Tips for preserving your energy

Juggling responsibilities is a part of life. It takes a lot of energy to balance work, relationships and personal commitments, so it’s no surprise that many people often feel drained and exhausted. This makes preserving energy highly important for the maintenance of our overall wellbeing. When we prioritise our energy, we're better equipped to handle life's challenges, think clearly and succeed at work.

1. Set boundaries

Learning to say "no" is a powerful skill. Set boundaries with others to protect your time and energy. Be clear about what you're willing and not willing to do. This will help you avoid overcommitting and reduce any feelings of resentment.

2. Prioritise self-care

Self-care is not selfish; it's essential. Make time for activities that nourish your mind, body and soul. This could be reading, meditation, yoga or simply spending time in nature. Making time for self-care will give you the chance to recharge and refuel.

3. Identify energy vampires

Pay attention to people, activities and situations that drain your energy. Limit your exposure to these energy vampires and replace them with positive friends and experiences.

4. Practise time management

Poor time management can lead to stress, anxiety and energy depletion. Use tools like calendars, to-do lists and apps to stay organised and focused. Break down hefty tasks into more manageable chunks and make sure you take regular breaks.

5. Learn to delegate

You don't have to do everything alone. Learn to delegate tasks to others when possible. This could be at work, at home or in your personal life. Delegation can help reduce stress and free up energy for more important or enjoyable things.

6. Take breaks

Taking regular breaks can help you recharge and reduce burnout. Take short breaks throughout the day and longer breaks when needed. Use this time to relax or enjoy a favourite hobby.

7. Stay hydrated

Dehydration can lead to fatigue, headaches and decreased productivity. Drink plenty of water throughout the day and avoid sugary drinks that ultimately lead to energy crashes.

8. Get enough sleep

Sleep is essential for energy production and overall wellbeing. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep each night and establish a consistent sleep routine to improve the quality of your sleep.

9. Exercise wisely

Exercise is a great way to boost energy levels but overdoing it can lead to exhaustion. Find a balance that works for you and undertake activities that bring you pleasure and relaxation.

10. Practise mindfulness

Mindfulness practices like meditation and deep breathing can help reduce stress and increase energy levels. Take a few minutes each day to focus on your breath, body and surroundings.

11. Limit social media

Social media can be a significant energy drain on our brain. Try to limit your social media use and focus more on real-life connections and experiences. According to an article published by Medium, "social media can silently sap our mental and emotional energy, leaving us feeling drained, unmotivated, and overwhelmed".

12. Connect with nature

Spending time in nature can be incredibly rejuvenating. Take walks, go for hikes or simply sit in a park or garden. Nature can help reduce stress and increase feelings of calm and relaxation.

13. Learn to forgive

Did you know that holding onto grudges and negative emotions can drain your energy? Practise forgiveness and let go of emotions that no longer serve you.

14. Pursue activities you love

Engage in activities that bring you joy and fulfilment. These could be hobbies, creative pursuits or spending time with loved ones. Do things that make you feel alive and energised.

15. Practise gratitude

Focusing on what you're grateful for can help shift your energy and perspective. Take time each day to reflect on the things you're thankful for, no matter how small they may seem.

Tips for reducing mental fatigue at work

Many of us will have experienced mental fatigue at one time or another in our lives and it’s no wonder with so many pressures from work. Continual strain can leave us feeling drained both mentally and physically, which can affect our motivation and energy levels as well as causing mental block, irritability and insomnia. If we ignore the signs of mental fatigue, it can eventually lead to stress and anxiety and, in some cases, depression or heart problems.

There are, however, a number of ways we can help prevent mental fatigue by taking a few simple measures.

Clear your workspace

When we’re busy, it’s easy to neglect our workspace, but the mere act of tidying and decluttering can have a positive effect on our minds. Not only will you be able to find things more easily, you will start to feel less stressed.

Allocating time

We all have different times of day when we feel that we're most productive and motivated, so try to allocate the right times to the right tasks. Completing the more mentally demanding tasks when you feel you're at your peak and leaving the simpler, more monotonous jobs for when you've less mental energy can massively increase your productivity at work.

Create achievable to do lists

Making lists is a great way to prioritise your workload and gain perspective on the tasks ahead. However, we can sometimes overdo it and cause ourselves more stress by trying to overachieve. Create realistic goals so that you actually see your list decreasing rather than increasing. By writing a new list each day, you're more likely to see your accomplishments rather than your failings and you will leave work feeling positive.

Pay attention to your sleep patterns

Getting a good night’s sleep is vital for avoiding mental fatigue and for refreshing your mind so that you're more alert and focused. Try to get into a bedtime routine where you give your mind time to wind down and quieten before you actually go to sleep. Switch off your mobile devices or the television and spend half an hour perhaps having a bath or reading before you attempt to sleep.

Take regular breaks at work

We're all entitled to breaks at work so it’s important to take time out when you feel like your mind is getting weary. Even if it’s just for five minutes to refill your water bottle and rest your eyes from the computer screen, these little breaks will work wonders.

Eat healthy snacks

Choose healthy snacks such as bananas, seeds and nuts to munch on throughout the day. As well as being a great source of energy, they will stop the temptation of grabbing a bag of crisps or a bar of chocolate, which will inevitably result in a slump in energy. Try to drink a couple of litres of water each day to help keep your brain sharp.

Relaxation

Make time for some form of relaxation every day when you're at home. Even ten minutes meditating, practising yoga or even just going for a walk can lower your heart rate, reduce blood pressure and calm your mind.

Take a proper holiday

Although an exotic holiday in the sun may be our idea of heaven, this isn’t just what taking a holiday is about. Taking a proper holiday means switching off from everything that could be damaging to your wellbeing. Turn off your phone, put your out of office on your emails and totally escape anything that may cause brain drain. If you let those closest to you know that you will be unavailable for a weekend or a week, hopefully you can switch off without feeling guilty.

Forbes offers more advice on how you can overcome mental fatigue but if you feel that need further help, speak to your GP or health professionals like First Psychology.

Can the cold boost your performance at work?

The alarm goes off in a morning and – let’s be honest – in this dark, damp winter weather, what wouldn’t we do to press snooze and snuggle back down into bed, if only for a few more minutes?

But before you hit that button, remember these few key facts about why this colder weather is actually good for us and could have a positive impact on our performance at work.

Work

Although getting to work may be a struggle during the cold winter months, once we're there, chances are we'll give our best – unlike during the summer months when we can be more easily distracted and eager to wind down for the holidays. Research in the US showed the impact that warmer weather had on complex decision making. They had two groups of workers complete a proof reading task – one group in a warm room, one group in a cool room. The group in the warm room missed significantly more mistakes than those in the room with the cooler temperature, suggesting that our minds are potentially more alert when our body temperature is lower. This is because our brain produces glucose – which we can either use to make decisions or, when we are hot, we can use it to cool our body temperature down – leaving us with less brain power to make convicting decisions.

Rest

We all know that our performance at work depends on the quality of sleep we have had the night before. And cooler temperatures have been proven to have a positive impact on sleep quality. A study by the University of Southern Australia demonstrated that people suffering from insomnia were seen to improve when they went to bed in colder temperatures. The science behind this is the fact that as our body temperature drops, it induces feelings of sleepiness. Therefore we are more likely to fall asleep in cooler environments. Not only that, but our body releases more melatonin in colder temperatures and that’s good for the skin too, not to mention the calories we burn!

Play

Although our desire to keep active during the winter is often much lower than during the spring and summer months, there’s a lot to be said for making sure we continue with our usual non-work activities during the colder months too. When it comes to exercise, there is evidence to show that our bodies are able to train faster and for longer in cold weather, than in the heat. This is because it’s easier for our bodies to regulate temperature. Interestingly though, it works even harder when used to operating at a certain temperature. This was proved when two groups of cyclists were split to train in different environments – one cold, one hot. The cold group outperformed the hot group in the first test, however when the warm group moved back to train in a cold environment again, they were found to outperform the cold group – who’s performance remained consistent. The lesson learned here is that our bodies respond to changes in the temperature, so – in a work environment – maybe turn up the air conditioning a notch before a big team meeting in the hope of maximising the performance of your team?


Our bodies are amazing, responsive, adaptable vessels. The cold weather serves to boost our internal operating system which, when channelled properly, can have a positive impact on how we perform certain tasks. The winter months are often seen as a season to ‘endure’ and ‘tolerate’ while waiting for the spring to reappear, full of promise. Surely it would be better to see the winter for what it is – a time of possibilities and potential; the time to test yourself and strive to achieve your best.

Why not give the winter your all – and see what you get in return?