Finding Your Energy & Productivity Edge
The Importance of Valuing Time and Replenishing Energy
Previously, we explained how a growth mindset can inspire positive energy and reduce stress; further amendments can be made to enhance mindset and improve productivity.
Moreover, effective time management is essential for work yield.
Dispelling the Myth of ‘Effective Overtime’
It’s often considered that extended working hours are essential to fulfil goals and targets.
However, time is limited and excessive hours can prove prohibitive in replacing valuable energy.
Renewing energy is pivotal for productivity. While it’s impossible to generate more time within a day, we complete tasks quicker and more frequently when we’re revitalised.
The Four Sources of Energy
Humans need to be energised physically and mentally to perform well.
Neglecting well-being compromises performance levels and health – 47% of employers have experienced productivity loss in their company due to fatigue.
There are four sources that replenish our energy and help us maintain productivity.
Physical
13 million UK adults are classified obese, crucial figures given diet and exercise are key contributors to psychological well-being, as well as our physical health.
However, COVID-19 has restricted exercise regimes, exercise has played a pivotal role in energisation and increased productivity, with more people starting to run and cycle to improve their wellbeing.
The Value of Healthy Eating
The balanced diet reduces BMI and also boosts performance levels and research has indicated that nutrition can enhance productivity levels by 20%, on average.
With many working remotely, it’s easy to fall into bad eating habits. However, it’s advised to eat smaller meals every three hours. This satisfies the appetite; stabilises blood sugar levels and provides essential nutrients to the body across a sustained period.
Take Breaks
When we’re tired, productivity wanes, therefore, breaks are essential.
While working excessively may seem productive, working elongated hours can have an adverse effect.
However, taking a break of just fifteen to twenty minutes has been proven to improve concentration and boost productivity.
Listen to Your Body
The human body tells us when we need rest. Ignoring prompts can have a detrimental impact on energy levels and subsequently, productivity will diminish.
Working when we’re unable to concentrate is unproductive; taking a break and temporarily shifting focus elsewhere is beneficial.
Emotional
COVID-19 has prompted a variety of emotional responses; each day, the public experiences an array of feelings, and these can be exhausting.
With pessimism driving focus to the Path of Limitation, a source of negativity, coping mechanisms are needed to instil positivity and maintain productivity.
Without pragmatism, it’s difficult to refine our productivity edge. However, there are ways whereby we can reaffirm positivity.
Never Underestimate Rest
Allowing time for recovery is pivotal for emotional recovery.
When we adopt a flight or fight mindset for sustained periods, we become susceptible to emotional fatigue and our minds don’t operate logically; this can harm work yield, therefore impacting relationships with colleagues and clients.
Humans are prone to negative emotions, but these emotions can cause friction. Therefore, we must identify emotional triggers to ensure that we manage our emotions in a controlled way.
Defusing Energy Depleting Emotions
Both during and after the coronavirus pandemic, we need to:
- Identify negative psychological and emotional traits
- Cope with these in the correct manner
For instance, a correlation has been made between time spent outdoors and reduced negative emotions. This can alleviate symptoms of anxiety, depression, and psychosomatic illnesses like irritability, insomnia, tension headaches, and indigestion.
Moreover, there are health benefits attributed to deep breathing exercises including stimulation of the lymphatic system and enhanced relaxation.
Express Gratitude
“Never underestimate the power of saying thank you.”
While cliched, this expression holds credence when boosting positive emotional energy.
In expressing and receiving gratitude, the brain releases dopamine and serotonin, neurotransmitters responsible for our emotions, and they make us feel ‘good’, in turn, enhancing our overall mood and morale.
Seek Perspective
When faced with adversity, we attribute focus to negativity, adopting the role of the victim.
Instead, ask yourself: Will this be too much of an issue in the long-term? What positive lessons can I learn from this experience?
Mental
Effective mental preparation is a prerequisite for productivity; approximately 40% of an employee’s day is spent on non-productive efforts, costing companies millions in lost productivity.
Multi-tasking is commonly viewed as a means of managing time and improving output, yet multitaskers don’t devote efforts to one task. Therefore, the working output can diminish by as much as 25%.
Avoid Distractions
80% of staff are distracted by their colleagues, therefore, instances materialise whereby workers seek independence to improve productivity.
Moreover, 86% of workers prefer to work independently, as this improves concentration, ownership of work and independence.
As well as colleagues, interruptions such as email notifications can also be distracting. Given emails aren’t generally used for emergency correspondence, consider switching off notifications and set periods for checking messages to reduce unnecessary interruptions.
Plan Ahead
Lack of structure impedes productivity; planning and prioritising tasks, regardless of whether you want to do them or not, brings order and a constructive element to your day.
In completing the more mundane jobs within your schedule early on, this forms a positive frame of mind whereby the rest of the day can focus on exciting tasks that offer greater stimulation.
Spiritual
Co-Creation is a strength-based organisation that can help you identify where your strengths lie; if your work subverts core values, then this can have a detrimental impact on energy and productivity.
Time spent in work significantly outweighs our social life; on average we spent 328 days socialising and 13 years of our lives working. Therefore, it’s essential to consider the things that are important to you, applying focus, wherever necessary.
For instance, many attribute importance to their family life. In such circumstances, it’s important to switch out of ‘work mode’ at the end of the working day, leave outstanding work at the office, to ensure that utmost attention is provided to your loved ones.
Additionally, it’s important to exhibit your core values within your own life, as well as expecting it from those around you. In considering what traits we find unattractive or distasteful, this enables us to display our values to other people.