Managing your energy vs managing your time

We’ve all been there, we want to work smarter and harder but our energy management levels are saying another thing entirely. How do we fix this and get out of this cycle?

Take a look at some top tips to start managing your energy and not your time:

Set those boundaries: 

Setting boundaries for yourself can help you stay accountable for your goals why helping to prevent burnout. Your boundaries can be mental, physical and emotional. Mental boundaries may include turning off email notifications, using time off to disconnect, declining meetings that may not be relevant to where you are currently at. Physical boundaries include managing your energy for team meetings and taking your work breaks. Emotional boundaries may include communicating on your preferred communication style. 

Journal:

I like to keep a journal to monitor how my energy levels are feeling – areas you could monitor are your sleep, diet, exercise, types of tasks you perform, who you spend your time with, who you don’t spend time with, do you take a break? You can also track what makes you feel happy and maybe what negative emotions you may feel.

Monitoring your activity for your energy levels can really help you understand what you really want to spend your time and energy on as it’s so precious and also give you time to analyze different aspects of your daily life. 

Rest and recovery time:

Rest and recovery is a vital part of high performing people’s routines. Taking the time to rest- getting a good nights sleep and switch off from technology is essential. Reading books or listening to audible can be a game changer to get you off your phone to wind down. 

Delegate:

Learning to delegate tasks is another way to manage your energy. You may not always be in the position to delegate tasks but you can work with a colleague to see if they have the energy capacity to help you. 

If you feel you are incorporating these habits into your routine but are not getting results, do ask for help! Reach out to anyone you are comfortable speaking with to discuss these matters to get you back on track!