How to sustain your energy
Have you experienced feeling energised as you drink your coffee only to crash and feel sluggish a few hours later?
Most of the time, that’s what happens with our working week too. We feel energised ready to take on the world on Monday morning, just to feel depleted even before Wednesday. Slowly longing for Friday and the weekend.
It can be easy to feel defeated and question why you weren’t “motivated enough” to finish the tasks you set out to do. Maybe there’s the subtle disappointment creep as you berate yourself on how lazy you feel for the remainder of the week.
It can be easy to fall into this funk, but the reality is that you just need to figure out how to sustain your energy to last you the whole week. Over the years, I have learned to prioritise three areas of my life to make sure I’m sustaining my energy for work and the things I love to do.
Let’s go over how you can manage three key areas to sustain your energy and not feel so depleted!
Food
There is no perfect diet for all. We are all so unique that it’s up to us to take time and really identify what we need to nourish our unique bodies.
The key thing is listening to your body and being mindful of the subtle cravings and triggers that come up throughout the day and week.
Over the course of the week, really tune into ways your body is responding to what you eat and how it makes you feel after.
Questions, what do I think is missing dietary wise? Our body has magical ways of telling us we need more iron perhaps when we feel tired or magnesium to support our sleep. What’s going on with you?
One thing a wise sage told me is - How you live your life is how you eat?
Aside from nourishing yourself with healthy food, also monitor HOW you’re eating.
Are you always rushing to finish your food?
Do you chew properly? Savouring it all?
Do you feel energised or sluggish after eating?
Some of the things we eat based on a habitual trigger or emotion don’t always serve to top up your happiness tank.
Movement
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to do HIT exercises or lift super heavy weights just to get movement in your body (although if you like that, that’s great too!).
A mix of mini, micro and macro (HIT, running, squash or tennis game etc) layered movement throughout our week helps to keep the body functioning and performing.
Between my Sickle Cell and my dodgy knees, I find high-intensity workouts tough so I try to stick to walking, yoga, and other low-intensity movements. Pilates and weights are my jam to strengthen my body too in a non-intense way! Even having a dance party with yourself as you get ready in the morning is considered movement too! Shifts the lymphatic system and boosts those endorphins pre-work.
As for me, forest bathing (walking in nature) instantly 10x my energy!
When you get the balance right in your movements, these will energise, not deplete, you.
Sleep
There are a lot of posts out there that teach the perfect morning routine, which is all helpful; however, you can only achieve that when you have a restful wind down routine and sleep the night before. A great day starts the night before!
If falling (and staying) asleep is difficult for you, consider designing a wind down routine to ease into sleep. You can brain dump any of the stress and anxiety from the working day so that you’re not churning it over as you sleep. Also if you are serious about sleep, setting curfews for using electronics, consuming caffeine, alcohol, and heavy food will help you fall asleep quickly. Allowing your brain and body to focus on healing and restoration instead of digestion means you can wake up feeling more refreshed.
Another thing to think about as you plan each week is to also schedule in rest. You can’t properly function if you’re always on the go. Your body and mind deserve some rest too. Rest doesn’t always mean zonking out in bed, it could be creative rest through painting or social rest by seeing loved ones.
My challenge to you
Have a go at monitoring these three areas this week. Take some time and just note.
This will drive and motivate you to create and deliver good work across the week. If you need a bit more guidance on building habits and routines for success, I invite you to join me on this month’s masterclass, The Signature Rituals and Routines for Success, happening on February 23!
In this masterclass, you’ll learn how to avoid flatlining and also how to strengthen your resolve to get the right work done. When you join us, you’ll get the roadmap on the exact rituals and mastery you need to help you optimise your productivity and supercharge your Changemaker magic.