Energy is like money. It takes it to make it. It doesn’t have to take a lot, but it takes some. Wealth can appreciate from a single penny. Energy can appreciate with a single minute. BUT you have to invest that penny, that minute, strategically for it to grow.
Dropping a penny in a piggy bank and letting it sit there won’t do much. But, investing that penny in an account that accumulates interest will build on itself over time. And if you keep investing a penny a day, you will see even greater returns. And, if after a few months, you think: “you know, I could probably put in a few pennies more each day,” then you’re really getting something moving.
The same is true for energy. Say, you felt like you only had 5 minutes left in you. You might think you have to grind it out for 5 minutes. Wrong, take 1 of those minutes to stretch, breath deeply, or drink some water, or even smile, and you will have boosted your energy so much that you could actually work without grinding for another 10 minutes or more.
It takes strategic investment to make more energy.
So how do you do that? Here are 5 ways to boost your energy:
𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀:
𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲: Are you taking on the world? Are you the type of manager who needs to have their thumb in everything? Learning to delegate will free up your mental energy and your time, so you can invest it elsewhere.
𝗟𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻: laugher is a huge mood booster! It’s also contagious. It’s why laughing yoga is becoming a thing! Give that a whirl, or find a favorite joke or comic to turn to when you’re feeling depleted or stressed.
𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁:
Are you surrounding yourself with people that build you up or tear you down? Are they supporting your lifestyle changes? Are they supporting your work? Are they respecting your boundaries?
Is your work station ergonomically supportive?
Do you spend enough time outdoors?
Do you take regular screen breaks?
Adjust your circumstances as much as you can to support you.
𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗮 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲:
Move throughout the day: Exercise is important. However, when it comes to your health and your energy levels, your activity levels throughout the day matter just as much (if not more so). Get up and stretch, take a walk, do something to increase blood flow throughout your body at least a few times a day.
Prioritize your sleep: Adults need 7-9 hours of quality sleep. I get it, life happens. Just the other day, I got about 6 hours because I had a kick ass business event! I definitely felt it the next day. The trade off was worth it, because it’s not a regular occurrence. If it was, I would not be able to operate as a high performer. Same goes for you. If you want to perform well in work and non-work situations, you have to get consistent, quality sleep to recharge yourself.
Eat and Drink snobbishly: Like sleep and movement, how you feed yourself sends information to your body and mind. It tells it how you want it to perform. If you want to be a high performer, you need to send the right messages to your body and mind. And those aren’t delivered by Hot Pockets and other junk foods. Can you “indulge” on occasion? Of course! But, over time, you start to ween out the amount of crap you consistently put into your system. I guarantee you will feel better.
Reframe your stress: I almost didn’t list this because if you’re like me, you’re sick of hearing people say “manage your stress” or “let go of stress”. You can’t avoid stress. You don’t want to. Stress is what helps you rise to the next challenge! Stress can be awesome! It’s when it is constant and becomes depleting that it’s bad for your mind and body, and zaps your energy. Find techniques that help you step back from stressful situations so you can reframe them and bring yourself back into balance. Mindfulness activities are key here. It could be as simple as taking a few slow, deep breaths when you catch yourself hitting the wall.
