Seven tips to boost your energy levels in busy times

With late nights, early mornings, tight deadlines and the need to always push yourself to work harder and grow your business or career faster, you can end up overworked, drained and sometimes even lose the passion you have for your work.

While we can’t always eliminate the stresses and pressures of life, we can find ways to increase and maintain our energy levels in order to cope in times of a heavy workload. To help you, here are seven tips to boost your energy levels in busy times.

1. Take time to plan and prioritise your day

Before you start the day prioritise your tasks based on urgency, importance and return on investment, and then work through them one by one giving each task your full focus.

Many of us (me included) fall into the trap of thinking multi-tasking will help us get through tasks faster but it rarely does, we just end up with more unfinished projects that we have not given our best to. By taking the time to plan and focus you increase your productivity and avoid the overwhelm that often comes when your energy is low.

2. Break up your work

When our energy is low it can be hard to do a series of tasks that require high concentration, so break up your workload. Mix up tasks that require high concentration with tasks you enjoy or that take less concentration. This simple change can often be as good as a break and give your mind the rest it needs to keep working at your peak.

Also identify when your peak productive times are. If you are more effective in the morning then schedule harder and higher concentration tasks earlier in the day. If you are more effective in the afternoon and evening then schedule your work later in the day. By working in your peak times you will be more effective, efficient and as a result get more done.

3. Take regular breaks

When you’re extremely busy taking a break can be the last thing on your mind. But breaks are even more vital when you’re under pressure. Sparing 5-10 minutes every 60-90 minutes to stretch or walk around the office can help to clear your head, revive your creativity and leave you more refreshed to get back to work.

4. Delegate or outsource

Take an honest look at how you spend your time and what tasks you should and shouldn’t be doing. If your schedule is overflowing chances are you are doing work that you should be delegating or outsourcing.

Delegate to your staff members and build a flexible team of staff, experts and industry specialists who can jump in and help you through the busy periods.

5. Give yourself the night off

If you are like most executives or business owners you may continue with work late into the night (yes me again). This is not only detrimental for your mental and physical health it can create other problems around your work/life balance. Make sure you have scheduled nights off so you recharge and ensure all areas of your life are prioritised in the way you want them to be.

6. Get adequate sleep

Nothing will improve your energy levels like a good night’s sleep. While we often treat sleep as an optional extra, it’s the time your body repairs and rejuvenates itself. So tonight as you start to feel tired, slow down and avoid screen time with any device an hour before bed.

It might be hard to get into the routine at first, though after a few good nights of sleep, you will find your energy and concentration levels will increase.

7. Eat Well

When it comes to maintaining energy levels your diet can play a huge role. So while it can be tempting to reach for that sugar hit at 3pm, the burst of energy you feel won’t be sustained. Instead keep some low GI snacks around and a water bottle to keep yourself well hydrated and nourished.

How do you keep your energy up in busy times?