How to Manage your Energy like an Athlete
I keep hearing people complain about lack of time. And yes, I might as well be included in that group. Rationally, we all know the day has 24 hours. But still, there is a constant illusion that it might expand. "Tomorrow, I will have time for these 12 items I've added onto my to-do-list", even though that was not the case for the past 12 months.
Even more problematic than complaining about lack of time, is truly believing time is the only source of our problems. I've certainly had days with tons of free time and still didn't manage to get work done, dinner with friends or develop a certain skill.
"Insanity Is Doing the Same Thing Over and Over Again and Expecting Different Results". Never this sentence made so much sense to me. Why do I keep blaming lack of time? Rather than focusing on time management, perhaps it's interesting to switch things up.
I'm not suggesting you shouldn't manage your time. I would be lying if I said I don't strive to manage my time and priorities better. But there is more to the time equation. I've certainly experienced days when I had 8 available hours, but because of sleep deprivation, depression or sickness, I couldn't do a single thing. Time is not the only resource to manage.
In the book "The Power of Full Engagement", the authors Jim Loehr and Tony Schwarts, experts in performance research, highlight different energy management principles as the key ingredient to become a "high-performance worker". There are four kinds of energy playing a role in how we perform: the physical, the emotional, the mental, and the spiritual energy. To be successful, it is necessary to manage the 4 throughout the day. This requires exposure to stress levels above normal limits, intending to grow, followed by recovery periods. Most professional athletes manage their time and energy intelligently, rather than burning themselves out for sequenced periods.
How to Manage your Energy like an Athlete
How to Manage Physical Energy:
Managing physical energy is not only a requirement for professional athletes who rely on their bodies to compete. It is also a crucial aspect for all the rest — sleep, nutrition, breathing and movement. If you neglect any of these 4 pillars, you will certainly not perform at your highest level.
How to Manage Emotional Energy:
As a rational being, I can rationally state that my emotions play a crucial role in my performance levels. Thus, it becomes crucial to manage my emotions and generate positive ones throughout the day. Interestingly, just like strengthening a muscle, positive emotions can also be developed by pushing past the current limits and integrating recovery periods after. A great way to develop your emotional energy is to engage in activities that are a source of positivity: hobbies, a walk, singing, going to the theatre, a meaningful conversation, etc. Make a list of these activities and schedule them — what is in the calendar is what gets done.
How to Manage Mental Energy:
Mental energy is related to our ability to concentrate, produce work, create, visualize, manage, etc. In a sense, it is what most of us rely upon during the day. The brain is responsible for these tasks, and incredibly as it is, the more we use it, the more it is developed. Thus, we must push past its comfort zone, give it time to recover (by incorporating breaks into the day) and continue this process.
How to Manage Spiritual Energy:
Spiritual energy has nothing to do with religion and is often neglected. In a sense, this energy is what glues everything together — it's the intent of living a meaningful life. It is connected with our values, passions and intra and inter-relationships.
“Energy, not time, is the fundamental currency of high performance.”
Now that you've grasped the importance of these 4 sources of energy, here are some actionable steps to Manage your Energy levels throughout the day:
Face the Truth in terms of your ability to Manage Energy:
Before implementing any new strategy, it is crucial to evaluate how you are doing in terms of energy management.
How are your current levels of energy throughout the day (1-10)?
How are you managing the high levels of energy?
How are you managing the low levels of energy? Do you tend to work continuously for 8 hours when your energy is high, just to crash feeling completely exhausted for the next day?
How do you transition from a day of work to getting back home?
During the last years, I've held to the belief that my energy during 2 pm and 4 pm was meant to be low — the afternoon slump. Although it's partially true, in the sense that I feel more tired and sleepy, this belief only made me waste these hours on activities that were not helping — scrolling through social media and the web. After reading "The Power of Full Engagement", I'm now using these hours to replenish my levels of energy by sitting outside to get some sun, playing with my dog, meditating, or doing absolutely nothing. I still scroll, but not with the mindset of "watching time pass by until I can get energy again." Now, I make the effort of creating energy by engaging in healthy activities that will give me a boost.
Create Positive Rituals to increase energy:
Rituals are what separates those who perform consistently and the ones who perform sporadically. First, they are essential to make progress towards the goals we set. Second, they reduce the amount of willpower and levels of discipline required to make decisions. Third, they are essential to managing our levels of energy.
The exercise I challenge you to complete is looking at the 4 sources of energy and thinking of one ritual for each that you can implement in your life and move the needle forward for you. This is what I do:
— Physical Energy: Working out 4 times per week + short walks after periods of intense concentration.
— Emotional Energy: Journaling + Meditating + Talking with those I love about my struggles + Playing the Drums + Learning stuff.
— Mental Energy: Meditating daily (10 minutes in the morning + during some of the breaks) + getting up from my chair after every hour of full attention + 1 day per week to recharge (no work).
— Spiritual Energy: Journaling about my values, goals and motivations + Meditating + Words of affirmation.
Think of all the days you had time but didn't have energy. It shows how important it is to manage it.