Time is Fixed, but Energy can Flex
I am embarking on a certification called “Full Focus” which is about planning your best life and making time for the things that are important to you. (And yes, down the road, I will be offering a course in how to do this for yourself…stay tuned)
One of the first things we are covering is ENERGY and how to manage your own.
There are 5 actions to re-energize your mind and body. Working on mastering these 5 areas will help you to have enough energy to tackle your most demanding tasks and still have the capacity for family, relationships, and personal interests. That sounds pretty good to me!
I want to address this first one in more detail because so many folks are not getting adequate sleep (including me!).
Practice #1: SLEEP
Sufficient sleep keeps us mentally sharp. It improves our ability to remember, learn, and grow. It refreshes our emotional state and reduces stress. It is when our bodies repair and recharge.
Desired: Get 7-9 hours of sleep per night.
How to Improve: Turn off your screens an hour prior to bedtime. Try adding blackout curtains, lower the room temperature, use a white noise maker. In order to get the quantity of sleep you want, work backwards.
Set your Sleep Routine Schedule: If you wake up every morning at 6 am and want 8 hours of sleep, then you need to be snoozing by 10pm. To keep you on track, set your alarm for 30 minutes (or more) prior to sleep time (in this case 9:30pm). When your alarm goes off, start your night time routine, tuck yourself in, and get the rest you need.
Practice #2: EAT
The food we eat makes an immediate, powerful impact on our energy. The best productivity system in the world cannot help you if you are starving your body of key nutrients or bogging it down with unnecessary calories. Watch what you drink too – to stay lean, steer clear of beverages loaded with calories.
Desired: Have fruits or vegetables with every meal. If you want more information about great nutrition, watch for our “Nutrition OS” program in the fall.
Practice #3: MOVE
Exercise is an energizer!
Desired: Plan your exercise for about 25-30 minutes a day to help you feel revitalized. And since you are getting this email, you know where you can get great exercise (BTTC!). Or even get out for a brisk walk after lunch or dinner to improve your mood, your health, and your energy.
Practice #4: CONNECT
The time you spend with other people has a tremendous effect on your energy level. Do they lift you up or are they energy vampires leaving you depleted? Being aware of those negative people can help prevent it from rubbing off on you.
Desired: Create weekly connection time. This can be social time and/or spiritual time. Setting time to connect with others or with yourself through your journaling or spiritual practices can rejuvenate our hearts and minds.
Practice #5: RELAX
It is easy to stay connected to our jobs or home responsibilities even when we are trying to disconnect. It can be hard to get away from electronic interruptions. For your own peace of mind, turn off your electronic devices (or at least put them in another room). Create boundaries of peace (no work!) and you will feel much refreshed and ready to focus when returning to work or responsibilities.
Desired: Create weekly time for “play”. This is recreation for the sake of fun with no ultimate goal.
Let your mind wander. Do a hobby or something that brings you joy.
NOW, pick one of the 5 Practices that you need help with the most and write down what you are going to do to enhance it. For me, it was SLEEP. I am now setting my alarm at 8:30pm to signal me to start my sleep routine – since I wake up at 5am, and want 8 hours of sleep, I want to be snoozing by 9pm.
~Robin
