Removing the shackles: make your day work for you

I hear it all the time...the struggle to get things done during the day. Feeling like you’ve made no progress, especially when you're feeling a bit 'meh'. The to do list is still 50 lines deep and there’s no sign of it getting smaller any time soon. If anything, it’s going to get bigger...and soon. Sound familiar? You are not alone.

I was having a conversation with someone only last week about how she felt guilty in the morning because unless there was an appointment or meeting in her diary, she found it hard to kickstart her day so early before she began writing at 12pm. But why is it a problem if she starts the day off slow? She had no problem in getting things done the rest of the day. So maybe it’s simply that her mind and body need that extra time in the mornings and her optimal energy window starts at lunchtime. Why do we feel so guilty if we’re not sat being creative or ticking off 10 to do’s by 9am?

We live in such a robotic society and still carry the shackles of decades gone by where the 9-5 was the corporate box we lived in. The hamster wheel. The merry go round. But what if you are someone that struggles to function at 9am? What if your creative juices start flowing come 6pm? What if your energy levels are at their optimum come 12pm? We are all human. Therefore we are all different. We can’t all just switch on and perform at 9am.

Whilst I’m the queen of to do lists and find great satisfaction in ticking things off, over the last few months, I’ve started to recognise the ebb and flow of my own energy and started to try and match that to my tasks.

I wonder how conscious you are of your energy levels during the day?

I am not and have never been an early bird. I admire those who are and it is infact one of my favourite times of day. Seeing the sunrise, hearing the birds sing, most of the world is still asleep (I have on occasion got up at this time!). But I’ve never been someone ‘up and at em’ ready to go and as soon as the cockerel bursts into tune. And I don’t necessarily want to change that. As I’ve got older, and certainly more recently, I listen to my mind and body more. I try not to make my mind and body fit what the inner voice says it ‘should’ be doing. Over the last few months of really tuning in, I’ve recognised that whilst working out in the morning is much better for me, my brain is a few hours behind. Don’t get me wrong, if I need to switch it on and perform, I absolutely can, but when the world isn’t dictating to me, I work with it. So mornings are for easier, straight forward tasks for me. Admin, finances, client check ins, emails. Tick, tick, tick. Now the brain and the energy comes alive late morning/lunchtime or when I’m walking. So if I want some inspiration or want to feel creative, I’ll take myself for a walk or plan it in for the afternoon. I’m writing this to you at 6.30pm. Yep you guessed it, the writing tends to flow around this time. So I make the most of it. These are general observations of mine but it doesn’t always follow that rule of thumb. I take each day as it comes, thinking about what I NEED to do that day and how I feel. 

What do you notice about your own energies and the ebb and flow during the day? 

I get that when you work for an organisation, you can’t just say 'sorry, I can’t do that, my brain doesn’t clock on until 11am'. But you can look at your to-do list for that day and see what you can get done based on your energy levels and make it work better for you. Yes there will be times when deadlines don’t allow the luxury, client meetings are in the diary for 9am (anyone who’s worked with me knows I will never put a meeting in at 9am!) and that there are certain business needs to be met, but there’s still a huge opportunity to make our days work for us better and given our ways of working have changed enormously since the beginning of the year, we can take the opportunity to break the fixed 9-5 mentality.

Tips for making your day work for you based on your energy level ebb and flow

1. Do notice and workout your natural energy levels over the week - what do you notice? What it is telling you and how can you change your day to suit?
2. Where possible, try and move tasks that need more brain power into your ‘optimal energy window’.
3. Identify what gives you energy - this is always helpful when you need to find that little bit extra during the day
4. Don’t put pressure on yourself - don’t spend hours on a task that should only take 15 minutes. If you are struggling, move away from it and go back to it later.
5. If you work for an organisation that offers flexible working, use the opportunity. You’ll likely find that you are more productive, a better colleague and increase your performance because you’ll be doing better work.
6. Work with others - if you know you’ve got team members who are morning people, help each other. When they’re flagging in the afternoon, you’ll be able to provide support and when you’re flagging, they’ll be able to help you.

I recognise that not everyone is in control of their day, depending on your job role, but even just noticing your energy levels and being more aware will help you be a better you, feel happier, be more productive and increase your performance because you'll feel at your best to do your best work. As a result, organisations will get the very best of us...which is the reason they hired us in the first place.