Find the work-recovery ratio in your work and periodise to manage energy well.
E-Canteen Fundas: Learn to hit the pause button and refresh!
Ankita turns in high-quality work in all areas,’ said Rinku. ‘And so easily and tirelessly.’
‘Yes,’ said Rahul. ‘We put in longer hours and get tired, which affects our performance. She aces everything and still has a lot of energy left. How?’
‘It’s about her energy management,’ said Rakesh. ‘In The Power of Full Engagement, authors Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz say high performances result from managing energy, not time.’
‘What’s managing energy, bhaiyya?’ asked Rahul.
‘Good energy management is optimising the energy of our ‘performance pyramid’ — our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual aspects,’ said Rakesh. ‘We then access the right quality, quantity and force of energy which changes the quality of our thoughts, behaviours and actions, resulting in high performance. We engage with life fully, leading to great results.’
‘Whoa,’ said Rinku. ‘Never thought energy management had so much to it. So, energy management helps us work longer hours without getting tired?’
‘Nope,’ smiled Rakesh. ‘Overdoing depletes energy and leads to performance issues. The key to optimum energy management is ‘oscillation’, spending and renewing energy at periodic intervals. Elite sportsmen call this work-rest training periodisation.’
‘What’s that, bhaiyya?’ asked Rinku.
‘Oscillation balances our energy spending with energy renewal,’ said Rakesh. ‘We normally work long hours without recovery, thereby spending more energy, leading to fatigue and other performance and health consequences. It’s best if we work in focused 90-120 minutes stretches, considered an ideal period of alertness and fully disengage and recover for 15 minutes. This 15-minute recovery phase is important. So, build rituals for your recovery — a walk, meeting people or whatever works best. And then, engage fully with renewed energy. Try it.’
‘How can we disengage when we’re overwhelmed with work, bhaiyya?’ asked Rinku.
‘To optimise energy and performance, you must disengage and recover,’ said Rakesh. ‘Over time, work on building greater capacity, like we build strength in the gym, by pushing past your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual limits with adequate recovery. Building capacity in your performance pyramid results in more energy, leading to better productivity. Find your work-rest oscillation rhythm and you’ll see a difference in your energy and work.’
‘I’ll apply the oscillation technique right away,’ said Rahul. ‘About 90 minutes of work and 15-minute renewals.’
Pro Tip: To manage energy, use the oscillation technique — engage in focused work for 90-120 minutes and then disengage for 15 minutes for energy renewal.
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