It’s not only physical jobs that rely on having plenty of energy. It’s easy to assume that office-based work is more mentally intensive than physical, but if you are not keeping yourself healthy and maintaining good energy levels, it’s impossible for your brain to function effectively.
With that in mind, here are some tips and techniques that could help you to keep your energy levels up in the office, and consequently perform at the highest level for the benefit of your business.
1. Get up from your desk
With a seemingly endless string of tasks to get through, it’s easy to find yourself sitting at your desk, staring at a computer screen for hours on end. This is a bad habit to get into if you want to maintain high energy levels, since being stationary for a long period of time is proven to have a negative impact on our bodies and consequently on our cognitive function.
There are many reasons to tell yourself to get up from your desk and have a walk around, whether it’s simply taking a break from work or going to speak to a colleague in person, rather than sending an email.
2. Eat and drink healthily
Much like basic physical activity, the food and drink we consume plays a critical part in how we feel and how effectively we are able to function at work. If you think of your body and brain as biological machines, it follows that they need the right fuels to run at their optimum level.
Start off the day with a healthy breakfast that releases energy gradually throughout the day, such as porridge. If you can manage it, steer clear of sugary snacks and go for things like nuts, seeds and fruit instead.
Simple changes like drinking more water and cutting back on coffee can also have an immediate and noticeable impact.
3. Try meditation and breathing techniques
Getting into meditation and special breathing techniques might seem like a big leap if you have never tried this sort of thing before, but the benefits can be huge, and these practices don’t need to be difficult or time-consuming.
Meditation and deep breathing can help to keep you energised and positive by tackling stress, anxiety and even depression.
4. Get some fresh air
There is a lot to be said for the energising effects of getting outside and breathing in the fresh air.
Offices can be claustrophobic and fraught places at times, particularly at perennially busy points in the year or if the business is working on a demanding project.
Little can be gained from forcing yourself to remain in a counterproductive environment, so allow yourself a break in the outdoors and come back re-energised and ready to work.
5. Don’t skimp on sleep
It can be tempting to check your emails last thing at night or to squeeze in a quick bit of work before going to bed, but don’t underestimate the importance of a good night’s sleep.
Switch off all of your electronic devices 30 minutes before you switch off the light and give yourself some time to relax and depressurise before bed. This will help you to enjoy a genuinely restful night’s sleep, so you are ready to get stuck into work with a positive attitude the following day.
Image courtesy of iStock/gpointstudio
