In the era of busy bragging, scheduling rest stops can feel more like a detour. We convince ourselves that we simply do not have the disposable time available to focus on our health.
Work demands are steadily increasing and a longer to-do list calls for longer hours. We come home drained. Life becomes survival mode - fighting through a never ending list of things to do. Not to mention, taking proper breaks, for most organizations, is countercultural at the expense of the employee’s engagement, health and quality of work.
Tony Schwartz, author of The Power of Full Engagement, says it best: “Demand has finally begun to exceed our capacity. We’re facing an energy crisis, and this one is personal.”
When we can’t change our circumstances, we must be aware of our own draining habits, and take responsibility for changing them.
Take your power back and restore your personal energy with two key strategies:
1) Morning ritual
Humans are creatures of habit. Capitalize on this by scheduling time in the morning to activate your energetic resources. Starting each day by nourishing your body and mind sets you up for success.
2) Recover with breaks
Humans express a fundamental need for a oscillation between stress and recovery. When we reject this natural rhythm, it doesn’t take long to reach our reserve tank.
When we sleep, our bodies experience five stages of sleep within a cyclical 90 minute period. Research now demonstrates that we experience a similar cycle during the day. Every hour and a half, we oscillate from high to low alertness, which explains that second (or third) cup of coffee.
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Give yourself just four weeks of committing to your personal energetic management, and you’ll be amazed at how simple it is once the habit is formed. You’ll likely feel more productive, less stressed, and have a greater sense of control over your day.
When we are fully engaged in our life, we live life with a sense of presence with the ability to respond quickly and adapt to whatever life throws at us.