If you were a marathon runner, you would start with small things. For instance, you would set goals for yourself and try to reach your highest potential without trying to get burnout. You would know when you must slow down, rest, recover, and get back in action again.
Moreover, you would listen to your mind, body, & spirit as well. In any case, if your energy faltered, you would back off to refuel and recharge. Thus, you would know how to manage your energy effectively.
But the fact is that you are not running a marathon but living your life & working hard. Therefore, effective energy management can be applied to every aspect of your life, specifically your professional life.
Today, we will discuss how you can manage your energy in the workplace, along with some actionable tips & its significance. So, without further ado, let us begin!
Prominence Of Managing Energy At Work
Energy is defined as the vitality & strength for sustained mental & physical activity. Your professional life often falls into both categories, depending on your profession or line of work. So, basically, energy is the strength required at work.
But why do organizations focus on time management? Ever thought about this?
Suppose you were to meet a deadline, and your body and mind are constantly looking for relaxation. So, would you run a sprint or a marathon? How often in your daily life would you sprint because of some specific situations like these?
One study found that over 68% of people had a positive impact on their relationships because of effective time management. Moreover, another 71% saw a positive impact on their productivity & efficiency levels.
All this shows that effective energy management enables one to work in a greater capacity to get more done in less time & with higher engagement levels and sustainability! Sounds more like a marathon, doesn’t it?
Ways To Manage Your Energy In The Workplace
Depending upon what you need, some simple changes to your daily routine can do wonders for recharging your energy. All of the following activities are geared towards helping you manage your energy in the workplace effectively. Take a look!
- Get a healthy amount of sleep
- Incorporate movement into your day
- Eat a healthy & nutritious diet
- Turn your phone onto silent mode
- Stop multitasking
- Meditate
- Write a journal
- Get some fresh air
- Spend time with loved ones
- Write a gratitude list
- Let go of negativity
- Do what you love
- Imbibe positivity
- Read
- Take breaks throughout the day
Often when you try to take a break, you are buried under piles of deadlines, pressing meetings, and on top of that, having the pressure to accomplish it all.
Well, the secret is that you can do it all without getting burned out. You can tick off your to-do lists and take energy-nourishing breaks throughout the day. Moreover, if you wish to see effective results, make sure that you take time off whenever your body and mind require it.
Also, try adding the activities mentioned above to your daily work schedule.
For now, let us look at how you manage your energy in the workplace.
- Get To Know How You Work
Are you a last-minute completing things kind of worker? Do you take on too much & have trouble saying ‘NO’? Or do you plod away at the project at a slow pace? Think about it for a moment. This shows how you work, energy-wise!
For people who are always energized, give yourself breaks often to avoid burnout and watch that you are not exceeding your maximum energy limit. Similarly, for low-energy expanders, set minimum expectations of yourself every day and ensure you are not hovering below them.
Furthermore, watch out for the maximum and minimum energy limits for people who oscillate between high and low energy levels.
Thus, once you know the pattern in which you work, managing energy will become easy!
- Rest & Recover When Necessary
When managing your energy, it’s also vital to think about recovery. This shouldn’t be an afterthought. Instead, you must include rest & recovery in your daily schedule.
While it’s accurate that recovery takes up time which can be utilized for completing tasks, it is an invaluable part of the routine for high-performing people.
Time doesn’t matter when you have to manage your energy in the workplace. However, your energy levels matter the most, which is why some people schedule downtime.
So, when you give yourself time to rest, your energy levels are replenished, and you become more productive when you return to work. Moreover, you also improve your mental well-being and experience more positive emotions by resting.
Thus, treating your rest and recovery as vital as your food or doctor’s appointment can help you physically and mentally.
- Schedule Time For Inner Work
There will be days when you’ll attend back-to-back meetings. But doing it over time isn’t sustainable if you intend to accomplish good work. This is why scheduling designated time for deep work is vital.
Inner work is an uninterrupted period when you can clearly focus on working on yourself.
Undoubtedly, inner work requires a lot of energy, but you will be much more productive after that! So, ensure to schedule your deep work at a time when your energy is the highest!
For instance, if you feel physically active in the morning, try going for a walk or a job. You can also try some yoga, as it will benefit you mentally and physically.
In any case, if you find yourself running out of energy, schedule the exercise in shorter periods. Longer hours do not always mean better inner work.
Interestingly, inner work explores our inner world and personal experiences. Though it does require energy, inner work is more about understanding ourselves deeply. And when we know ourselves completely, we are able to manage our energy levels efficiently.
- Keep A Journal
Unlike time, energy is not constant. Everyone has 24 hours in a single day. But energy levels vary from person to person, from day to day. This is a fact for emotional, mental, and physical energy.
However, several factors can affect your energy levels. So, to help you better manage your energy in the workplace, it is vital to keep a journal of what energizes and drains you! You can track these elements in your personal and professional life. Some of them could include the following:
- Your diet
- Your resting time
- Who do you spend time with
- Types of tasks you perform
You can also track the causes of your negative emotions. Remember that negative emotions can take up a lot of your energy. And keeping a journal will help you in all of these situations!
Energy Management Over Time Management
Before you return to your day, think about how you wish to spend your energy and with whom! Also, think about how you want to be remembered in your work life – a pessimist person or an optimistic one?
Interestingly, everyone wants to be a happy, positive, and creative employee who gets the tasks done on time and somehow has the energy for mindful moments as well!
So, ask yourself:
What’s holding you back from doing that or being that way?
As you have gotten this far, we assume you care and are ready to listen! So, get to know your mind and body energy cycles. Honor them by taking breaks to refuel your energy. Trust us – you will thank yourself every hour from now on!
