Why energy auditing is the new time management -

We’ve always been told that time management is the key to productivity. Adhering to a strict schedule and ticking off all the tasks on our ever-growing to-do lists at work are often musts. But many of us aren’t good at sticking to schedules and end up feeling burnt out and unsuccessful when working within these constraints.

Luckily, there’s a new productivity system on the rise: energy auditing. The basic principle of energy auditing is that you pay attention to what consumes your energy instead of how you use your time.

Let’s take a look at how you can improve your health, happiness, and productivity with this new concept. Click on!

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The problem with time management -

Managing your time involves giving yourself set times to do set things. This can be constricting and inflexible and leave you feeling like a failure if you miss a self-imposed deadline.

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Taking control -

Managing your energy gives you choices and flexibility. Time is finite and we can’t control it, but energy is something we can renew when we need to! Why not focus on something we can control rather than something we can’t?

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Time does not equal productivity -

The key thing to remember is that the number of hours you work doesn’t determine how productive you are. It’s the amount of energy that you were able to invest during those hours that counts.

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Defining energy -

When we talk about energy, we're referring to our capacity for activity, be it mental or physical. Our energy levels are the body's way of telling us what we need, like food, rest, or movement.

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How we see energy - When we think of feeling energetic we tend to think of hyperactive kids who need to run laps around the playground to burn off their endless fuel supply.

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How it really looks -

When tracking our energy levels throughout the day, we may find that we rarely feel like sprinting around the house. But we should pay attention to the moments when we feel fully present and focused. These are the moments when we are energized.

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Energy levels fluctuate -

It’s clear that we perform best when we’re doing things that energize us. However, it’s also totally normal that our energy levels fluctuate through the day, week, month, and year.

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Energy levels fluctuate -

It would be great if we could figure out some hack that would allow us to have consistently high energy levels all day every day, but that’s just not how our bodies work.

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Energy auditing - It’s bound to fluctuate based on when/what we’ve eaten, if we’re under stress, if it’s that time of the month, and even what season it is. Let's dive into the energy auditing process and see how it can help.

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Step one: audit - An energy audit is an analysis we perform on ourselves to identify the activities that give us energy and the activities that drain our energy.

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Tracking your tasks - One way to perform an energy audit is to track every single task you do in a day and make a list. This can include things like taking a shower, eating lunch, attending a team meeting, and scrolling on your phone in bed.

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Plus or minus? - Put a plus or minus beside each task to identify which ones gave you energy and which ones drained you.

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Checking in -

It can feel strange to check in with yourself constantly and ask “how do I feel right now?” But it’s good to try this every day for a minimum of one week. You’ll get used to it as you practice it more, and it may be a useful form of mindfulness that puts you more in touch with yourself!

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Make a graph -

Create a simple graph for each day with the hours of the day on the horizontal axis and energy levels on the vertical axis. Draw a line to track how your energy levels rose and fell throughout the day.

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Examine your findings - You can start to analyze what you were doing at those times and what may have precipitated your energy drops.

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Step two: understand -

Once you have tracked your energy levels for a week and have pinpointed what tasks energize and drain you, it’s time to get to know yourself!

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Look for patterns -

Take a look at your daily graphs and see if you notice any patterns. Perhaps you’ll find that you tend to have more energy in the morning or the evening, or that you always hit a slump mid-afternoon.

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Break down your insights -

This might help you gain some helpful insights. Perhaps you have more energy in the morning if you do yoga first thing after you wake up. Maybe you need to add a healthy energy-boosting snack in the afternoon to prevent a crash.

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The ultradian rhythm -

Pro tip: look out for your ultradian rhythm! The ultradian rhythm refers to a constant cycle that our bodies go through every 90-120 minutes, passing from a high-energy state to a low-energy state. It’s the same cycle that brings us in and out of deep REM sleep at night.

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The ultradian rhythm - We’ll know we’re reaching the end of the cycle when we start to yawn, feel restless and hungry, and struggle to concentrate. It’s important to listen to our bodies here and take care of our needs. It might seem counterproductive to take a break, but it will do you good in the long run.

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Step three: choose! -

When you have a better understanding of your daily energy fluctuations and how your activities impact your energy levels, you can start to make better choices.

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Do important tasks at high-energy times -

It’s always good to define a few key priorities for yourself each day. Once you have your energy audit complete, you can figure out the best time to take a whack at your most important tasks.

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Plan around your highs and lows -

If you’re an introvert, you might find that you feel totally drained after multiple calls and team meetings. If you need to do some writing that involves quiet and focus, it’s better not to attempt this on a day full of meetings.

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Step four: replenish - The energy audit will help you to identify your energy peaks and valleys. Hopefully you’ll become aware of some of the tasks/times of day that leave you with low energy. Next, it’s time to find ways to replenish yourself!

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The main benefit of energy management -

The fact that we can replenish our energy is what makes this system different to time management. If you run out of hours in the day, there’s nothing you can do about it. When you run out of energy, there are things you can do to give yourself a boost.

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Time your breaks well -

A good tip for most people is to pay attention to your ultradian rhythm. If you’re working, you’re likely to need some kind of break every 90-120 minutes. Taking this break will help your productivity and energy levels so much more than powering through!

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Pick an energizing activity -

Ideally you’ll use this break to do an activity that energizes you, like moving your body, getting some fresh air, or grabbing a healthy snack.

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Change up your routine to boost energy -

If you tend to go into a food coma after lunch or dinner, you could also try going for a walk instead of scrolling on your phone or watching TV. This should help to boost your energy levels again so you can get on with the rest of your day. For some people it might be energizing to meditate, read, or write in a journal.

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Give it a go -

Those who switched from time management to energy auditing say it reduced their stress, improved their health, and boosted their productivity and effectiveness in many areas of their lives. So maybe you should try it out today!

Sources: (Harvard Business Review) (Work Bright) (YouTube) 

See also: The best steps towards ultimate self-care

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