Be Energized to Be More Productive
Our lives are rushed and there aren’t enough hours in a day to complete all that we need to. Maintaining positive energy levels is key to our productivity and well-being.
It’s important to keep our energy levels up at work and head home with a sense of achievement and satisfaction. Our stress does not come from worrying about what we must do. It grows from what we feel we haven’t done, or haven’t done right.
Most of us head home at the end of a work day with this feeling of unfinished business. There’s a list of incomplete tasks running around in our heads. Meetings, calls, a bit of chitchat, a couple of coffees, research/surfing the net, lunch with colleagues. The end of the day creeps up on you, and you have barely got started, let alone completed anything you were supposed to.
Occasionally, there are days, when we do head home feeling that we got a lot done. A day that energizes us and helps us remember why we do what we do. If only we could have days like that more often!
Here are some simple ways to get energized and be more productive.
Job list: Yes, this is the oldest one in the book. But it works. Start your day by listing out everything you must do. It brings order to the chaos in our minds. It makes us feel less helpless and disorganized.
Once you have done that:
Prioritize: There are some tasks that are on your list that should be done immediately. Others can wait till the end of day or even two days more.- Collaborate or delegate: Sometimes we believe that only we can do things. Delegation and collaboration are options that can be used well – if you are not shirking your responsibilities.
- Create achievable steps: Break into smaller tasks. At the end of each day when you tick off that section, you feel closer to the end goal.
- Mark off completed tasks: This simple act gives a great sense of achievement and impetus!
Save the best for last: Complete the unpleasant tasks first. They often take less time than we think. Once they are out of the way, we can relax and apply ourselves to what we enjoy doing. In a far more productive manner.
Change argument to enquiry: Debates can be energizing. Arguments can be draining. Change your attitude to curiosity and trying to understand other perspectives. It could lead to gaining a new perspective. It could lead to others being more open to understanding your point of view.
Deskercise: Stretch every one hour. It enhances productivity. Reduces aches and pains. Minimizes long term damage. If you forget – set a timer on your phone. Or create a buddy system with a colleague.
Connect with coffee: Use your breaks well. Connect with others at work. We often get stuck within our spaces and comfort zones. Use your coffee breaks to walk around. Get to know people outside of your team. Understand your peers.
Appreciate yourself: End the day by acknowledging what you have achieved. Ticking off completed tasks on your job list helps. If we constantly work from an area of ‘I can be better’, we drain ourselves.
Breathing: Oxygen energizes us. It reduces pain. If you practice yoga or other exercise routines. make sure deep breathing is a part of it. Include a simple breathing routine in your day. Inhale deeply (so that your stomach rises). Exhale so that your stomach deflates. Repeat seven times. Create a routine and repeat every four hours. On a particularly stressful day the exhalation can be from the mouth instead of from the nose. This helps release negativity and stress.
