In the second part of our series on energy levels
relating to time management, we shall discuss how mental energy needs to be
seriously considered when we look at time management.
Just as our physical energy levels are depleted
when we are hungry, our mental energy levels also tend to have peaks and lows
throughout the day. It is important to understand the factors that
influence your mental energy in order to be able to manage your peaks and lows
and to be able to plan your high level tasks in accordance with your peak
mental energy periods.
What exactly is mental energy? Mental energy is our
ability to concentrate and focus upon high level tasks. Our
ability to make good decisions is also dependent upon our mental energy which
is rapidly depleted as the day progresses.
Signs of mental fatigue include poor
concentration, clumsiness, finding normal tasks more complicated than they need
to be, procrastination and making unnecessary mistakes. Your ability to think and reason clearly
is jeopardised. Severe exhaustion often results in burnout and
depression.
At The Time Clinic, we assist employees
and individuals in establishing balance in order to optimise productivity and
wellness. As you can see, if your relationship to time is unbalanced,
effectiveness in all areas is compromised.
Do emotions affect mental energy? Emotions we will
examine in our next module, emotional energy, but it is important to mention
here that yes, emotions do impact upon our energy levels. Just
as positive emotions can increase our feelings of motivation and enthusiasm, so
to can negative emotions add to our ‘allostatic’ or stress load, and result in increased
feelings of tiredness and depletion. For this reason, we will examine all
three aspects of a human being’s energy in this series, but for the purposes of
this article, let us focus on mental energy.
Now that we understand how mental energy is crucial
to our performance for intellectual and high level tasks including in both the
workplace and while studying, how can we manage this energy and, if need be,
boost it when required?
The first thing we need to understand is that each
and every human being has their own unique peaks and lows. Some
of us are more inclined to function better first thing in the morning, whilst
others take a while to ‘warm up’ and others still prefer to burn the ‘midnight
oil’. You need to ask yourself when do you find your best
times of the day are for working on high level tasks? Can
you rearrange your schedule in order to move these tasks to these times?
What can we do to boost or increase our mental
energy? Taking supplements such as Gingko Biloba and Peruvian superfood
‘Maca’ can increase energy and concentration. High doses
of vitamin B6 and B12 and Omega 3 oils also assist brain functioning. Avoid
caffeinated beverages as the initial boost may be appealing, but adrenal
burn-out tends to result in the afternoon. Stick
to green tea for a healthier dose of a more natural type of caffeine.
Eating a low GI or high protein diet can also
dramatically improve mental energy levels. Have
you ever noticed how after a big meal or a sugary treat how all you want to do
is sleep? High blood sugar and insulin are major culprits for
depleted energy levels. Eating a low GI or high protein diet will also
ensure you get the extra B vitamins and essential fats that will feed your
brain to aid concentration levels whilst keeping your sugar levels even.
Aside from diet and supplements, what
else can be done? Well, a change is as good as a holiday so they say! Think
of your energy levels as batteries that need to be recharged. Sitting
at your desk all day without a break is going to result in depletion. A five to
fifteen minute break every forty minutes is important to recharge your
batteries and help you stay motivated. Go for a walk, get some sunshine,
stretch! If your working environment does not enable this
type of movement, then rather move to a less high level task to give yourself a
break for a while. Try to reward yourself with incentives throughout
your day.
Try to spend more time on activities that are
challenging. We call these ‘flow’ opportunities. Sometimes
the biggest reward lies not in the outcome of the task, but in the way we feel
when we are being stretched! Have you ever noticed how time flies when you are
working on a challenging task, and how you resent being interrupted? Plan your
day to allow yourself stretch opportunities when you can work for periods
without interruptions on these challenging tasks. If
you can’t think of any at work, then find a hobby at home! Stretch
opportunities recharge your mental batteries!
In our final article in this series, we will
examine emotional energy, an aspect that must not be ignored in order to
complete the time management picture. We hope you enjoyed our article and
remember to follow our blog to stay updated or 'like' our facebook page for
more updates.
For more information on time management
and time management training visit www.timeclinic.co.za
