Over the past months I have noticed a strong theme in those I am working with… a distinct lack of energy. After the year that we have had, the adapting, the uncertainty and now the re-adapting; in both our world of work and life, many of us have been left feeling drained.
So today, I wanted to share a quick reminder of four areas in which you can top up your energy cup, together with a strategy to be both proactive and responsive to manage your energy day to day.
Let’s begin by assessing your energy state in these four areas that contribute to your energy reserves.
Photo courtesy of Frank Vessia – Unsplash
1. Physical
Perhaps the most apparent of the four, but all too often neglected; our body constantly needs good fuel to operate at its best. Physically we each have similar needs but in varying degrees… the right amount of sleep, healthy eating and at least 30mins of movement everyday will see most of us in good stead here.
Take a moment to consider – What do you need to feel physically at your best? Are you getting enough ‘good’ and ‘regular’ food, exercise, sleep and breaks?
2. Emotions
When our emotional reserves are low, we may notice ourselves getting irritable, impatient, or anxious. It may be as a result of work becoming more demanding, however can also be due to a lack of positive inputs… eg not enough time with friends and loved ones, and/or time to spend on activities that you enjoy.
Are you getting enough time for fun? Joy and laughter are a critical component of our energy reserves. What things do you enjoy?
3. Mind
In a complex twist, our mental capacity is directly impacted by our energy levels AND our mindset impacts our energy. When we notice ourselves more easily distracted; or feel we are spending our day rushing from one urgency to the next, without opportunity to pause and reflect, strategise or be creative; we will often find our energy has been impacted.
Our mind needs quiet time to process, recharge and create. Do you get time in your evenings and weekends to switch off?
Mindset is also a big factor here. Remember we are always listening to our self-talk and we are much more likely to inspire our best when that chatter is constructive. Do you notice your self-talk to be on the positive or negative side?
4. Intention (Purpose)
At times we may feel like we spend all our time in a reactive state. Doing things that are important to others but not necessarily the things we do best or enjoy most. It may seem our decisions are mostly influenced by external demands rather than our own sense of purpose, and we may feel like we don’t get time or energy to invest in the things we think important. This drains our energy reserves, while time spent on things we enjoy and/or feel make a positive difference in the world can top up our energy.
To what extent to you feel you have time to be intentional or purposeful with your time?
“Self-awareness is the key. Understanding ourselves, our preferences, and our needs, helps us to consciously recharge – like batteries for our soul. “
How do you keep your energy up when you are constantly being challenged?
Now that you have started to get more aware of what does (and doesn’t) top up your cup, you can build some strategies to be more conscious of nurturing your energy day to day.
To manage energy levels, I encourage those I work with to prepare two strategies for each area; one Proactive the other Responsive.
1. The Proactive strategy is to mindfully manage the energy in that area, keeping your energy reserves topped up and maintained at a good level in an ongoing way.
2. The Responsive strategy is for when we find our maintenance has slipped and we need a little top up to keep us going. This may be after a particularly long meeting/day… or after a week (or several) of long days when we realise we haven’t been eating well, getting enough sleep, had some down time or time to enjoy some fun; and ‘all of a sudden’ we find our energy cups depleted.
By way of example:
For me I am very aware that I need exercise to keep me feeling physically energised. And I know that when I exercise before work, I feel great and kick start my day in a really positive and energetic way. So, strategies for managing my Physical energy are:
1. Proactive - exercise each morning before work (and on weekends); and
2. Responsive - when I notice my energy lagging during the day (or due to early starts I haven’t got to do my morning exercise) I do something in the moment to create some movement for myself. Whether that be a walk around the block at lunch, stretch my legs as I go and refresh my water, or step outside for a few breaths of fresh air.
We are all different, but we all need to manage our energy. Mindfully consider what works best for you and set yourself up to keep your batteries charged.
Need help managing your energy? Reach out, I would be happy to work with you to establish energy management practices that work for you.
Keep well,
Vicki
My business is helping you with yours…
If you would like further information or to arrange some support in building this skill please don’t hesitate to contact me. I look forward to helping you build your success your way.
Yours in success,
Vicki
