Here is the executive summary of truly interesting article from HBR
- The core problem with working longer hours is that time is a finite resource. Energy is a different story.
- To recharge themselves, individuals need to recognize the costs of energy-depleting behaviors and then take responsibility for changing them, regardless of the circumstances they're facing.
- Energy audit, which includes four questions in each energy dimension—body, emotions, mind, and spirit.
The Body: Physical Energy
- going to bed at a designated time and sleeping longer
- eating habits from two big meals a day to smaller meals and light snacks every three hours
- take brief but regular breaks at specific intervals throughout the workday—always leaving his desk
The Emotions: Quality of Energy
- One simple but powerful ritual for defusing negative emotions is what we call "buying time." Deep abdominal breathing is one way to do that. Exhaling slowly for five or six seconds induces relaxation and recovery, and turns off the fight-or-flight response.
- A powerful ritual that fuels positive emotions is expressing appreciation to others, a practice that seems to be as beneficial to the giver as to the receiver.
- Finally, people can cultivate positive emotions by learning to change thestories they tell themselves about the events in their lives
The Mind: Focus of Energy
- to leave his desk and go into a conference room, away from phones and e-mail, whenever he has a task that requires concentration
- a ritual of checking his e-mail just twice a day—at 10:15 am and 2:30 pm.
- at certain points during the day - to turn off his Sametime (an in-house instant-message system).
- Perhaps the most effective focus ritual the executives we work with have adopted is to identify each night the most important challenge for the next day and make it their very first priority when they arrive in the morning.
The Human Spirit: Energy of Meaning and Purpose
- People tap into the energy of the human spirit when their everyday work and activities are consistent with what they value most and with what gives them a sense of meaning and purpose.
- To access the energy of the human spirit, people need to clarify priorities and establish accompanying rituals in three categories: doing what they do best and enjoy most at work; consciously allocating time and energy to the areas of their lives—work, family, health, service to others—they deem most important; and living their core values in their daily behaviors.
- The third category, practicing your core values in your everyday behavior, is a challenge for many as well. Most people are living at such a furious pace that they rarely stop to ask themselves what they stand for and who they want to be.
Conclusion
We envision a new and explicit contract that benefits all parties: Organizations invest in their people across all dimensions of their lives to help them build and sustain their value. Individuals respond by bringing all their multidimensional energy wholeheartedly to work every day. Both grow in value as a result.
