7 ways to boost your energy at work
Do you remember those TV ads promoting drinking cup-o-soup at 3.30pm in the afternoon to avoid “three-thirtyitis”?
Well, whilst “three-thirtyitis” is just catchy marketing lingo, the mid-afternoon energy slump is a real phenomenon. In fact, given how much our working lives have changed over the last two years, we might be experiencing “three-thirtyitis” at any time during the day, or during the working week.
What I’m really talking about here is the feeling of “languishing” or to put it plainly, feeling “blah”. And I’m not sure some boiling water and reconstituted tomatoes are the answer.
So how can you combat this feeling during your working day, and across your working week?
Here are my top 7 strategies to manage that “blah” feeling.
1. Make working flexibly work for you
What does “working flexibly” really mean? Does it mean you’re no longer chained to a desk in an office, but chained to your desk at home instead? It shouldn’t.
Throughout the pandemic, research has shown that working remotely has resulted in an increase in productivity for office workers. It’s important that we aren’t replacing our commuting and “water-cooler socialising” by adding more work tasks onto our plates.
Flexible working looks different for everyone. Consider what environment helps you perform at your best and make that work for you. That could mean working from a café each morning whilst you have your coffee. It could be logging on after school drop off or taking an hour out to do school pick up and then logging back on in the afternoon from 5-6pm. It could be working from a family/friend’s home once a week if you live alone or working from an elderly relative’s house once in a while to keep them company.
Communication and collaboration with your manager and team is important here, so think about what flexibility can really mean for you.
2. Micro and macro breaks– are you really taking a break?
Are you stepping away from work during that lunch break? Really? If you are moving away from your computer to eat lunch and respond to an email on your phone, then I’m talking to you. If, over you’re lunch break you’re dialling into a meeting and calling it a lunch break because you’re eating during the meeting, this isn’t a break.
Have you thought about taking a micro break rather than a macro break to recharge? A “micro break” is a short break of 5 minutes or less and some recent research out of the US, has shown that microbreaks are a great way to maintain your energy levels throughout the day.
A macro break is stepping out for lunch (away from devices), going for a walk or (if you’re working from home) maybe doing a load of laundry for 15 minutes.
A microbreak is not just stepping away from work for a few minutes; it’s what you do in this small break that makes the difference.
Taking a microbreak could be listening to your favourite song, stretching, watching a funny video or organising your workspace.
Sometimes the hardest thing with taking a break (whether micro or macro) is making sure you do it. The answer here is not rocket science – treat your break like a work task – schedule it in!
3. Finding your flow – life is about more than work
Organisational psychologist Adam Grant does a great TED talk about moving out of “languishing” and into finding your flow, he mentions the “3 M’s”. Mindfulness, mastering and something that matters. Sounds complicated.
Which is why I love the example he provides – playing Mario Kart with his kids and extended family! Life is about more than work. Some of us “find flow” in our day-to-day tasks at work. But let’s be real – a lot of us don’t.
What do you do, outside of work, where you feel like you are “in flow”? How are you building in time for this over your working week?
4. Being social
The pandemic has really put a dent in being social. I don’t know about you, but despite Zoom wine tastings and online trivia nights, I have certainly felt my social circle shrink over the last two years.
Social connection is an important part of your health and wellbeing.
Social connection at work is often about small interactions. If you’re working remotely – think about how you could create these. It could be as simple as arriving (whether remote or face to face) to a meeting a minute or two early to ask your colleagues how their day has been so far.
Outside of work, do you have a friend who maybe you haven’t spoken to in a while? Give them a call! Missing seeing a group of friends, reach out and ask if they’d like to catch up!
5. Practise N.E.A.T.
I think we all know by now that exercise is good for you. We know we should be aiming for our 10,000 steps and doing our 30 minutes of exercise each day. Sometimes, this can be tough. I challenge you to think less about exercise and more about NEAT.
NEAT stands for “non-exercise activity thermogenesis” and is the energy expended by everything we do that is not sleeping, eating, or undertaking intense exercise. Research shows that increasing your NEAT is a great way to increase your health and wellbeing
Much like taking “micro-breaks” increasing your NEAT is about building exercise into your day-to-day routine. This can be just as effective at managing your energy levels and overall wellbeing as a 30-minute session at the gym.
Examples of NEAT include walking the dog, pacing whilst you’re on the phone, cleaning the house or dancing in the shower!
6. The impact of a good night’s rest
Much like exercise, we all know that getting 7-9 hours of sleep is good for you. But don’t underestimate the impact it has on your working day. If you’re the kind of person that needs a double shot espresso just to get out of bed, consider how you might want to work on your energy levels through increasing your sleep quality.
In 2018, I joined Headspace and got into mindfulness and meditation to help with my amount and quality of sleep. My main learning was unexpected. I had never realised how much of a bad night’s sleep I was bringing with me into work the next day. A colleague would say “Morning! How are you?” and I would respond “Awful, slept terribly last night, I’m on my third coffee”. This meant that I was already setting myself up for a bad night’s sleep the next night. I would start to feel anxious that I had to catch up on my “sleep debt”. I was also great at bringing down the mood in the office, going on about my bad nights sleep!
I have by no means conquered having a great night’s sleep every night, but I’m more aware of the things that will promote good sleep, and things that will work against me. Being aware has helped me manage my sleep and gradually work towards a quality sleep every night.
7. An attitude of gratitude
Did you know that being grateful releases dopamine in your brain and makes you feel good? It also increases your energy levels, and even helps you live longer. In short, it feels good to say thank you.
One of the best ways you can utilise gratitude at work to increase your energy levels is by sharing it. Was there a time recently you really appreciated a colleague and the work they did? Tell them! Is there an opportunity to provide some positive feedback about a delivery of a project timeline being met – share it! This way, you are lifting the energy not just of yourself but of those around you. If in an energy slump, practicing gratitude can be a great way of kicking yourself out of it. Take a moment to consider what you appreciate; even if it’s just that the sun is shining or its 5pm and you’ve survived another day at work.
So… what are you going to do to improve your energy levels this week?
I encourage you to pick just one of the tips from this list and try something new.
Managing your energy is something you can schedule into your day, even if it’s just a few moments here and there. Before you know it, you might be adding in a new habit or an unconscious practice that will help you throughout the day, and the working week.
So, schedule a moment in and then see whether you notice a difference in how you feel at the end of the day. That, or it’s back to the packet soups!
References
https://www.jstor.org/stable/3090197
https://nbloom.people.stanford.edu/sites/g/files/sbiybj4746/f/wfh.pdf
https://doi.apa.org/record/2021-21343-001?doi=1
https://www.ted.com/talks/adam_grant_how_to_stop_languishing_and_start_finding_flow?language=en
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3150158/
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-61552-3_7
https://www.headspace.com/meditation/sleep
https://positivepsychology.com/gratitude-happiness-research/
