Three Questions to Ask Yourself If You Are Low on Energy but Need to Keep Working

You know how you sometimes have bursts of energy, during which you feel fired up and ready to go, and other times you feel sluggish, distracted, and uninspired to work on anything? That’s completely normal – most of us go through these energy fluctuations, often multiple times a day. Unfortunately, conventional wisdom and the structure of the workday at most workplaces tell us that we need to be working full speed for a certain number of hours throughout the day, regardless of how our bodies or minds are feeling in each particular moment.

That type of thinking is not only draining but highly inefficient. In reality, working according to and with our energy levels can make us feel less exhausted and more nourished. But what does honoring your energy levels look like when you have a work schedule, a list of deadlines to meet, or a calendar full of meetings? Of course, if you are feeling low on energy and have the option to fully stop work until you feel more recharged, you should definitely go for it! But if that is not an option for any reason, there are still ways to honor your energy throughout the day, by asking yourself three questions and getting creative and curious about the answers.

1.)    How Can I Simplify My Current Task?

This is incredibly difficult for most of us because we believe that doing something in a complicated or hard way results in higher quality. And we want to make sure that, if what we are working on does not fully succeed in some way, we can at least be a little less mean to ourselves because we can think “I gave it my all.” But working harder does not equal producing higher-quality work. Moreover, we can learn (with practice) to challenge our brains when they want to be mean to us in the event something does not end up working out the way we wanted it to.

2.)    How Can I Add a Little Space to My Schedule?

This can look like giving yourself more time to do a task, turning your camera off during a call, taking a non-urgent task off your list, saying no to a task you do not need to be taking on, or anything else that speaks to you when you envision more space in your work and life. The mere act of asking the question will send your brain on a search mission to find space, and you may end up surprised at what you uncover.

3.)    Which Task on My List Feels Most Suitable for My Current Energy?

Often, when we are low on energy, we feel bad about that and, to compensate, try to push ourselves to do tasks that we don’t have the physical or mental space for in that particular moment. Instead, work on the tasks that feel right for you in those moments. And, if you definitely need to tackle something that feels overwhelming in that moment, go back to question number 1 and look for at least one thing you can do to make the task easier on yourself.

A final note here: there is a different between energy fluctuations throughout the day/week, and just avoiding certain tasks because we have unpleasant thoughts/feelings about them. Sometimes we do have the energy to tackle something, but we are avoiding it because we have attached a lot of emotional significance to it. In those cases, it’s helpful to i) not judge yourself for having that reaction, because that’s incredibly common and human and ii) get curious about your thoughts around the task and start questioning/shifting them.

———

Need help implementing any of the above? Let’s chat! Schedule a free 20-min consult call today.