Within the Productivity movement, there is huge focus on how to maximise motivation and rightly so. Without motivation, it’s difficult to take action, and without action, we have no progress.

But a topic very rarely discussed is Energy Management.

Energy can be simply defined as:

“the capacity for physical or mental activity”

There are 4 frames to review your Energy levels

1. Magnitude: improving overall energy in terms of intensity and endurance.

2. Consistency: reducing dips throughout not only the day but also week or month. Aim for a work load that you can replicate day after day.

3. Timing: finding your peak energy timeframes. You will have a unique circadian rhythm impacting when you have most energy.

4. Drains: avoiding negative energy “drains”.

Here is a simple checklist of items to improve your Energy

Things to add or improve:

1. Sleep: as per “Why We Sleep”, less sleep = less energy (along with less cognitive function). Review your sleep for length and consistency.

2. Exercise: anything from a daily 10 minute walk through to high-intensity exercise will boost your energy if load is managed correctly.

   • Short-term: exercise floods the body with endorphins, boosting mental alertness

   • Long-term: exertion will cause your body to create more mitochondria which boosts your bodies ability to store and use energy

3. Nutrition: minimizing insulin spikes is key to managing energy throughout the day.

   • What you eat: Carbohydrates and processed foods will cause insulin spikes

   • How much you eat: insulin reacts to the amount of food. Try to avoid huge meals

   • How often you eat: intermittent fasting improves energy as less energy and blood flow is directed towards digestion

4. Hydration: a lack of water will cause your blood pressure to drop, leading to poor circulation to the brain and poor cognitive function.

Things to avoid or limit:

5. Stress: Cortisol and emotional fatigue can reduce energy. Meditation, yoga, walking outside and breathing techniques reduce stress.

6. Alcohol, drugs and smoking: this one is self-explanatory, but these toxins have a wide-ranging negative impact on your energy.

How is your energy levels throughout the day / week or even month? How do you stack up against the energy checklist?