After a tough year, the 4D Energiser programme is all about getting you, your people and your organisation back to thriving. It really feels like time to hit refresh, to turn the page on a challenging period and reboot the system. Sometimes, we need to make room for new and positive changes—as well as new and positive energy—in our lives.
If you’re searching for more wellbeing, energy and motivation, it’s time to “let go, to let in.” Let go of the old, the unhelpful and the negative to allow in the new, the exciting and the expansive. As the great writer and professor on human experience Joseph Campbell once said: “We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”
It’s been over a year since the pandemic began, and we’ve all experienced various forms of lockdown and disconnection—from loved ones, colleagues, and the rhythm of normal life. The year has brought its fair share of stress, strain and sadness. Many people feel their wellbeing has taken a hit. At 4D, we’re acutely aware of how much support teams, leaders and organisations are seeking to help re-energise their people and prioritise wellbeing.
Spring is a powerful season to reflect on what needs releasing. It offers us the chance to clear out tired energy and emotional baggage and to give space for new narratives and possibilities to flourish. Below are some simple and practical ways to begin this process, helping you lighten your load and renew your energy—for yourself, your loved ones and your teams.
Four Ways to Let Go and Reclaim Your Energy
1. Physically let go
Take a moment to scan your body. Notice where you’re holding unnecessary tension—shoulders, jaw, stomach, legs. This silent tension not only drains your energy but also contributes to anxiety. Releasing this tension signals to your parasympathetic nervous system that it’s safe to relax. Drop the tension and notice an instant increase in your wellbeing.
2. Say “NO” to negative narratives
Whether it’s about forgiving someone else or changing the script in your own head, letting go of toxic thoughts carries countless health benefits. Rewriting the story in a more positive and empowering way allows your brain to create new, uplifting pathways.
3. Boot out bogus beliefs
Challenge old beliefs that no longer serve you—especially those inherited from childhood or shaped by unchecked social norms. Health psychologist Kelly McGonigal offers a fascinating example: it’s not stress itself that kills 20,000 Americans a year—it’s the belief that stress is harmful. Her research showed that people who saw stress more positively and believed they could handle it didn’t die from it. What beliefs about yourself, your workplace or the world could you let go of today?
4. Drop the diary and move through each moment
It’s easy to wake up on a Monday and hold your entire week’s calendar in your head. But that mental load is heavy. Instead, try letting go of the whole schedule and simply focusing on one meeting, one task, one hour at a time. Finish that moment, breathe deeply, reset—and only then move on. Let go of the mental clutter and start being fully present in the conversation or activity in front of you.
There’s power in letting go—power in returning to the present moment, trusting you are enough, and saying “yes” to what’s right here, right now. (You can view my TEDx Talk on this very subject for more inspiration.)
Finally, it’s true that many of our plans were disrupted or destroyed by the pandemic. But new possibilities are always waiting—if we clear space to look for them. Someone recently asked me, “What do I do when my dreams have been ruined?” My answer: Let go of the past, start from where you are… and dream again.
