Manage your energy!

A guest blog by Paul Blackhurst, Client Director at Mannaz

According to our clients, including Unit4, the biggest surprise of Covid-19 is that we are busier than ever.  All that concern about how we would fill our lockdown time reading our books, learning the piano, becoming fitter etc. became irrelevant as the schedules filled up and we became even more “always on”.  The senior managers that we work with have responded as expected to the increased work demands by working longer hours. They are working evenings and weekends to get the job done.  Most of them become tired, irritable, and less productive as a result.

The good news is that there is another and far more productive way to look at the challenge which fits the adage of “work smarter, not harder”.

Whilst time is a finite resource, our vital energy is not, and by investing more time in “energy management” we can reduce our own stress levels and those of our people.

We each have 4 sources of energy to draw upon:

Physical. Taking regular breaks is often counter-cultural for high-achievers, but it increases work performance overall. Schedule breaks every 90 minutes or so.  Ignoring the signs of fatigue will only drain your remaining energy levels. Schedule regular exercise and make sure you get a minimum of 7 hours sleep, Get your relaxation from exercise rather than excess food and alcohol in order to maximize this source of energy. ​

Emotional. People are more productive when in a positive mood. Taking time to reflect on what is your emotional state and how it is impacting work performance, will enable you to learn to control and channel your emotions more readily. Appreciation of what you have is a powerful emotional fuel.   Taking the time to appreciate others’ efforts and the personal qualities that you admire is highly energizing for you and them. On the flip side, identifying what triggers your fears and concerns allows you to manage those emotions, to build in recovery time and to learn ways to ‘reframe’ challenges in more positive ways. ​

Mental. Mental energy is all about focus. The evidence shows that multi-tasking is counterproductive. In fact, what we call multitasking is the brain switching focus rapidly between two or more tasks.  Tasks take longer to complete well because of the lost efficiency in moving from one task to another. To maintain focus and increase productivity it really pays to reduce interruptions and distractions. Choose the most important tasks to do first thing in the morning and remove all distractions such as phone and email. Create designated times each day to respond to emails, and only respond during these times.  Other people will adapt to your rhythm.

Spiritual. This is the energy of meaning and purpose. You draw on spiritual energy when you are doing the things you enjoy most and those things that align closely with your personal values. Making time to work on these things creates positive energy, focus, and enhances stamina. To maintain spiritual energy, it’s important to clarify purpose (in your work and in your personal life) and to recognize deeply held personal values.  Establish rituals that ensure you make enough time to do what you most enjoy and do best.  

One worthwhile step to take is to undertake an energy audit.  Mannaz has developed a simple questionnaire to bring awareness of how we are frequently our own worst enemies when it comes to maximizing our effectiveness in all the competing areas of our lives.