Energy management is the most overlooked tool for today’s challenges. The battle of managing your time or managing your energy is a big one. Many people constantly try to manage their time and rarely even consider their energy. I have learned that time is what it is. It is fixed and doesn’t go away. Ok, well it actually does, we are using time. Meaning, there aren’t fluctuations within its structure. We know there are only 24 hours in a day and 168 hours in a week. Stop focusing on that specifically. Make time your best friend.
For me, I was like a wild card bouncing around throughout my week. The running around like a chicken with my head chopped off thing. Constantly doing this without considering my energy levels was kind of counterproductive. I just tried to do as much as I possibly could day in and day out. I usually ended up completely worn out with my to-do lists still filled with items not checked off.
Energy levels slowly draining
I discovered that my energy was of importance and I began creating a strategy for it. Clearly we all know in our minds that energy levels are important for anything in life, however, we usually forego any planning with it. We just keep going till the tank is dry and have no idea what happened.
First, you need to understand how you normally feel on any given day. How much energy you usually have and when is it that you have the most of it is crucial for planning. Many people say that they feel they have the most energy a couple of hours after they wake up and then between 2 and 3pm they find themselves fading quickly.
Get to know your internal clock (Circadian Rhythm). Most of us have a pretty consistent one. To better help with our energy management throughout the day, find out when you have the most energy. Try to do the most complex tasks during that time frame. For the less strenuous tasks, you can leave them to the time when you aren’t at your peak.
10 Tips for Energy Management
Physical recovery– We need to let the body recover from exertion.
Our mind thinks better when we exercise– There is some clarity and openness after we exercise.
Sleep– Good and healthy amount of uninterrupted sleep to recharge.
Sugar– Junk food and soda with sugar drain energy. It makes you tired and sluggish. It depletes physical and mental energy.
Monitor energy– Find your energy level times and what gives you energy. Morning time gives me my creative time, and in the afternoon my mind is fading so I try to manage what I do.
Time is set so we can’t manage that– You can manage your energy. Manage the energy to maximize each day.
Manage physical energy– Be aware of how many physical activities you need to do and try to fit them in during your peak energy time.
Manage emotional energy– With all the things going on in the world we find ourselves emotionally drained. Meditate, talk with family and friends, and find as many positive things to be a part of.
Manage mental energy– Similar to emotional energy. Brainpower for different tasks drain your overall energy so be mindful of your day’s needs. If you know you will need to be in think mode for a big project you are working on then make sure you do it during your peak energy time frame.
Timeboxing– Allocated time frames that afford you the ability to work on tasks at a manageable level. Create a list of tasks needed then divide them into time boxes. It makes you more productive with what you are trying to accomplish in life. Be realistic with time predictions. For example, driving to work can take 30 min on some evenings, but when there’s real traffic it could take 45 min.
Conclusion
Stop! We have only but so much energy, so it’s up to us to come up with a plan on how to use it. There will always be interruptions, so we have to factor our reactionary time to deal with them. Having a daily predetermined plan sounds bland and boring. very boring. repeat, repeat, repeat. Create the best plan for a healthy and happy life.
How can we enjoy life and spontaneous moments if most all of it is planned out? Do you think this is wise for a healthy life balance?
