Track What Drains and Restores You
A three-line log at the end of each day: what drained you, what restored you and what you did on autopilot.
Based on performance psychology. It comes from sport and helps people do well under pressure.
What this can look like
You're always tired, but nothing obvious has changed. You get through the day and have nothing left for the evening.
Why it happens
People who push hard tend to track their output carefully and their recovery hardly at all. Over months, more goes out than comes back in. You feel the deficit, but you can't see where it's coming from.
How to use it
5 minutes a night for 3 nights
For three days, write three lines at the end of each day:
- What drained me
- What restored me
- What I did on autopilot
Don't fix anything yet. You're just looking.
Short on time? Rate the day's drain and the day's recovery, each 0 to 10.
Afterwards, ask yourself
Where is the biggest gap between what drains you and what you do to recover?
This tool is one small place to start. You might know what you want to change and still find it hard to do, or hard to put into words what comes up. That's normal. It's a big part of the work in counselling: getting to the bottom of what's happening, so it's easier to say and easier to change.
If this keeps happening
When the same thing keeps coming back, it's usually a pattern rather than a bad week. Understanding what sets it off, and practising a different response, is something we work on often in counselling.
This page is general information. It isn't a diagnosis or a replacement for therapy.
If you're thinking about ending your life or you're in crisis, call or text 9-8-8 in Canada, or call 911.
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