How to stay energetic
In the past 50 years, the stress levels of humans have increased significantly. We are dealing with unprecedented levels of stress and as a result high burnout rates. How did this happen?
The western economy has been booming and welfare has been increasing at a rapid rate. This has come at a price. Although working hours and conditions are better than 50 years ago, external pressures to perform have increased. Saying that you're stressed out almost became a brag because it would reflect how successful you are.
This is simply not how you can live a long and happy life. Today, I want to share some tips on how to reduce your stress levels.
To start, it's important to look at which aspects to focus on.
Time
Energy
Priorities
Let's start with time. Time is the one thing that we can't control and yet we can plan our days to get the most out of the 24 hours we have in a day. Build a routine in which you divide your tasks into work blocks. it might take a while to plan out your days but it will be worth it. If you don't know what you are supposed to be doing today and tomorrow you will automatically feel out of control and stressed out.
Ask yourself when you feel the most energetic. Everyone functions in a different biological rhythm. If you don't perform well in the morning, don't try to get yourself out of bed at 5 AM because Dwayne Johnson tells you to. Divide your energy according to your personal rhythm. I personally have high cognitive abilities right after I wake up and I notice they decrease after lunch. Therefore I start my workday early and leave my other activities such as physical exercise for the afternoon and evening.
Get your priorities straight. It's a known fact that a lot of our time and energy gets spent on trivial non-important tasks which makes it seem like we're very busy. When you're splitting up your time in work blocks, start with the activities that have the highest priority and assign the most time to those. Sadly, we can't just postpone these less important activities and never get to them eventually. Just remember, the more important the activity, the higher the stress impact if you can't finish it in time. Be honest with yourself about what is truly important and what is not.
To summarize, focus on the following:
Plan using work blocks
Use your energetic hours carefully
Get your priorities straight
You have more time on your hands than you think.
We have all the same 24 hours per day. Therefore, it is all about managing these 24 hours as efficiently as possible...
Speak to you soon!
Kind regards,
Joost