Saturday, October 12, 2013

Do You Believe Energy Management is Productivity Management?

What can today's hard-working employees find in the way of gaining extra energy and becoming more productive on the job?

Well, there are several ways to do this. A week-long vacation always helps workers to come back to work refreshed, energized and ready to succeed. If you can't get away from work, then try to drink a healthy vitamin drink to get you through. If that's not an option, you might want to get better rest on a nightly basis, cut out fats and liquor from your diet, and wake up feeling more alert. Lastly, exercise often and regularly for better mental clarity.

There are strategies for gaining more energy. Energy management is on the minds of more people, but sometimes gets confused with time management. In fact, there are different principles at work. As Tony Schwartz notes on Brainvestor.com, and in his book, it's far more important to manage your energy rather than tasking yourself with time management practices.

He cites a famous study he performed on peak performing tennis players. It turned out, there was not a major difference in the skill sets of top professional tennis players vs. sub-par pro tennis players. The only difference was in the manner in which the players became rejuvenated in between matches, their demeanor and self talk. Essentially, our skills and talents can be primed for better success with better energy management. To perform at your peak, either in the corporate battleground or on the tennis court, comes down to be able to refresh your body, mind and spirit. Let's look somewhat closer at the key elements to essential refreshing.

Naps

Overworked and unfocused? Do you find yourself yawning at the monitor more than getting work done? Then it may be time to introduce naps into the routine. Experts cite a 20-30 minute nap as being one of the most restorative daytime activities you can get. Among the common advice is that you sleep no more than 30 minutes for risk of falling into a deeper meta sleep, which upon waking, will find you more groggy than alert. Make sure to find a darkened room, one with the roller shades (from a vendor like Just Blinds) drawn, in order to block out the light for effective sleep time.

Energy Drinks

While Red Bull, Monster and Rock Star energy drinks gain the most shelf space on the retail circuit, the overload of sugar in these drinks is a killer. It may raise your energy by a bit during the hour after you've had a Rockstar drink with 280 calories in it, but the crash will be steep. Better to start with something more sustaining like the Verve line of healthy energy drinks. These anti-oxidant filled vitamin drinks are better for you in the long run, with more vitamins, less sugar, more nutrition and increased caffeine for the energy alert.

Exercise

Energy is the best form of high performance currency for athletes, business people, politicians and anyone whose positions demands constant attention and action. By gaining more energy, a person can increase levels of performance, health and happiness, all in one. Doctors say the best way to increase energy and decrease lethargy is to exercise. Move around, walk, jog, run, cycle, swim or hike. All activities that raise your heart rate, get you sweating and exercise your body are going to start to have an accumulative effect on your well-being. As that exercise routine builds, so too will your energy levels.





This blog is based on this book. In it are actionable ideas on being a better manager: The 1% Edge - The Workbook - Power Strategies to Increase Your Management Effectiveness

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