In previous blog articles I discussed energy sources and activities that deplete your personal energy. In this article I suggest how you might conserve your energy. Much of the information is summarized from my eBook, Manage your personal energy, published by Bookboon.com.
The more you use your brain the more energy you consume. The brain draws fuel, oxygen and glucose, from blood delivered via 400 miles of blood vessels. When certain brain areas work hard at something, more blood flows to those regions to help them refuel. They do this by dilating near spots that need a supply boost. This widening causes blood to reroute. The more active your brain, the more energy is consumed. If more blood is not delivered when neurons needed, those cells might starve and cognition could suffer.
Managing your energy is like increasing gas mileage in your car. If you run the air conditioner with your windows open, exceed the recommended speed limit, drive all night, and periodically drive with your emergency brake engaged, you are going to consume a lot more gas. Similarly, you will burn more energy if you push yourself when you are tired.
You must pace yourself when you work. European experiments have shown that short, three-minute breaks every hour helps rejuvenate people more than two fifteen-minute breaks.
Whenever you use your head, you use energy; but you certainly don’t want to stop thinking. So it’s important to tap into those energy sources mentioned a few blogs ago, and prevent those energy drains referred to in last week’s blog. And if you can conserve energy as you go along, so much the better. Here are a few more tips.
Maintain an active lifestyle.
Tom Rath, in his book Eat Move Sleep, (Missionday, 2013) called sitting “the most underrated health threat of modern times.” He claims that sitting more than six hours a day greatly increases your risk of an early death.
Get up and move around, as we were created to do, rather than lead a sedentary life. Walk around while you talk on the phone, work at a stand-up desk, have stand-up meetings, take the stairs instead of the elevator and walk to the local mall instead of taking the car.
Tom Rath claims that as soon as you sit down, electrical activity in your leg muscles shuts off, the number of calories you burn drops to one per minute, and enzyme production, which helps to break down fat, drops by 90%. And after sitting for two hours your good cholesterol drops by 20%.
Staying physically active, socially connected and mentally stimulated has been shown in studies to help keep brains sharp.
Don’t rush needlessly.
Speed is the enemy of both time and energy management, Life is meant to be savored, not dispensed with as quickly as possible. Slowing down will result in fewer errors, fewer accidents, a healthier lifestyle, improved relationships, and more energy for an enjoyable and memorable life.
According to Matthew Edlund in his book The Body Clock Advantage, those who don’t rush through the day in a panic, but pace themselves & work efficiently, actually survive longer. That’s a greater time management strategy than working more efficiently.
Speed consumes energy. A frantic level of activity can generate busyness without the concomitant results. And there is a difference between working fast because you want to and working fast because you have to. If you want to, it’s more relaxing and consumes less energy. So it is important to have a job that you enjoy.
Don’t skip breakfast.
Sure that cup of coffee will give you a short energy boost; but for sustained energy throughout the day, you can’t beat a good breakfast. Several studies have shown that people who eat breakfast have more energy throughout the day. You can get by just fine on a helping of low-fat yogurt, a slice of whole-grain toast and a banana or handful of nuts. But any energy gained by a coffee or doughnut will quickly dissipate.
Keep on top of your workload.
The more things in your life that you think should be done but that you leave undone, the more anxiety and stress you experience. And stress depletes your energy. Being in control of your work does the opposite. Seldom would a person think of a project they had completed or a meeting they had attended or a phone call they had made and feel stressed as a result. The opposite is true. They would feel good about themselves for having completed those things. Unfortunately that feeling doesn’t last if they think of the dozens or hundreds of things that they have yet to do.
If some things don’t get done, rest assured it’s not your fault. Your job is to do what’s possible, not what’s impossible. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Worry or anxiety weakens your immune system as well as your executive skills, and leaves you open to energy loss.
Develop routines.
Few people balk at the morning routine of taking a shower, getting dressed, brushing their teeth and so on before starting their day. It’s necessary groundwork upon which to launch their significant activities. Neither should they question the validity of developing routines for planning their day, dispensing with email, making calls, and working on their significant projects in chunks of time throughout the day.
Develop the habit of scheduling time for the priorities in advance of the day. Relegate the less important tasks to your To Do list, preferably on the same week-at-a glance planner page.
You must manage your energy in order to gain control of your time. Routines require less energy, leaving plenty for creativity, decision-making, and the mental demands of your significant projects and tasks. And the tendency to procrastinate is reduced to a minimum.
Maintain a healthy attitude.
A happier, healthier lifestyle is more important than ever, and along with it, an attitude that tends to stress-proof your life. It’s important to get sufficient sleep, daily exercise and social support. But it’s equally important to be aware of the good things that happen to you – those positives amid negative events.
Be more conscious of the things that go right in your life, and remember that when things look bleak, humour helps. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Laugher reduces stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline, aids immunity, changes mood for the better, helps you think – and improves memory. Exposure to non-stop negativity can disrupt learning, memory, attention and judgment according to Robert Sapolski, professor of neurology and neurological sciences at Stanford University. Researchers have linked negative emotions to increased risk for illness, and positive emotions to health and longevity.
It takes less energy to be happy and well than sad and dejected. So if you’re down in the dumps, climb out as quickly as possible and put a smile back on your face.
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