As entrepreneurs, we have a wide variety of tasks. If you are like me, you are responsible for delivering my services, the finances, sales and marketing, creating content, and a million more. We also face many challenges throughout our days.
Both require us to stay focused, productive, and innovative.
To stay focused, productive, and innovative requires energy. Keeping my energy high or at least maximizing my productivity with changing energy levels is one of the challenges I face. Likely you do too.
With this in mind, I wanted to spend some time with you exploring three essential tips for boosting your energy so you can get the most out of your day and week.
The three tips might not surprise you, but some of my advice within the tips may.
The three essential tips are:
When you are done, let me know what surprised you most about this blog.
Our physical health can have a significant impact on our energy. I didn’t realize how much this had an impact until the start of 2021 when I did a test to determine my food sensitivities and then, for 12 weeks, cleaned my diet and didn’t eat anything considered “sensitive.”
As I slowly re-introduced these foods into my diet, I was shocked at how I would feel after. Everything from feeling lethargic, joints aching, and ankles swelling.
Today, I’m more aware of what I eat and how I feel because of it. The hardest thing I find is eating healthy when I’m drained. I find it easier to have easy healthy snacks on hand to stop myself from picking foods that are not good for my body. I also have a set of “goto” meals that I enjoy and help keep my energy high.
I recommend creating a list of meals and snacks you can use when needed.
Food is only one way we can physically impact our energy. Water, sleep, and movement are others.
Staying hydrated by drinking plenty of water is essential. Dehydration can cause fatigue and impair cognitive functions. I can also confuse being hungry with being dehydrated. So when I think I want to eat, I often drink water first and then see how I feel. I have a friend with a large water bottle that indicates where she should be in water consumption based on the time of day.
I prefer to fill up three water bottles at the start of the day with the goal of finishing them by the end of the day. Find a system that works for you.
As entrepreneurs, we are often tempted to sacrifice sleep in favor of dedicating more hours to work. However, this can lead to diminished creativity, concentration, and performance. We work more efficiently when we are recharged. This means getting enough sleep.
The best thing you can do is to be consistent with your sleep. This means going to sleep and getting up at the same time every day, even on weekends. I don’t follow this strictly, but I’m close. I have also found that following a bedtime routine helps me fall asleep quicker.
The last piece of physical health is movement or physical activity. When we feel low on energy, this may feel counterproductive. However, a lot of our energy drain is from feelings of stress and overwhelm. We can manage these feelings through movement.
The key is to find something you genuinely enjoy. Whether it is jogging, yoga, dancing, or a sport, schedule the activity into your week to ensure you make time for it.
I knew that I liked goals and needed a group of people to hold me accountable and someone to push me. So almost two years ago, I joined a martial arts class. I attend three times a week, and because I enjoy it, I am motivated to do other things daily to incorporate movement into my workday while improving my success at martial arts. For example, I will regularly do additional push-ups, balance exercises, and some yoga.
To improve your overall physical energy, eat healthily; you can use a meal plan or prepared meals to avoid impulsive choices. Stay hydrated, sleep consistently, and prioritize movement to increase your productivity, mental clarity, and resilience.
The mental aspect of energy is very critical for entrepreneurs. We constantly have to make decisions, solve problems and are often multi-tasking. All of this can drain our mental energy, leading to mental fatigue, especially decision fatigue.
Some of the ways we can improve our mental energy are to:
I also recommend having a list of tasks you can do when you are low on energy. Things that need to get done but don’t require much from you. These can help when you are zapped, allowing you to feel a sense of accomplishment still.
Being an entrepreneur can be an emotional rollercoaster. Highs and lows can occur on the same day, even multiple times daily. Therefore, managing our emotional energy is essential to keep moving forward.
Emotional energy can come from relationships, spiritual activities, recreation, inspiration, and nature.
Now that many of us work from, often alone, this is one energy center we need to pay more attention to.
When I became an entrepreneur, I missed the bonds of my co-workers more than anything. I struggled with the feelings of loneliness and the bonds of those going through the same things. This is one of the big reasons I joined networking groups.
However, networking groups didn’t give me the space to be vulnerable to share my struggles or ask for help.
Today, I run mastermind/accountability groups that allow entrepreneurs to help entrepreneurs with the many aspects of running a business. However, one of the most significant benefits is how it can help with an entrepreneur’s emotional energy.
We are human; we need the bonds of people. A supportive network of peers, friends, and mentors can help you learn, grow, face opportunities, and even embrace failures. They can also celebrate small and big wins and cheer you on when you need a boost.
Surrounding yourself with like-minded people who understand why you are willing to go through the struggles of being an entrepreneur is essential for strong mental energy.
Do you have a network of support?
Our energy has a natural rhythm. My husband works best at night. I work best at about 10 am. I like the quiet of the morning, and my husband likes the quiet of the night.
No two people have the same energy patterns.
Knowing your energy patterns can help you manage your work to match your energy flow, allowing you to work at peak performance.
Track your energy levels over a few weeks. Check if your energy is high, medium, or low multiple times daily. As you tack it, you will likely see a pattern even over different days of the week. I have high energy on Mondays, but by Thursday, it is lower.
I also recommend tracking your activities to see if certain activities give you energy while others may take it away.
Have you ever noticed that when you are doing something that you enjoy, time moves fast, and when you are doing something you don’t, time moves slowly? This time warp is related to your energy. When time is moving fast, you will find your energy is high; when time is moving slow, your energy is also low.
You can use this to your advantage. When you have high energy, do things that lower your energy. This will give you the energy to get these draining tasks done quickly.
When your energy is low, do things that give you the energy to fill yourself up and still perform at peak levels.
This may seem counterintuitive, but it’s like a time hack. Like above, I recommended having a list of tasks you can do easily when your energy cells are drained, knowing what you can do when your energy is high, and what you can do that you love, no matter your energy level.
And at any time, if you are unsure what you need, ask your body; it knows. Sit quietly, ask the question, and then listen.
As an entrepreneur, our energy levels can help us with focus, productivity, and creativity. Therefore, it’s important to find ways to boost our energy.
We can boost our energy by focusing on physical health, mental clarity, and emotional resilience. In turn, we will be better equipped to tackle the challenges and opportunities we face as entrepreneurs.
Let us know what you will implement to boost your energy over the next little while.
Energy is the essence of life. Every day you decide how you’re going to use it by knowing what you want and what it takes to reach that goal, and by maintaining focus. Oprah Winfrey
Energy is the essence of life. Every day you decide how you’re going to use it by knowing what you want and what it takes to reach that goal, and by maintaining focus.
Let’s stay connected. I offer monthly tips to help you with productivity and self-leadership.
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