10 Ways To Increase Energy and Productivity
Find yourself running low on energy at certain times of the day? For me it’s around 2:00 in the afternoon. I start staring off into space, reading the same line of an email over, and over, and over again, and I’m looking for something with caffeine or sugar to get me through the day. Sound familiar?
Our bodies go through natural fluctuations in alertness throughout the day. It’s normal for us to have times where we have more energy, and times when we have less energy throughout the day.
We also all have times in our lives where our motivation is running low. Maybe we’ve been putting in long hours at work and we are feeling burnt out. Or we’ve been struggling with stress from family, friends, finances, or other things that are zapping our energy. This is super normal too.
Just because we’re at a low energy part of the day, or we are running low on brain resources because we’ve been burning the candle at both ends, it doesn’t mean we can’t find ways to be productive.
Here are 10 strategies to use when you are running low on energy and motivation.
Give yourself a reward – our brains love rewards! They motivate us to keep going when we are low on energy. They don’t have to be big rewards. Here are some examples:
When I finish this annoying task I can check out Facebook for 10 minutes
Once this task is done I can go outside for a walk around the block
A little bit of chocolate when I finish those things we all have to do that we don’t like doing really helps me (like anything to do with accounting).
Switch to something new – It seems counterintuitive I know but if we focus on something too hard it can actually make our brains less efficient. Think of all the times you just couldn’t remember the name of a movie, then in the shower later it comes to you. Happens a lot right? Your brain needed that mental break to free up resources and be more efficient.
Get some fresh air – Fresh air rejuvenates the brain and makes us more productive. Go outside for a few minutes, even a walk around the building can help.
Set time limits on tasks – Our brains start to run low on energy after about 60-90 minutes. Then take a brief break. Your brain will have more energy and you will be more productive with these brief breaks.
Move your body – Exercise boosts energy and concentration. Even a 20 minute walk will help.
Drink a glass of water –Being dehydrated can zap energy and motivation fast.
Eat something – Ever forget to eat when you’re busy? Our brains need the energy we get from food to function. Make sure you ate today.
Make a to do list – Sometimes we feel burnt out because we have all these things on our mind that we need to get done and it overwhelms our brain. You’re wasting mental resources and energy trying to do it all in your head. Write down your tasks. It will free up brain space.
Go take a nap – A brief 20-30 minute nap can boost brain power, and can even improve our memory!
Remind yourself why this is important – Our brains can be quick to forget the end goal. Reminding ourselves of why we are doing what we are doing can boost motivation.
Do you need to get this work task done so you can go home and spend time with your family?
Do you need to get going on your new business so you can get closer to your goal of financial independence?
Do you need to get to the gym so you can feel more positive about your body?
Remind your brain of your why, the reason you are working so hard.
Remember that our brains only have so many resources to use. When we run low, we can snap our brains back on track with these strategies. Give it a try, you might be surprised.
Stress can take up a ton of our brain resources and reduce our energy and motivation. If you want to learn more about your unique Stress Personality and get my personalized tips to improve productivity and reduce stress based on your style, take my free quiz here.