Do you hit a dip in your energy at work every day at 3:00? You probably even wake up feeling low energy.
As a high performer that has a tendency to overwork, you’re typically spending more energy than you’re replacing each day.
Think about your energy like you do any of your batteries.
At some point, you stop using the device so it can get a full recharge. When do you do that for your body? And the more important question – when do you let yourself FULLY recharge?
I know what it’s like to overwork and run below empty. I’ve reached my breaking point twice in my career overworking as a high performer. I guide my high performing clients to create sustainable work/life balance in their lives.
7 Tips to Have More Energy to Get Through Your Workday
As you go through this list, note what is the most important to you AND what you don’t think is a priority as well.
1. Have a start time for your workday.
Everyday have a set time or a moment where you actually start working. This should not be when you first wake up. Be intentional when you wake up so you create a calm and balanced start to your day that can only make your productivity even better during your work day.
I have a client that woke up and started thinking about work. She was EXHAUSTED. Now she has a set start day each day and this has been a game changer for her in her productivity and energy levels.
2. Take your breaks.
You are not given breaks to work through them. Obviously if you’re on a roll and knocking things out, that’s not the best time to take a break. BUT when you find yourself getting tired, your mind starts wandering, you’re hungry, need to go to the bathroom, etc. use that time to take a break. Breaks allow you to recharge, reassess what you’re working on and create better results. Take them!
Most of my clients don’t take breaks before working with me. I get it! You get things done and more things appear. There are more things to do than time. But you’re a human, your body cannot sit at the computer for too long – plus your productivity goes down. Breaks are good.
Go for a quick walk. Stop and smell the flowers. Go outside for a minute. Whatever you do – take your breaks!
3. Eat your lunch WITHOUT working.
The majority of my clients either skip lunch altogether and find themselves eating junk at 3 o’clock or they work through lunch.
If you take your lunch break and work through it – you have a working lunch which is okay once in awhile but not everyday.
Lunch is a time to fuel your body, recharge, reassess your day and reprioritze tasks when you come back from lunch with a fresh perspective.
4. Have an end time for your workday.
Having an end time for your workday is essential so you STOP working. If you don’t do this, you’ll find yourself working weird hours and when you shouldn’t be. I can’t tell you the last time I had a client start working with me that had a STOP time on their workday.
What you don’t finish today, you can do tomorrow or another day. You are here for more than your work. Plus when you stop working, you give yourself time to play, recharge, relax, etc and that allows you to come back to work the next day more productive.
It doesn’t matter if the end time is the same everyday or set on certain days. Have an end time. This will help you prevent burnout.
5. Do at least one thing everyday that brings you joy.
I know this is hard for my high performers to even bring to mind when asked what brings them joy, but it’s very necessary. What are you working so hard for?
Again, you are here for more than your work. When work is your hyper focus, it’s hard to know what outside of work would bring you joy or happiness but in order to have work-life balance, there must be a life part happening.
Try new things, do things that make you happy. Play. Have something to do other than work outside your work hours. Give yourself something to look forward to – that’ll help you stop working.
6. Get enough sleep at night.
One of the big areas my high performers try to make up on time is by skipping sleep. As you know, the more sleep you get, the better you feel, the better you respond, the more productive you are.
One of my clients would read instead of sleep once the kids and husband were in bed. It was her time to do something for just her. The problem – she wasn’t getting the sleep she needed at night. The book would pull her in and she’d be up way later than she wanted to be and she was exhausted the next day. That affected her patience, her productivity and was an old pattern she was done repeating. Now she has the tools to get to bed at a time that supports her AND normal hours to read and do things just for her.
Sleep is a great way to recharge your body. Don’t skimp on this. Especially since lack of sleep can add to stress, something else you’re trying to reduce.
7. Make self care a priority.
Self care is HOW you recharge. This is what stops you from feeling overworked, overwhelmed and exhausted.
I find that a lot of high performers don’t know what counts as self-care. I define it as an activity that gives you energy. It has nothing to do with work or taking care of anyone or anything else. It is purely for you to recharge your energy.
Getting your hair or nails done while checking messages or emails is not going to count. Going for a walk without checking on anything work related does count.
Ideally, I’d love for you to implement every tip I just went over immediately. But I am very realistic since I work with very busy high performers. I’d love for you to pick one thing from this list and start doing that tomorrow. Tell me what you’re going to do tomorrow below, I’m holding you accountable.
Now look at what you didn’t think was a priority from the list above and dive deep and ask yourself why that isn’t a priority for you.
Every tip I gave you is very realistic and every high performer I work with is doing every single one of these things and noticing a huge difference in their lives.
Remember, overworking does not give you more energy. It spends your energy, no matter how much you love your work. The more energy you overuse each day, the less energy you start off with the next morning. This continues to compound until you reach your breaking point or until you burnout. Burnout is completely preventable.
