Energy Management
From HowTo.Lifehack
Energy is a useful metaphor when trying to become more productive. The idea that we all have our own personal batteries that need recharging when overused can be useful. Tony Schwartz and Jim Loehr in their book, The Power of Full Engagement, believe that managing energy is more important than trying to manage time.
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[edit] What is Energy?
Energy can be split up into different dimensions. Each of these dimensions play a role in whether the capacity of energy you have will be used or squandered.
- Physical - The sheer amount of energy. When you approach zero here you need to sleep out of exhaustion.
- Mental - Your ability to focus energy. You can have a lot of physical energy, but unless you can mentally hone it towards a task, it isn't useful.
- Emotional - This is whether the energy is positive or negative. If you are focused and energetic, but frustrated or angry it will be harder to work and your energy will drain faster.
- Meaning - Without a feeling of purpose energy will be wasted.
[edit] Building Capacity
The first step in properly managing your energy is to build a high capacity. If you look at people like Richard Branson, Steve Pavlina or Tony Robbins, one commonality is a high capacity for energy. They seem to always be busy and engaged. That comes from having a lot of energy.
[edit] Physical Capacity
Physical capacity comes from three major factors: diet, exercise and sleep.
- Diet - Try eating an alkaline diet that focuses on vegetables and whole grains rather than meats and processed foods. Foods with a high fat content can also slow you down by taking longer to digest. Eat meals spaced throughout the day instead of in one group. This will keep blood glucose levels stable.
- Exercise - Exercise several times per week. Staying fit will keep your metabolic rate higher, allow you to breathe easier and lower your resting heart rate. Exercise can also release brain chemicals called endorphins that leave you feeling more energetic and happier.
- Sleep - Aim for eight hours per day at a regular schedule. Cutting an extra hour or two away from sleep can have damaging repercussions with your energy levels that can carry for weeks. A 16 hour day at 100% will be more productive than an 18 hour day at 85%.
- Water - Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water when you are exercising to keep your energy levels high.
[edit] Mental Capacity
Mental capacity comes from your ability to focus on tasks and solve problems.
- Learn - Always learn new things. I always have a book I am reading and I regularly take on new hobbies and activities that have a sharp learning curve. This keeps my mind active and problem solving skills refined.
- Games - Play is one of the ways the mind maps out new thinking patterns. You don't need to buy a Wii or start playing hopscotch again, but engage your mind with novel problems that require you to think.
- Create - Take up a creative activity. This could be painting, sculpture or software design. Any activity that forces you to visualize, imagine and construct will keep your mind sharp.
- Meditate - Practice your ability to focus. Think of meditation like flexing your mental muscles. It doesn't need to be sitting in a lotus position and pondering life, but it can test your ability to focus or imagine. Meditating for a few minutes can discipline yourself to stay focused on a task or activity.
[edit] Emotional Capacity
Emotional capacity comes from your ability to stay calm when situations are stressful and engage yourself when apathetic.
- Inspire - Find ways to inspire yourself daily. This can be visualizing your goal, listening to audio programs or simply affirming yourself.
- Grace - Frustrating problems are the perfect opportunity to be graceful when handling a tricky situation.
- Courage - Take on your fears. Maximizing your courage and decisiveness will allow you to face problems others avoid.
[edit] Managing in Cycles
Once you start building a higher energy capacity, the next step is to manage that energy. This means oscillating between periods of rest and periods of activity.
- 90 Minute, Daily, Weekly Cycles - Your days and months should be broken down into smaller units of cycling between productivity and rest. Trying to work for nine hours straight without a break is fighting against the natural rhythms of energy your body wants to follow. Set aside specific cycles.
- Set Goals, not To-Do Lists - To-Do lists don't chunk and expand endlessly. Cut off limits for what you want to accomplish in the next cycle to motivate yourself without overwhelming.
- Pair converse activities - Match activities that are completely different in the same cycle to maximize productivity. Spending half your day working on reports and the other half meeting with clients means you are using different 'muscles' and can stay sharp.
- Active rest - Take up hobbies from a broad pattern of activity. Creative, physical, kinesthetic, logical, social and learning are all different categories. Treat them like you would different muscles in your body, training them in different portions for complete strength.
- Disassociate - Take time to get away from it all. Don't take your work problems home or your home problems to work. This often requires engaging yourself in another area of life so that the problems of the other don't creep in. Without occasionally disassociating you can get burnt out even with lots of rest. Picking up hobbies and personal projects are a great start.
