Most of us don't have enough reserve energy to fuel the super-productivity we may wish to achieve in the time available. This energy drain often stems from the growing societal demand to literally make every second count.
According to a study from the Future Foundation (a London-based think tank), we are rapidly approaching a 24-hour society. "Information technology makes it possible to operate around the clock, increasing the pressure to do so," says an article in the Futurist. The result is increased customer demand to have services available at all hours. Coping with this frantic pace can be draining.
Here are some ideas for increasing your energy levels:
1. Get a check-up. Fatigue is a symptom, not a disease. Therefore, if you suffer from constant fatigue, a trip to your family physician may be a good idea.
The causes of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) are not well understood. Neither are the treatments. However, as the name implies, those who suffer from CFS are chronically exhausted and need specialized medical attention.
If you're wasting time every day because you're just too tired to concentrate or focus, see your doctor. There may very well be a medical reason for your fatigue.
2. Eat light and right. Big meals can make you sleepy. What is the reason? Depending on your diet, 50 to 80 percent of the energy produced by digesting food is consumed by the act of digestion itself. The more energy that digestion takes, the less energy the food provides the rest of the body. It takes more energy to digest cooked and processed food and much less to digest fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts. Try to eat more of the latter. They're easier on your digestive system and you gain more energy from them.
3. Reduce caffeine and sugar. Caffeine and sugar aren't particularly healthy. However, many people use both as short-term energy boosters--in moderation. Sugar has virtually no nutritional value. Eating sugar tends to rob the body of its nutrient stores. It also causes drastic swings in blood sugar levels, stressing the adrenal glands. Coffee, which can give you a temporary lift in energy, also weakens the adrenals.
4. Get enough sleep. Numerous studies indicate that most people need eight hours of sleep, yet an increasing number get far less. We are working longer, staying up later, and getting up earlier. Workers who sleep less so they can work more and get more done may in fact be accomplishing the opposite. The National Sleep Foundation estimates overtired employees cost American business $18 billion annually in errors and slowness, according to an article in Forbes.
5. "Finish every day and be done with it," advised poet Ralph Waldo Emerson. "You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; but get rid of them and forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day, and you should never encumber its potentialities and invitation with the dread of the past. You should not waste a moment of today on the rottenness of yesterday."
Robert Bly: Make Every Second Count: Time Management Tips and Techniques for More Success With Less Stress
Everyone should maximize their own energy when it comes to work or business to have more valuable clients and to make their profit as high as possible.
Posted by: Lonnie Fore | 01/28/2011 at 10:20 AM