Time is constant, energy is not. This means that managing time doesn’t really make sense as you can’t make more of it, but energy is renewable. Without energy, time is useless to you when it comes to getting tasks done. There is a wonderful Harvard Business article written about this concept found here. To me, managing my energy is critical to not wasting time. As my energy dips, if I don’t take the time to recharge I end up losing more time to distractions, procrastination, or errors. The following techniques are my most used to manage my energy and tasks.
Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique is a well known time management method that was developed by Francesco Cirillo. The thing is, while this technique focuses on setting aside time for tasks it focuses more on the idea that you can only focus for a certain amount of time before taking a break. This in essence, is managing your energy before recharging. The method breaks your time into 30 minute chunks with a 25 minute focus work period and a 5 minute break. This helps you focus on your task for 25 minutes without getting distracted due to knowing that you can reenergize yourself with a 5 minute break doing whatever you want. Follow this link to use my favorite Pomodoro Timer and give it a try yourself!
To-do Lists
I heavily rely on to-do lists. Whether I’m using a bullet journal type of list or a kanban board, getting my tasks written down in a visual format is critical. Without this, I will spend a lot of energy reminding myself of all the tasks I need to get done. This amount of energy and focus I spend on reminding myself cuts into my productivity of actually getting the items done. The stress of possibly forgetting an item is too much and distracts me from working on one item at a time in an efficient manner. Asana is a great place to start a kanban board for yourself for a specific project or class!
Planned Physical Activity
The best thing in my opinion that you can do to stay productive and energized at work or school is to get some exercise. Many studies show that doing regular exercise increases your general energy levels. I also find that getting this physical activity in keeps myself from getting restless and distracted while trying to focus on work or a task. If I go a few days without getting some physical activity, my productivity plummets. The YouTube videos, the Instagram posts, the new game, and all of the other distractions get to the forefront of my thoughts much easier while working.
While working out, you get to a point where you can’t think about work due to the struggle that you’re facing. This helps give you headspace away from work. I know we have all been there trying to relax in the evening while our mind is filled thinking about all of the tasks we have to accomplish the next day. If you let yourself do this during your off-time, your brain thinks it has been working the entire time. This exhausts you and causes burnout. Physical activity is a great way to force your mind away from the work tasks by making you focus on the task at hand… breathing.
