How to get your energy back and improve productivity
How many of us get home after a full day at work and collapse on the couch by 7 p.m.?
Sure, we might want to hit the gym, tackle that pet project, or delve into a good book, but after a long day, sinking into the cushions with a glass of wine seems like the only viable option.
There’s no shame in unwinding, but we can also decompress without feeling utterly drained.
Below I share 4 tips to help you get your energy back and improve productivity.
1. Ditch the Email Obsession (Yes, You Can!)
I know how easy it is to get attached to your screens. I’m definitely guilty of scrolling and checking my email way too many times a day, especially on my phone when I’m away from my desk.
But here’s the thing: living in our inboxes is exhausting. It’s like a black hole sucking away our precious energy. How often do we read, save, and postpone email replies, only to circle back later?
Let’s skip this step, and do this instead to help you prioritize what gives you energy during the day:
Sketch out tomorrow’s agenda the night before, prioritizing your top three tasks. You might be tempted to have a long to-do list, but less is more.
Kickstart your day with a mindful mindset. Lately I’ve been writing down one word that describes the day I want to have. (i.e. impactful, grounded or joyful) It takes just a few seconds and helps me set an intention for the day.
Set boundaries around your phone. Delete the email app from your phone, or if that’s not an option, put your phone away even in 30 minute chunks. It makes a difference if you can create some physical separation between you and your phone or you and your inbox.
Check your email at set times during the day—once in the morning, once in the afternoon, and once before signing off. And if an email can be answered in under two minutes, go ahead and reply right away.
2. Plan your time
An excellent way to get your energy back and improve productivity is to plan your time accordingly.
I love planning my time and having clarity on how many hours a day I’ll spend on certain projects. It helps me stay focused and visualize what my day is going to look like.
I’ve actually been doing this since I was a kid! (My friends in high school used to make fun of me about this, but it’s a habit that’s served me well.) Here’s what my nightly after-school schedule looked like:
Latin Homework – 45 minutes
Calculus Homework – 1 hour
Spanish Test – 45 minutes
Estimating project hours allows you to stay on track and avoid procrastination. When I see that I can complete my top 3 tasks of the day in X amount of hours, I can make time for other things in the day like the gym, personal errands or something else.
3. Check in on Your Inner World
Our thoughts and feelings have a huge impact on our energy day to day. A lot of negative thoughts and feelings will weigh us down, whereas more positive thoughts and feelings will give us energy.
Start by taking inventory of what’s going on in your mind. I do this with a 5 minute brain dump, and use a prompt like: “What am I thinking right now?” or “What am I feeling today?”
I then jot down everything that comes up.
After you do this, check in with yourself.
If you notice you’re feeling down, is there a larger issue that you need to deal with or process?
If that’s the case, it’s a wonderful thing to have awareness so that you can work on it.
4. Get clear on your power hours
Power hours are the moments when you’re feeling the most energized. We cannot be fully energized all day!
Do you feel most energetic first thing in the morning? Or do you get a surge of energy in the afternoon after lunch?
For me, it’s definitely morning. (In fact, after 2 or 3 pm, I experience a slump and need to take a break.)
Reserve this time for tackling your toughest or most creative tasks.
Now over to you..
Which one of these suggestions resonate with you the most? How do you plan to get your energy back and improve your productivity? Let me know in the comments.