Percentages in Relationships
I recently watched an Instagram video where Brene Brown explains energy percentages in relationship. There is a stigma that relationships should be 50%/50%; I did this so you should do that. I cooked so you should wash the dishes, etc. She talks about a different way to look at percentages.
At anytime of the day, she and her husband talk about where they are percentage-wise individually. If her husband is at a 20% and she is at an 80%, she knows she can put in the extra effort so he doesn’t deplete his percentage. Because she is at 80%, she knows that she has the energy to do both the cooking and the dishes or whatever needs to be done that day while he recharges. But not every day adds up to a simple 100% between the two of them.
If they both are at a low percentage, they both know that they need to slow down and take care of themselves in order to raise their percentages… kind of like recharging your phone. I love this idea that we aren’t always at a 50/50 percentage in relationships because then we are constantly “keeping score”. Instead, we can communicate openly how we are doing so that we can support each other with where we are. We can help balance out each others’ energy percentages.
This doesn't have to just be with romantic partnerships; it can be with any relationship. If I am feeling depleted from the day, and I have plans to see a friend, I can explain my low percentage and ask that she comes to my house to spend time together. This process can happen naturally, but sometimes it can be helpful to communicate your energy percentages with your relationships.
