Listen to “Manage your Energy, not your Time”.
We’ve all felt that there just aren’t enough hours in the day to do all the things we need to do. For most, the solution is to work later into the evening or over the weekend, which leaves us feeling exhausted and stressed.
Longer days at the office don’t work because time is a limited resource. However, personal energy is renewable. Managing your time is essential, but what’s even more important is that you learn to manage your energy levels to stay productive and feel good.
Our energy can be broken down into 4 elements, and by adding these simple rituals into your day, you can prevent mental and physical fatigue and remain energized and productive.
Your physical Energy – how healthy are you?
We all need adequate nutrition, exercise, sleep and rest to increase our energy levels and stay focused. To boost your health:
- Enhance your sleep by setting an earlier bedtime and reducing alcohol consumption.
- Reduce stress by engaging in cardiovascular activity at least three times a week and strength training at least once.
- Say no to fast-food.
Your emotional Energy – how happy are you?
Defuse negative emotions such as irritability, impatience, anxiety, and insecurity by:
- Recognizing your emotions and observing them and try to focus on the positives.
- Expressing appreciation and gratitude to others, to yourself and to life itself.
Your mental Energy – how well can you focus on something?
Temporarily switching from one task to another can increase the amount of time required to complete the primary task by as much as 25%. To ensure you finish tasks without wasting Time:
- Reduce interruptions by performing high concentration tasks away from phones and email.
- Respond to voicemails and emails at designated times during the day.
- Identify the most important challenges for the next day every evening and make it your priority the following morning.
Your spiritual Energy – why are you doing all of this? What is your purpose?
If the things people do matter to them, then they will often feel more positive Energy, have focus better and demonstrate greater perseverance. However, we can’t always do what we love. Luckily, meditation provides another great way to get spiritual Energy throughout the day.
We all have times where we need to relax and switch off by doing nothing and putting Energy back into our bodies. It’s important that we honour these times and give ourselves enough rest to regenerate and rejuvenate.
