By Amy King
If your reality is anything like mine at the moment then you’re feeling a bit more easily overwhelmed, distracted, hyper stimulated and hyper busy than usual. For me the constant flooding of noise, activity and energy can leave me feeling a bit separated, shut down and numb at times or anxious and irritated at other times.
I don’t know about you, but I struggle with office environments. Open plan offices, with stuffy air, dental surgery lighting, the constant humming from escalators and kitchen appliances, couple with loud phone conversations, watercooler chats and interruptions galore makes it challenging to stay focused.
I also struggle in commercial gyms, the modern trend of setting the lighting, and loud, thumping music, to nightclub ambience settings, navigating the strewn weights, spilt pre-workout powder, tripods of everyone filming their exercises and trying to stay safe as the new-age, non-space-aware average gym goer also requires significant energy expenditure to stay focused.
And then when I come home, my hubby loves to have the TV blaring, every household appliance on, all whilst he is also busy doing something on his phone. We also live in a built-up area and so the hum of the traffic is a constant backdrop... and is it just me or why do bathroom and kitchen stove top fans sound like a helicopter is taking off from my house hahaha???
Environmental factors aside, I have some lofty goals I’m working towards this year in terms of my athletic endeavours, mentoring and career and whilst things are going well my to- do list never gets smaller. That I’m sure you can relate to!
I’d even go as far as to say one of the biggest challenges that is universal across elite performers, athletes and the rest of us mere mortals, is navigating our energy. Those who master this skill tend to perform better because they are able to hold space, focus and get the right things done at the right time. It’s a skill that requires constant practice and maintenance.
So how do we navigate it all without burning out?
Whilst I am by no means a master at managing my energy, it is certainly a skill I take care to hone daily. So, in this article series I’ll share 10 unconventional ways I’m using to manage my energy better.
The above descriptions might make you think that I could be a prime candidate for any number of neurodivergent or have certain personality characteristics.
Empath, introvert, neurotic, anxious, ADHD, sensory processing disorder, burn-out, a little further up on the spectrum for autism than most and the list goes on. Whether I do or not doesn’t really concern me.
What is really interesting though is that I constantly get assessed by others as either being extroverted or introverted…
To be fair those that feel the need to tell me their assessment, are only interacting or observing me in a certain context and a particular time. Due to the nature of what I have on my plate, I tend to dip in and out of multiple industries, social networks and disciplines.
I also dislike convergent and binary classifications, as such I like to think I am more of an ambivert, leaning more to an extrovert.
And the reason I bring this up is because for me to balance my energy I need to balance my extrovert and introverted features.
I tend get a lot of energy from social interactions, and do not do well without quality human interactions in either a group or 1:1 setting. BUT at the same time, I love deep work and anything that gets me into thinking and creating independently. I also need space… and A LOT OF IT to decompress.
So, to manage this I have planned regular catch-ups and other more fluid ones with key relationships in my life. One of my favourites is the monthly “Geriatric” dinner catch ups with one of my besties. My friend dubbed it “Geriatric” because we typically meet and have dinner at about 5 or 6pm at restaurants with limited menu items.
We’re both busy and need time to decompress in the evening, so we schedule dinners as soon as the chosen restaurant opens, avoid the queues and crowds, eat delicious food and have a quality 2 to 3 hour catch up. We are then back at home in our own space usually before 8pm.
My other favourite catch-ups include long (but not too long) coffee catch-ups, weekend dinner cook-ups and early evening walks around the park… and of course date nights with the hubby.
I also limit social catch-ups to just a few per week and I schedule my downtime first before the catch-ups. These are of course fluid as you need flexibility when working in with others, but the point is I don’t do one without the other.
If your social schedule is leaving you feeling stretched, drained or it’s a chore, then take a few minutes in your weekly planning to review what is working for you or not and adjust your social calendar accordingly.
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Decisions, especially seemingly innocuous ones cost me energy and cause me to feel overstimulated. So, I reduce the number of decisions I need to make in a day. For example, even when I’m on off-season I’m on a meal plan – BUT with flexible options and regular review to optimise enjoyment and nutrient exposure.
I also structure my support as well so that I don’t have to think about what I’m going to do when, so for example as improved mobility and flexibility is a big rock for me this quarter, I’ve hired a professional to do a weekly 50-minute PNF (Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation) stretching session on me. The added bonus is building this new routine also automates my accountability.
My morning routine differs on specific days but it's generally the same each week, and if not it’s in my calendar so I don’t need to think about it. I also strip back decisions on what I wear… for example workwear will always be a dress and heels and of course active wear is a staple.
The goal is to reduce the amount of mental energy you expend on decision making for things that really don’t matter. As well as set, you up to do the things that do matter. For example, I have my gratitude & reflection journals on the lounge room table, so at the end of the day before switching on the telly.
Trying to do everything all at once is a recipe for disaster. Success happens because you focused on the priorities over a period of time. Not everything is a priority. Ima gonna repeat that again for my sake as I constantly need to remind myself of this and bring back my focus to this…
Trying to do everything all at once is a recipe for disaster.
Success happens because you focused on the priorities over a period of time.
Not everything is a priority.
It’s also a good way to protect boundaries and have conversations with others (particularly at work). For example, I’m lucky enough to have great bosses and colleagues, so my conversations usually start with, “I can work on this new task, but it will have an impact on these priorities.” That type of conversation starter usually leads to a great discussion and joint problem-solve for what really needs to be done and by when.
For transparency, my priorities for Q1 (July, August, September):
Yes, obviously this is high level, and my big rocks have sub-parts – but you will be able to tell what my priorities are by looking at my calendar. I’m a visual person, so I use colours to block out time and easily see what I am working on and when.
Bonus Tip: If you’re like me you have several calendars, so I add my work email to all of my non-work calendar appointments. That way I don’t have to bounce between calendars.
I also schedule my hardest tasks where possible earlier in the week and work longer hours on Monday through to Wednesday when my energy is highest. I avoid where possible booking meetings on Monday morning so that I can focus on one of my big rocks for the quarter whilst my focus is sharpest and on Fridays, I try and avoid meetings in the afternoon and finish early.
The only notifications I get on my phone are phone calls, and SMS during work hours. No email, social media or any other push notifications. None. Same with my desktop. When I'm in my creative zone or need deep focus, I pause ALL notifications – my phone goes into flight mode, and I even turn on the grey screen because erm… I get distracted by pretty colours.
I will also make time to batch email reviews, WebEx messages and other notifications. This way I’m still responsive but I control as much as possible when conversations occur. As I do enjoy social interactions I even book in space for “watercooler conversations” or coffee catch-ups.
The other trick I use, is to put on non-vocal frequency music, this helps me get into flow more easily and block out background noise.
Reducing the sensory overload and trust me you'll feel better!
On Saturday’s I may have back-to-back PT sessions as well as my AM and PM training sessions. There’s no coffee at the gym and for hours so I not only do not have any, but I also don’t even think about it… and often I feel way better for it.
Which tells me I need to rethink how I use coffee during the week to push through. I’ve also realised that the coffee is less for the quick pick me up and more so for giving my brain and body a mini break.
I’ve also realised that I seem to feel guilty for leaving my computer when working – unless it’s for a ‘sanctioned’ purpose like a coffee or bathroom break. That’s how 15 years of corporate life conditions you…
Stay tuned for Part 2, where I’ll talk about context switching, tips to protect boundaries, timing and letting go…
Amy King is the founder of AKE Fitness & Nutrition. When she’s not serving her clients, she is pursuing her corporate career in mining, bodybuilding and spending time with loved ones. She calls Perth, Western Australia home.
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