Putting Boundaries on Your Energy
Jeff Garrett
Empowering High-Performing Leaders to Elevate Leadership Skills, Transform Overwhelm into Strategic Success, Avoid Burnout & Achieve Peak Performance.
Quote for the Week
Don’t allow people to steal your energy.
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This Week’s Podcast Episode
Putting Boundaries on Your Energy
?(You can also listen on your favorite podcast app)
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From the Skybox
Another boundary to set is to take charge of your energy.?
I believe that managing your energy is actually more important than managing your time priorities.
Tony Schwartz and The Energy Project team took a group of employees from Wachovia Bank through a pilot energy management program. They measured the performance of team members that went through the program against a control group that did not participate.
They found the participants who went through the program outperformed the control group on a series of financial metrics, such as the value of loans they generated.?More importantly they also reported substantial improvements in their customer relationships, their engagement with work, and their personal satisfaction.
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When is your energy level the highest?
I've found most people have their highest level of energy in the morning.?
If that's you, you want to make sure that you schedule things that are challenging or things that are going to take a lot of energy during the mornings.
To maintain high levels of energy you need to get good rest. Sleep is extremely important to maintaining your energy levels. According to studies most people need 7 - 8 hours of sleep. High performing athletes or people under extreme stress may require more than 8 hours of sleep.
Many people have found a 15 - 20 minute nap can provide them with renewed energy during the day. For most this can be hard to do, but I have spoken to people that take a brief nap during the lunch hour and it has helped them to not have energy swings in the afternoon.
Your eating habits can have an impact on your energy levels. One of the first things to do is stop eating at your desk or on the run.?
Work on eating healthy. Read some books or hire a nutritionist to help you. Many companies have services available to you for wellness programs that include nutrition and fitness. Take advantage of them.?
Speaking of fitness working out can help you to sustain energy levels on a couple fronts. The first is that if you are healthier you will have more energy. The second is that exercising tends to help people to be clearer in thought. Losing a few pounds can have a tremendous impact on your energy level.
Taking breaks can help with energy management. Every two hours take a break. Set an alarm on your phone as a reminder. Take a brief walk around the building or your neighborhood. Get some water. Listen to some music. Take 10 minutes for these.?
Avoid “energy suckers”.?Negative people can drain your energy. Do your best to avoid them.
Don’t bounce back and forth between activities. Focus on what you are doing and then switch activities. Don’t answer the phone every time it rings or answer emails as they come in. A break in focus will cost you 1 to 2 minutes for every interruption and to refocus.
I have a course on Overcoming Email Overwhelm. It can help you to take control of your email and tech devices saving you time and energy. Here is a link to check it out.
Be Audacious!
Coach Jeff Garrett