BOOST YOUR ENERGY
Combat pandemic fatigue with these supercharged strategies
Build in small breaks throughout the day that are actually blocked into your calendar and honored like an important meeting.
If you’ve been crawling towards the finish line at the tail end of eachwork day, you’re certainly not alone. In fact, you’re probably part of the current status quo. More than 76% ofworkers are tired most days of theweek, according to a study by the Virgin Pulse Institute. And that research didn’t even take into consideration the new abnormal ofCOVID-19, where many of us are working fromhome while juggling the demands of family and virtual school.
Since the pandemic swooped in, life got a whole lot more exhausting. But it doesn’t have to stay thatway. Try out these supercharged strategies I use with my business coaching clients to give them more energy, optimize their performance and increase productivity— no coffee required.
Designate a specific start time toyourworkday
Eighty percent of smartphone users check their phone as their first morning activity, according to a 2013 IDC Research study. By checking email or social media first thing, you relinquish control of your mood, energy and forthcoming schedule before you’ve wiped the sleep out of your eyes.
Instead of blurring the lines between your personal time andwork time by picking up your phone once youwake up, set a specific start time for your work day. Boundaries preserve energy. By setting clear start times, you give yourself time to rejuvenate versus diving into reaction mode.
Celebrate milestones throughout
theday
This might not seem like an obvious energy booster when pitted against a double espresso, but science says otherwise. Research shows that dopamine, the neurotransmitter that plays a role in howwe feel pleasure, has been proven to increase levels of motivation, mood, focus and— you guessed it— energy.
So instead of just plowing through your menial list of tasks, set little rewards associated with completing them. By giving yourself something to look forward to, you’ll be more efficient in yourwork and you’ll be able to break through mental fatigue.
Consider a five-minutewalk outside, a healthy smoothie you look forward to, or a call to a good friend as simple but inspiring milestone celebrations.
Change your view
The samewaywe sometimes mistake dehydration for hunger, we often mistake eye strain for being tired. For a lot of us, in-person meetings broke up the monotony of staring at a screen all day. But now, all our face-to-face activities have turned virtual. Your eyes need breaks throughout the day, but there are some easy tweaks if you can’t sneak away fromthe screen.
Blue-light blocker glasses help cut down or block blue light that comes fromscreens, reducing eye strain and helping you to fall asleep with more ease at night. Many computers now have settings that allowyou to turn on a “night shift” setting to lower the blue light coming fromyour screen, which can help aswell.
Exercise or relax for a brief window
Schedule twenty minutes into your day to recharge. Try a 20-minute HIIT workout, stretching, meditation or periods of prepping clean meals and snacks you can easily grab throughout the day. The deep breathing in many of those options breaks us out of our typical shallowbreathing habit and naturally increases alertness and boosts mood. Proper deep breathing balances the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in your blood, flooding the brain and body with more oxygen.
Build in white space
The natural tendency of a hard worker is to fill every moment of the day withwork, but that can drastically reduce productivity, energy levels and brain function. When you’re booked solid, there’s no room for creativity, de-stressing or recharging.
Build in small breaks throughout the day that are actually blocked into your calendar and honored like an important meeting, and use that time to relax, step away fromscreens and just allowyour mind to rest or think. You’ll be amazed by howgood it feels and the brilliant ideas that pop into yourmind during this time.
Make52yournewmagicnumber
The Pomodoro Technique— working for 25 minutes, taking a five-minute break, and then going back at it— works wonders for many people. But there’s a new time technique on the block.
According to studies, many of the most successful and productive people actually benefit fromworking and taking breaks in longer batches of time: a 52 minutes on, 17 minutes off pattern.
Try setting a timer towork for 52 minutes and then taking a 17-minute break. It might the most optimal, energy-enhancing boost you need.