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Energy is vital for humans to operate and we are all aware that our energy levels fluctuate. Most people know that certain behaviours can help to boost our energy; for example, sleeping well, eating healthily and exercising regularly. However, what we don’t often consider is that we have different types of energy, that we can manage our energy and that we can focus our energy to improve our productivity.
If we learn to consider all of these elements of our energies, we can achieve more by growing and using our energies more powerfully.
Different types of Energy
Most of us think of our energy as physical, but energy comes (and is required) in different forms:
Physical – the energy we need to move
Mental – the energy we need to think (our brains use about 20% of all of our energy)
Emotional – the energy we need to relate to ourselves and others
Spiritual – the energy we gain from hope and inspiration.
Therefore, when we consider ways to improve our energy and make best use of it, it is important to consider all four types of energy. Managing your energy
We create energy by breathing, eating, drinking, moving and resting. Each of these elements has a critical role in developing our energy. Apart from feeding us oxygen, learning to breathe effectively and using it to meditate is good for restoring our body in all sorts of ways. This includes decreasing stress, improving digestion, improving our immune systems, relieving pain, lowering our blood pressure and increasing our energy. What we eat has a huge impact on all sorts of aspects of our lives, and eating the right foods, in the right amounts at the right times, can significantly enhance our energy. Equally, staying hydrated is not just important to the function of our body, but also our brains. We think better when we are hydrated.
Exercising regularly helps the body to boost its energy by increasing circulation and strengthening the heart function.
But, as good as exercise is for us, we also require rest to allow our bodies to recover and repair. Whether it is sleeping well or taking breaks during exercise and work, getting appropriate rest enables us to increase energy and reduce fatigue.
Focusing your energy
While we cannot constantly achieve peak energy levels, we can learn to understand what improves and sustains our personal energy levels, and what causes them to drop. By regularly tuning in to our energy levels, we can learn when we are most energised to complete certain tasks. Once we understand the principal factors that result in us becoming de-energised, we can make a conscious effort to avoid them or limit their impact. This level of understanding enables us to focus our energies effectively, increasing productivity and ensuring we are most energised for our most critical tasks.
This can help with scheduling; for example, if we are most energised to complete bigger tasks at the beginning of the day, we can intentionally avoid distractions so we can focus our energy when we first start work. If, in this scenario, we were to begin our day by looking through our emails, we could quickly become de-energised and side-tracked from our main priority, meaning we either don’t get it done or we get it done to a lower standard or over a much longer timeframe than we could have done.
If we can apply our understanding to manage and focus our energy effectively, we can significantly boost our productivity. For example, learning which food to eat and when before exercising, then exercising in an environment that supports our performance, is more likely to produce a high output.
We believe that energy is the key component that drives everything else. One of the principal tasks of leadership is to energise your people to perform at their best – think of ‘CEO’ as the Chief Energising Officer who always aims to leave people more energised after they’ve been in contact with them than they were before. This includes boosting your own energy when you are leading yourself.
Our Personal Leadership course is designed to enable you to enhance your performance and well-being. It offers a very purposeful framework for you to begin to transform your life to how you wish it to be, and energy plays a fundamental role in enabling this. The online course starts with a focus on energy that will help accelerate your journey to leading yourself as effectively as possible.
Whether you are using some downtime to review and reset, or you want to maximise your productivity in the face of challenge, Personal Leadership will help you:
Clarify your goal
Align your choices
Create clear actions
Put them into practice.
Personal Leadership can help you become the best version of the person you want to be. Find out more and sign up here.
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