Feeling Drained? You're Probably Dealing With 'Energy Leakage.' Here's What To Know.

Carol Yepes via Getty Images Little tasks and responsibilities are probably unknowingly leaving you feeling pretty drained. Those are what Melissa Urban, the co-founder and CEO of Whole30 and New York Times bestselling author of “The Book of Boundaries: Set the Limits That Will Set You Free,” calls “energy leakages.” According to Urban, energy leakage — while not a clinical phrase — is “the invisible ways that we spend energy throughout the day that leaves us feeling drained.” She noted that “every interaction you have, whether you’re meeting your mom for lunch or replying to a social media comment. you just feel depleted, you feel anxious, you feel overwhelmed, you feel frustrated.” In other words, interactions that result in energy leakage are those interactions that consume “more energy than they’re giving back,” Urban said. This, Urban said, is another major driver of energy leakage: “That’s energy you are spending on something that isn’t even real anymore” — it happened in the past. “If you’re extroverted where being around other people makes you feel energized, you might need less quiet or alone time to restore energy leakage,” Urban said, “and you might want to choose to spend time specifically with the people who you know make you feel energized.” For those who are introverted, you will likely need a lot more alone time to restore your energy, she noted.