The year 2021 is drawing to a close, with less than nine weeks to wrap up work projects and any outstanding tasks.
The feedback from many of our clients is that people are expected to achieve more with less while balancing personal and home life. This begs the question, how do you achieve more with the same number of hours in the day?
The answer is, you require energy and focus to be more productive while avoiding potential burnout and exhaustion. Below, we share three tips to help you manage your energy so you can end the year strong.
Prioritise your energy
Your energy is finite. Therefore, it’s critical to audit your energy so you can boost productivity and get things done.
The first step is to detect which time of the day do you have the most energy. Is it in the mornings, or is it later in the day?
Then schedule your tasks so they match your energy levels. High energy time should be reserved for deep quality work and low energy time for shallow work.
You need the right amount of energy to do deep work so you’re able to complete your most important tasks. This will help you prioritise your energy to produce the best results in time for year-end.
Manage stakeholder expectations
It’s crucial to manage stakeholder expectations, so you don’t feel overwhelmed or suffer from burnout.
Managing stakeholder expectations means having the courage to say “no” to other things – unapologetically. If you say “yes” to every request, you need to check what you are saying “no” to.
Research shows that the more difficulty people have in saying no, the more likely they are to experience stress, burnout, and even depression (University of California). So, by saying “no,” you are taking care of your mental and physical wellbeing.
If you have already bitten off more than you can chew, communicate with the relevant stakeholders in advance to manage their expectations.
Remember that your energy is not unlimited. You need to prioritise your work projects and tasks with the right amount of energy so you can end the year strong.
Pace yourself
Energy is not just physical, but it’s also mental. So take the time to pause to replenish and pace yourself for the remaining weeks till year-end. You need the right amount of exercise, sleep, rest, and eating the right foods to achieve this.
In addition, take regular five-minute breaks throughout the day to recharge your physical and mental energy. Go around the block, get some sunlight, or do any activity that allows your brain to relax and wander off.
In conclusion, remember that your energy is not unlimited. You need to prioritise your work projects and tasks with the right amount of energy so you can end the year strong.