The higher your energy level, the more efficient your body. The more efficient your body, the better you feel and the more you will use your talent to produce outstanding results. Anthony Robbins
Is it just me or do we, as a society, seem to be in constant motion, always on, always moving from one thing to the next? It’s exhausting! And, constant motion not only seems to be the norm, it’s expected, and even praised.
All that relentless activity demands a price, however, and the price is exhaustion, burnout, anxiety, and depression. That’s a pretty high price to pay.
Constant movement from meeting to meeting, task to task, phone call to phone call, may help you feel that you’re getting a lot done, but it doesn’t allow for what we need to be (and how we need to stay) truly productive, passionate, purposeful and peaceful. Rather, it saps our energy leaving us feeling depleted and drained, feeling like we’re on a hamster wheel, chasing our tails.
So how, in this busier-is-better world, do people manage their energy to avoid burnout? It’s easier than you think!
ONE
Start your day off right. Rather than jumping out of bed and immediately checking your email, looking at your calendar, and responding to voice mail, try a different approach. Take 5 minutes to center yourself around your day. This might look like meditation, sitting quietly, taking a quiet walk. It doesn’t matter how you center yourself, the important part is thatyou center yourself. When your mind is quiet, ask yourself, how do I want to feel today? How do I want today to look? Do you want to feel frazzled, harried, rushed, stressed? Or do you want to feel peaceful, energized, engaged, focused? You get to choose!
TWO
Give yourself a break. If your day is packed to the brim, remember to take breaks in between clients, meetings and phone calls. It’s so easy to pack our schedules, not giving ourselves a moment of breathing room in our day. This really depletes your energy and causes more stress in your already stressful world. Try scheduling in periodic breaks to recharge. You can use post-it notes, your calendar, voicemail, or any number of creative ways to remind yourself to breathe deeply, stretch, take a short walk, center yourself. I guarantee, you’ll return to work more energized and focused and get much more done!
THREE
Play. To stay at your best it’s important to replenish your resources. Just as your car needs regular maintenance to run at its optimum, the same is true for you to operate at your best. What helps you feel your best? Is it meditation, spending time with friends, yoga, running, rock climbing? I have a client who took up dodge ball as a way to connect with others and add a little fun to her life. Again, it doesn’t matter what you do, what matters is that you incorporate it into your daily routine so that you can continue to operate at your best.
FOUR
Know your sweet spot. We all have times during the day when we feel and work at our best, when we have more focus, more energy. Early mornings are my sweet spot. I have found that I have more energy, creativity, and stamina early in the morning, and can get more work done before my kids even get out of bed, than I use to get done during my entire work day. My energy and creativity levels drop dramatically in the afternoon, I’m less focused and work becomes a struggle, so I plan my day accordingly. When you work in your sweet spot, you’ll find that you get more accomplished in less time, more easily. How’s that for energizing?!
FIVE
Stop multi-tasking. I cannot say this enough! If I could, I would shout it from the rooftops! Multi-tasking is not only a huge waste of time, but it’s also a huge waste of energy. According to research, multitasking causes your productivity to drop 40%. And, every time you do more than one thing at a time, your IQ drops by 10 points. 10 points! I don’t know about you but I don’t have 40% of my productivity to lose…nor can I afford to lose 10 points on my IQ. Can you?
You don’t have to live in constant motion, moving from one activity to another. You can choose to do things differently.
My Challenge:
Pick a strategy to play with this week. What do you notice about your energy, your productivity, and your focus?
And, if you find that you need some extra accountability, give me a call! I would love to talk with you about how coaching can support you in finding your way with ease and grace.
Have an amazing week and enjoy your learnings!
Erin
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