Why we should learn to manage our energy and not our time.
Yesterday, I did a 9.5-hour workday and was so tired after work that I couldn’t do anything else when I got home.
So I went to bed, woke up, ate, and woke up the next day.
I don’t particularly like being so tired, that I can’t do anything else after work, so it got me thinking a bit.
In particular, I thought ‘I have a limited amount of energy per day and need to learn to manage it better and recharge when needed.’
I realized that I may have been doing things wrong, that is, trying to manage my time more than I am managing my energy.
How does this translate to life?
The Biggest, Hardest Tasks.
Well, one popular idea commonly floated around is to do the biggest, hardest tasks or focused work during the times of most energy. For me, that is in the morning.
In late afternoons, I start to snooze and I have significantly reduced energy, therefore this is probably the best time for a short rest or recharging activities that do not require any cognitive abilities. Such as exercise, knitting, and playing tennis or a musical instrument.
I think we don’t all have the same amount of energy and we have got varying amounts each day. More, our energy level reduces gradually as the day goes on.
This must be why another popular saying is that we should do most things in our youth when there is a lot more vigor and energy as opposed to old age. Because, as we get older our energy reserves also get depleted.
The Purposeless, Valueless Tasks.
Another way is to not invest my energy into events or activities that drain me significantly or take up a lot of my energy reserves and simultaneously don’t add as much value to me. Some basic ones are worrying, constant social media message checking, mindless scrolling, and doing things or saying yes just to please others or be the best.
When I do these, I am not just giving my time away, I am also giving my energy away and draining myself (my battery) even more.
The more power a device draws from a battery, the weaker the battery gets, till it can no more function.
Recharged
The other important thing is to recharge in meaningful ways, sometimes when I am tired, I think getting into my bed is the best next thing to do or collapsing in front of a Netflix show.
But I am gradually realizing this is not the best way to recharge if that is my aim. Very often, I still wake up feeling tired anyway. I realized sometimes what I need to do is burn the fatigue by going for a walk, swimming, or exercising.
I understand why people load their holidays with lots of activities or go to the gym immediately after work even though they feel tired. They are trying to recharge, burn the fatigue, and replenish energy.
When I do this, I feel much refreshed with new energy which I can use to do other things in the evenings. On other days, I go to bed after recharging but wake up feeling refreshed the next day.
We are like batteries, a battery has a limited energy reserve, and eventually, it is going to run out and need recharging. Just like we do.
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Best,
Tolu
