#030 - Do you spend your energy managing time or your time managing energy?
How do your organise your life? If it is mostly based on how much you can squeeze out of an hour, it's time to think about energy management!
How many productivity books/blogs/articles did you read in 2024?
Source: DeskTime
Did they make you feel a little overwhelmed? Like you had failed to get your shit together enough to be able to parent, exercise, eat well, see friends, do self-improvement and slay at work - all at the same time?
As a (reformed) productivity junkie, I could time-box, pomodoro and colour-code with the best of them. I felt like I could squeeze the most out of every day. And I did - a lot of the time anyway.
And then I had burnout.
And it took me a while to realise that we don’t need to manage our time better. But we need to invest time in how we manage our energy.
How do you think about time and energy?
If you are a list maker like me, it seems much easier to manage time. When we work to manage our time, we might plan, organise and prioritise tasks to make the most of the given time period. We can outsource tasks to colleagues, some of us might be able to plan our week to have meeting-free Friday. Some of us might be able to afford to outsource cleaning the house, or making dinner to ‘buy’ more time.
Most of us manage work stress by working longer hours just to get it done. But time is finite.
However, our energy isn’t finite and is a different story all together!
Energy can be expanded and renewed through developing rituals and rhythms to better take care of self.
Rather than just trying to squeeze more out of yourself (or your boss/kids/spouse trying to wring it out of you), we would all boost our wellbeing if we invested more in ourselves. And this means making an up-front investment of time to think about our energy - what boosts our energy, and more importantly, what are the costs of our energy-depleting behaviour.
Energy management is a lot more effort than time management. Why? Because we need to maximise physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing through activities that centre on the self. Some of this stuff is uncomfortable to think about and almost impossible to outsource. So we don’t focus on it.
In 2025, my focus is on managing my energy.
I think about my overall energy being split between 4 containers. The way I prioritise these containers might change on a day-to-day basis, but I am aiming to develop a rhythm that sees them balance out over the week.
Container 1: Physical Energy
Managing our physical energy helps us to better self-regulate.
Have you ever seen a tired three-year old who has done one too many laps of the playground have a massive melt-down? Tired grown-ups do a version of the same. We might have a melt-down, but we might do other things to dull the ache of exhaustion - like watching TV, having a drink (or 3), or tucking into comfort food.
But in most cases the best way to boost physical energy is through expending physical energy - or doing a little bit of exercise everyday. It might be a gym class, walking or going for a run.
According to some studies, moving your body for 22 minutes a day and doing two strength-based workouts a week may alleviate fatigue and improve overall energy levels. Exercise increases blood flow, which boosts oxygen circulation throughout our bodies, including to our brain, supporting mitochondria energy production which allows our bodies to function better. This decreases overall fatigue and increases cognitive function.
Physical energy levels also affect how we react to stress. Research has shown that endurance and interval training stimulate the vagus nerve and control parasympathetic activity in the brain - which is the key too unlocking our relaxation response. Better relaxation response = better ability to cope with stress!
Frequent active leisure activities are a great way to boost physical energy. Think grabbing a coffee and going for a walk with a friend rather than sitting in a cafe. Or doing a yoga class with a friend. Activities combining movement and social connection are great ways to boost physical (and other types!) energy.
In 2025 I am… going to a pilates class with a friend at least once a week and making more effort to make social connections at the gym.
Container 2: Mental Energy
Working on improving our mental energy can change our capacity to concentrate, create, learn, and to bounce back from tough times.
We can give our mental energy a boost by cultivating optimism - more specifically, ‘realistic optimism’ and developing a practice of positive self-talk.
One study found that positive self-talk resulted in people having more effective strategies to cope with their emotions and mental stress.
In 2025 I am…going to use positive self-talk when reflecting on my day over dinner - and encourage my kids and husband to do the same.
Container 3: Emotional Energy
Boosting our emotional energy allows us the behavioural flexibility, creativity and capacity to see opportunities in our lives. And to be excited about these opportunities, rather than stressed or anxious.
A great way to boost emotional energy is through experiencing frequent positive emotions and developing and nurturing high-quality connections.
I struggled with emotional energy in 2024 (one of the key reasons Well, Well went on a bit of a hiatus - sorry!). You might have felt emotional exhaustion recently. It can arise when there is a period of excessive stress in your work or personal life. For most people, emotional exhaustion builds up slowly over time.
For me, it was the combination of being overwhelmed by all the sh*t happening in the world - war, climate change, elections, plus a high-pressure job, having knee surgery, parenting a toddler (and two other kids under 8), studying, and the death of my father. I lacked motivation and was irritable a lot of the time. But through changing jobs, getting back into meditation, getting outside and connecting with friends - and focusing on small positive events, I was able to bring myself back into balance.
In 2025 I am…nurturing high-quality connections with friends near and far.
Container 4: Spiritual Energy
If you aren’t religious (and I am not), this can feel like the hardest container to grapple with. You might be unfamiliar with spirituality and not know how to start or how it might apply to you.
This was me up until a couple of years ago. I have always been interested in different spiritual traditions - and know from a tonne of research, that those who go to church or belong to a faith-based group are often happier and more socially connected.
Through developing a meditation practice, teaching meditation and cultivating an interest in learning about different meditation traditions, I have boosted my spiritual energy.
Boosting your own spiritual energy can be as simple as thinking about what your values are, and how these might translate to your greater purpose - or your ‘why’. This might be a bit woo woo for some - another way of looking at it is asking yourself ‘why do I get up in the morning?’ It might be to be the CEO of a company, the best parent you can be, or to win your next golf game. Your why might change regularly, or you might be guided by a north star or core value.
I have loved working with a couple of different groups of women this year to help them to define their values and work out how these might apply to work and personal decision making frameworks. If you are interested in some resources on discovering your values, let me know in the comments below.
In 2025 I am…working on my meditation practice and going on a meditation and creativity retreat in Japan in April with my meditation teacher! And I will continue to explore these themes through the monthly meditation class I teach in Canberra.
After reading this, have you considered how you view time vs energy?
A lot of people spend a great deal of energy on time management, but remember that it is important to spend time on energy management.
Let me know in the comments below which container you are going to focus on this year?
I hope everyone has had a safe and happy start to the new year. And I look forward to developing our wee Well, Well community more in 2025.
Be well,
Alicia