Eighteen months into the COVID-19 pandemic and energy has dwindled. As the days blend, maintaining high levels of energy is difficult. And without energy, it is impossible to move towards your goals. Mental and physical energy are both taxed when you are juggling a plethora of priorities under normal circumstances and, more so, amid a seemingly endless pandemic.
You learned in Managing Energy for Maximum Productivity that energy waxes and wanes throughout the day. Energy also has cycles throughout the weeks, days, and months. You may draw on more energy for a time, but eventually you run dry.
The level of water in an aquifer depends on the inputs and withdrawals. If a community is pulling out water and there is no rainfall to refill it, then the aquifer will deplete. In times of drought, we become more conservative in our water withdrawals… shorter showers, brown lawns, and so on.
Think of energy in the same way. When life withdraws too much, we need to refill the well.
Strategies to Refill the Aquifer
Take time for relationships – During this prolonged period of isolation, we’ve learned the importance of relationships. Loneliness is a common bedfellow of low energy. Sitting with a colleague at lunch or calling a friend can provide significant inputs to the energy aquifer.
Sleep – The most important and most effective way to replenish energy is a good night’s sleep. Many believe they can function on 5-6 hours or fewer, but research has shown that the average adult needs 7-8 hours a night. Try it for a week and see how much more patience, love, happiness, and ability to focus that you possess. You will probably find you need more sleep than you realize.
Healthy Eating – We are all guilty of turning to junk food or alcohol to handle stress, but this habit compounds energy withdrawals because it puts nutritional stress on the body. And it does nothing to refill energy reserves. Focusing on fresh vegetables, whole grains, fruits, and proteins provides the body with nutrients to keep the fires burning strong.
Exercise – Exercise takes physical energy, but most energy depletion is more mental than physical. Fatigue follows a taxed brain. A brisk walk, hard gym session, or good run, clears the brain and provides more energy.
Hobbies and Play – Doing something you enjoy is critical to maintaining energy for the harder tasks in life. Cultivating a hobby will provide you with energy by shedding other life stress, bringing you joy, and allowing your mind to relax.
Meditation – a 5-10 minute meditation session is a great way to clear the mind and reset the body. Not only does it give you energy back, it plugs any energy leaks by helping shed negative thoughts and mental distractions. A short meditation mid-afternoon is a better than a cup of coffee.
The next first step is implementing at least a few strategies daily to keep your well of energy full and add valuable inputs when it becomes depleted. A full well will keep you resilient in times of stress. If you run low, examine your daily habits and determine where you need to refill your energy aquifer.
