen and you're just thinking about all these people in your head and doing some of that codependent thinking that we work on in the Love youe Life school.

[C]

Okay?

[A]

This stuff takes energy, and that's what we're here for today. In this episode, I want to support you because we need your energy in this world. We want to look at some of the energy leaks in our lives so we can get more control of where we're unintentionally spending our energy.

[C]

Okay?

[A]

This is super important because I know listeners of this show have things to do, things to accomplish. We don't want to be spinning our energy out, replying to some ridiculous post on Instagram when we could Be taking action like calling our representative instead. Or we don't want to be using our energy, pissed at how that stranger was driving so we don't have energy. And the feel the, you know, to generate patience when our kid comes home upset and complaining about that thing again. Or our spouse tells us he forgot this thing that we reminded him. You know, let's get intentional about how we're spending our energy. All right, so let's look at two parts of the equation. Energy in and energy out. In this episode, we'll be looking at both of those. We have a lot more control than we think. We give our way our control away a lot quicker. And listen to the end because. Because I have a super easy low energy tip you won't want to miss. So first, let's go think of this like detective work. We're going to look at three main areas that impact our energy. There are many more areas. Yes. That we'll be looking at. And we'll be coming up for strategies. Actually, next month in the Love youe Life school, we're doing a whole like decluttering and energy cleanse. And for today, as you listen, we're going to be looking at where energy goes in and out of these three different areas. So let's begin by asking ourselves questions like what is fueling me? What is draining me? What is giving me energy? And what is taking my energy? We're looking at energy in and energy out. All right, so the first area of these three areas I want you to look at is your physical environment. What is giving you energy and what is draining your energy? What makes you feel more energized? What drains your energy in your physical space? Okay. For me, I feel energized when everything has a place. I know I've done the pre work to have a bin for those smelly sports shoes of my kids or a place for them to put their backpacks. Or a corner of a drawer where I put my eye makeup or container where the wrapping paper is kept that I can close the lid on. You know, that fills up my energy. My energy drains out when the opposite is happening. Either I haven't done the pre steps to have that organizing strategy. Don't worry, we're doing that stuff in the Love youe Life school for my dear students in April.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

So my energy is drained when I haven't done that pre work to figure it out.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

And I don't have the strategy or I haven't or maybe I haven't put the thing where it belongs. Like I have the bin, but the wrapping paper is on the counter, not in the bin. Having less physical clutter around creates feelings of calm peace and is very important and lessens our ability to be distracted.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

At a time in our world when distractions are massive and when we might be feeling out of control in some areas, please make sure you're taking action and control where you do have control. I heard someone say just recently where they were like the demise of the human race will be our inability to resist short term temptation. Now the Love youe Life show because we talk a lot about productive and disposal, unproductive discomfort and procrastination and doing the short term, hard for long term ease, all of that. But this in this particular area. Okay, let's look at where our physical space is draining our energy. Clutter drains energy. It represents decisions not yet made. If your space feels chaotic, your brain will too. And yes, I hear you saying yeah, but yeah, but my husband doesn't, you know, yeah, but my kids don't. Da da da. But wait a minute, Warrior, you're a listener of this show. There will always be ways we can argue for our limitations. Remember that podcast back in early February, not that long ago where we talked about that woman and her baby stroller and how one woman was arguing against what her goals and one woman was arguing for her goals. We can do that. So I want you to argue for yourself here. There will always be a way we can argue for our limitations. Excuses we can make to continue to feel drained and awful. Let's skip that for today. When your brain says, yeah, but push back, your brain wants you to take the easy way out, which in this case means that you continue to feel drained and exhausted and possibly complain about it. Yet since your brain convinces you it's out of your control, it's your husband's fault or it's their fault, you don't have to take any action and the brain loves doing the same thing over and over again, even if it's getting the same result. The problem is this doesn't save long term energy. It doesn't create long term satisfaction. So push back.

[C]

Okay?

[A]

This is a great strategy we're going to use with all three of these areas is that anytime we feel stuck or anytime we hear our brain saying yeah, but assume that it's going to work. Assume that there's a solution.

[C]

Okay?

[A]

I like saying to myself, like, what are like. So I'm assuming that it would work that I could have less clutter in the house, that the people in My house could also play along. And I'm like, what are three ways this might work? Okay, so for this area, what are three ways to have less clutter in my house even with those other people in my lives? This is super important. Like, assuming there is a solution, because this moves our brain from negative stuck brain into problem solving, which is another energy saver. Think about it. When we're in the negative brain and we're like, yeah, but, you know, I got that husband, or I got that kid, or I got that. It feels like stuck mud. It's heavy. Problem solving feels light. You're like, oh, let me think. Here's an option. Let me try it. Okay, so push back about that against that stinking thinking, those automatic negative thoughts, those ants. You can declutter those right away and then look around. Now, what's one thing you can clear or put away? I'm serious. If you're listening at home, just pick something up. Your keys. Your keys, a pile of papers, that coffee mug that's been sitting out for two days. Or when you go to put the coffee mug away and you have like 15 coffee mugs in your cabinet, do you have 15 people come over and all have to drink coffee at the same. Like, how do you even do that? The drinks. Throw out five. Start a Goodwill bin, whatever. Okay, just do something. Notice even one small shift can make your space and your brain feel a little lighter. You're driving. Okay, look around your car. Get one thing you can check, like that glove compartment box. Do you really? Okay, just something. You get it? All right, let's do it. We just need these little steps, and we will feel lighter.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

The second area that I want to look at today that has the potential to decrease or increase our energy is noise and stimulation. Please don't discount. This noise drains our energy. By now, we've probably all heard the study that when our phone pings, like, if we still have notifications on our phones, if it dings, it takes a minimum of 23 seconds to return to what we were doing. But they say on average, it takes 13 minutes to get back to it. Or the studies that show that background noise, like having a TV on in the background, keeps our nervous system buzzing at a higher stress level than if that TV wasn't on. And while we can't control all the noises, there are a lot we can control. In fact, right now, as I'm recording, I stopped to notice that I can hear an airplane in the background. Okay, I can't control that noise. But, you know, just an aside here. Do you remember during COVID how quiet it was? I lived in Washington D.C. and I can remember how amazingly quiet it was without the street and the air noise. Or how about if you're in an area of the world where you get snowstorms that quiet, think of how calming that can feel. That's because when you don't hear hear the noise, your brain doesn't have to use energy to think about that thing, because it is like right now, when that airplane flew over, there was a part of my brain thinking, don't pay attention to that. It doesn't affect you. And thus using some of my energy. It's unconscious. I wasn't consciously like, don't pay attention, but it's there. Like, think right now. Maybe pause the podcast and be like, what are you listening to? What do you hear right now? Your brain is constantly directing your attention to either pay attention to it or not. Okay, so interesting. This also goes back to physical space, our first area. Like right now, I have the shade on, there's a window behind my computer and I have the shade down so I don't see the people walking by on the bike path. Even though I wouldn't consciously be thinking, there goes a walker, there goes a biker. My unconscious brain would be and it would be using energy. So for this part of the energy audit, think of the noises in your environment. While we cannot control the flight path today, we can control a lot more the next time you walk into your living space. Pretend you're a stranger. What do you hear? What do you see? How about when you get into your car? Does a car radio automatically come on? Do you automatically turn on the TV when you enter a room in your house? Slow these decisions down. Background noise keeps our nervous system on alert. TV's on in the background, notifications dinging, kids talking, the hum of constant activity, it adds up. These things impact us and they directly impact our ability to stay emotionally regulated. As a mom of three sons, I know that if I had anything on like the radio or TV when my kids were playing around the house, I would already be partially activated. Alright, say I was making dinner and my kids were downstairs and I used to like put NPR on the background. Part of my brain would be paying attention to the sounds my kids were making. Part of my brain would be paying attention to what dinner I was making. Part of my brain would be paying attention to the npr. Like already. That's draining just thinking about it. Okay, but that part of my brain that I'm like trying to make Dinner. And then the sounds in the background of my kids, you know, we're paying attention. That we're like paying attention to the calm. They're chatting away versus, like when we, you know, that feeling that in our body when their tone of voice changes. Okay, if I have a radio or TV on, I am running through my energy stores faster. Another thing I want to mention here for my listeners because I know many of you found me through having some traumatic relationships or emotional, you know, scarring in your past and all that, that when you have been in past relationships with narcissists or emotionally unsafe relationships like we were talking about in last episode with Dr. Tara, please pay specific attention here because you will want your noise and stimulation even lower. Since you were constantly on the lookout in those old relationships, maybe for how your mom was feeling or what mood your dad was in or if your husband was in the house or whatever, your brain will be more hyper vigilant. Like, I was just, like, I'd be making dinner and I'd be hearing the kids downstairs and maybe I'd hear a thump upstairs. I'm like, oh my God, is that like my husband, like, slamming his shoe to the floor? You know something? Do yourself a favor and be deliberate about the noise you have on in your house. I still do this. I am aware.

[C]

I am.

[A]

My kids have all launched and it is me and my husband. And I am very aware that if I have other noise on in the background, that hyper vigilant, habitual part of my brain is still triggered.

[C]

Okay?

[A]

So please do yourself a favor and think of some area where you can turn down the energy you're spending on noise. And remember our trick from Area 1 where your brain wants to come up with excuses to keep you on edge to talk back. Okay, what are. Instead, let's talk back. What are some ways you could limit the noise in your environment? If you knew there was a solution, what would you be thinking in problem solving mode? Maybe it's about turning things down or off. I know many moms and women who work in noisy work environments use earplugs. Not noise canceling ones, but like noise muffling ones. In fact, like, I'll put the link to my favorite ear thingy for this in the show notes. They were sold out last time, probably because all my clients bought them and they've shared their amazingness with their friends. But it's worth a try. They're awesome.

[C]

Okay?

[A]

This alone can settle your nervous system and help you so you're less reactive when things do matter. And you need your energy to pay attention to.

[C]

Okay?

[A]

So for now, turn off the TV or music or even podcasts you have in the hour after you finish listening to me, of course, fill your body back up with some energy. And now let's look at our third area and the one that probably impacts us most. And it's people. This is a big one. Humans are social beings, so we, like, we are relational beings. And research has shown that our relationships affect us at a cellular level. The people we are around, online and in person impact all areas of our health, our mental health, our physical health, even our financial health. Warriors. Your energy audit action step here is to sit and think of the 10 to 20 people you come into contact with in a week. These are people you come into contact with either in person or online. Write those names down on a piece of paper.

[C]

Right, right, right.

[A]

Then look at those names. And we're going to rate them negative two to positive two. So you're either going to write a negative two, a negative one, a zero, a positive one, or a positive two next to them.

[C]

Okay?

[A]

Think of how you feel when you're with that person or after you've been with or interacted with that person. And then put a number next to their name. Do this pretty quickly, okay? Don't get like overly okay, just quickly. Positive two is you feel energized after lit up great. Positive one, mostly good, mostly good, pretty good, zero neutral, neither good nor bad. Like shoulder shrug. Okay, Give or take. Negative one, sort of negative, not great. And negative two, big time energy suck. Bleh. All right, now drop the judgment of yourself for them. We don't have to get into, like, explaining why, like, you're right for judging someone. A negative two, like she's really whatever you need to say. Everyone's different out there. People are going to be people. Let them depending on us, our values and our life experiences. We're going to vibe with some people and have our energy sucked by others. All right, this is my favorite quote where I'm saying, like, you might be the juiciest, most wonderful peach in the world and someone else doesn't like peaches. It's not that there's anything wrong with you. Just is that peach sucking your energy? That's what we're paying attention with. So get real with yourself and how you feel with these people because your energy matters. We all have people in our lives who energize us and people who exhaust us. And the more aware we are of this, the better we'll be able to manage our energy and be intentional with the things that matter. So write those names down. Do this exercise, bring that to a life love, your life, school session or one of your individual coaching sessions. This can make massive changes.

[C]

All right?

[A]

And just a note for the people that you wrote a zero or a negative one or a negative two on. That doesn't necessarily mean you need to cut them out of your life. Maybe it's your mom or your boss or the president of the your country. Just saying. My point is it's not a black or white choice like I, we, we might like. You don't have to automatically. It's like, oh my God, I put a negative two for there. So I need to cut them off. I need to stop relating with them entirely. No, that's what coaching is for.

[C]

Okay?

[A]

And I can help you with that. Today we are noticing and we're being aware of it. Realizing if this person, we're not telling ourselves lies anymore, I guess is a better way to say that we're like, well, we've been friends since middle school or well, she's my sister or well, let's just get it. Pay attention to how our energy feels, okay? We have to be aware of how we're feeling and if we keep doing what we're doing, we'll keep feeling what we're feeling, which is draining our energy.

[C]

Okay?

[A]

And we can use our magical tool here too. If I knew feeling differently were possible, what are three things I could try? Bring this to coaching. I am amazing at finding solutions that work for you in your personal situation.

[C]

Okay?

[A]

Instead of feeling like, oh, I can't do anything different, or the other side is that you like, either just stay stuck and keep doing the same thing or I need to cut them out entirely. That's not accurate. Let me help you. Alright, that's it for today. Your energy matters. Pretend you have a little energy gauge on your forearm this week. Like a gas tank gauge. Are the people you're around, the sounds you're listening to, the foods you're eating, the physical environment you're in, the things you're doing on your phone, are they raising that dial or are they lowering it? Maybe ask yourself, what do I need to do differently in my life to feel differently and pick one thing to change in one of those areas. Small shifts lead to big changes and you are worth the effort it takes to feel better. In fact, I would just say that it's mandatory for you to take this effort. We need all hands on deck. And listeners of the show hear those hands I need on deck. So let's manage our energy and get out there and live lives we love. I would love to have you in the Love youe Life school this month. You can join any time it is open now. Unless you're listening to this I don't even know. But yes, just go over and join. I love you. I support you. I am here for you and your energy matters. Let's go Warrior.

[B]

Thank you for listening to the Love youe Life show. If you want to hear more from Susie and support the show, be sure to subscribe to this podcast on itunes. Also, leave a review and share this podcast with friends and family. Go get em Warriors.