Tips for Managing Energy for Increased Productivity

The most productive 10 minutes of my day. It’s simple, but effective. Most of us have been taught productivity backwards. We see rest as a reward for hard work. But top performers? They see rest as a strategic weapon. Consider this: • A NASA study found a 26-minute nap improved pilot performance by 34% • Professional athletes build recovery into their training • Musicians practice in focused bursts, not marathon sessions • Top chess players take more breaks between moves than amateurs - not fewer Yet we ignore these signals when it comes to our own performance. Here are 4 counter-intuitive ways I've learned to leverage rest for better results: 1. 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Here's something that sounds wrong but works: Stop working while you still know what to do next. Mid-task, mid-sentence even. Your brain will process it in the background, and you'll start stronger tomorrow. 2. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Sometimes, the best thing you can do for a problem is to walk away from it. That presentation you're stuck on? Your subconscious mind will work on it during your break. Trust the process. 3. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝟱𝟬/𝟭𝟬 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲 Your brain operates in focused cycles called ultradian rhythms. To operate efficiently it helps to take intentional breaks. 50 minutes of focused work followed by 10 minutes of rest. This can help you produce better quality results while not becoming burned out. 4. 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲 Most people work until they're tired. Instead, schedule your rest first. Block those breaks in your calendar before the meetings flood in. It's not lazy, it's strategic energy management. The most successful people I know aren't the ones who work the most hours. They're the ones who protect their rest like it's their most valuable asset. What counter-intuitive rest practice works for you?

Last week, I hit a wall. 7pm. Still at my desk. Staring at my perfectly organized to-do list. My calendar was full, but my energy was empty. My team needed me, but I was running on fumes. Sound familiar? Here's what I learned the hard way: Being a "productivity ninja" isn't the flex we think it is. (Trust me, I tried ALL the apps 😅) The real breakthrough came when I stopped obsessing over time and started respecting energy. Three shifts that changed everything: 1. The "Deep Work Shield" 🛡️ → First 90 mins = pure focus time → Phone on DND, notifications off → ONE priority that moves the needle Result: Completed 3 major projects in one week (vs. my usual one) 2. The "Energy-First Meetings" ⚡ → Default to 30 mins (saved 6 hours/week!) → Walking 1:1s for creativity → Stand-ups for updates, sit-downs for decisions Result: Team engagement up 40%, meeting time down 50% 3. The "Impact Zones" 🎯 HIGH ENERGY = Vision work & coaching (9-11am) MEDIUM FLOW = Problem-solving & reviews (1-3pm) RECHARGE MODE = Quick wins & admin (4-5pm) The truth? Your energy is your edge. Time management alone is like trying to fill a leaky bucket. Design your day around your natural energy peaks, and watch how everything shifts. Ready to upgrade your energy game? Drop a ⚡ below and share your best tip!

"You must be a robot." 🤖 I hear this all the time. Whether it's after a full day of meetings, a late-night writing session, or a weekend workshop, people often ask how I keep my energy so high. The truth? I'm not a robot (promise). I’ve just learned that managing energy - not just time. It's a real game-changer. ⏳ Time is finite. We all get 24 hours. ⚡ Energy, though? That’s renewable. And it’s the secret to showing up fully, consistently, and joyfully. Here’s the difference: Time management is about scheduling. Energy management is about sustainability. You can have a perfectly planned calendar and still feel drained. But when you manage your energy, you can do more of what matters - with presence and purpose. Here are 5 practical ways I manage my energy (and how you can too): Start with your body, not your to-do list. 1️⃣Movement, hydration, and sleep are non-negotiables. I treat them like meetings with my future self. 2️⃣Batch work by energy type. Creative in the morning? That’s when I write. Low-energy after lunch? That’s when I do admin. Match the task to the energy, not the clock. 3️⃣Protect your peak hours. I block off focused time for deep work and fiercely guard it. No meetings. No multitasking. Just momentum. 4️⃣Build in recovery. Breaks aren’t a luxury; they’re a strategy. I use short walks, music, or even a quick cat snuggle to reset between tasks. 5️⃣Do more of what fuels you. For me, that’s mentoring, writing, and helping others grow. When I spend time in my zone of genius, energy flows naturally. If you’ve been feeling stretched thin, try shifting the question from “How can I fit this in?” to “How can I show up with energy for what matters most?” Because when you manage your energy, you don’t just get more done. You do it with heart. 💬 I’d love to hear from you: What’s one thing you do to recharge your energy during the day? Found this helpful. ♻️Share with others. #QuickBitesofInsight #EnergyManagement #Productivity #Leadership #CareerGrowth #Work

This is the biggest threat to your leadership effectiveness: And it's not workload pressure. More than managing time,  Managing energy can help you sustain performance, prevent burnout, and maintain executive presence. 10 strategic energy management approaches that I have learned in the last 25 years: 1. Use Energy Mapping:  "I schedule my most demanding decisions between 9-11 AM when my cognitive capacity peaks." 2. Create morning protection rituals:  "The first 90 minutes of my day are reserved for deep work—no emails, no interruptions." 3. Make energy tradeoffs visible by saying  "I can attend this meeting if we move the budget review—which would serve our goals better?" 4. Ask strategic capacity questions:  "Help me understand the urgency level so I can allocate appropriate energy resources." 5. Offer realistic timelines:  "My peak performance window is committed until Thursday.  Can we schedule this when I can give it proper attention?" 6. Propose energy-efficient scope:  "I can't lead the entire initiative, but I could provide strategic oversight during key decision points." 7. Request necessary recovery time:  "To maintain quality output, I need 15-minute buffers between intensive meetings. Is that possible?" 8. Seek clarity on energy investment:  "What specific outcomes justify the energy investment this requires? This helps me prioritize effectively." 9. Highlight energy mismatches:  "This task requires detail-oriented focus during my natural low-energy period. Could we time it differently?" 10. Be transparent about energy limits:  "I can prioritize this, but it means my strategic thinking will suffer. Is that acceptable?" If you're a strategic leader, your energy determines your impact. Why not protect it as deliberately as your most valuable resource?! ♻️ Share this to help others lead sustainably. 🔔 Follow Dr. Oliver Degnan for more strategies on Leadership and Burnout that help you amplify your career.

When we talk about productivity, we often focus on time management. ⏰ And yes, how we manage our time is important. But I believe that how you manage your energy is even more important and can have a deeper impact when it comes to sustaining peak performance. It's not just about doing the right things, but also doing them at the right time, with the right energy. ⚡️ So what does that mean practically speaking? Here are some tips: 📆 Schedule Your Energy, Not Just Your Time: ○ Identify your energy peaks: Are you an early bird or a night owl? Schedule demanding tasks for your peak times and less demanding ones for when your energy dips. ○ Embrace the power of breaks: Don't push through exhaustion. Short, regular breaks can boost focus and prevent burnout. Try the Pomodoro Technique (25 minutes work, 5 minutes break) or find a rhythm that works for you. ○ Listen to your body: Pay attention to physical and mental cues of fatigue. Don't be afraid to take a walk, stretch, or meditate to recharge before diving back in. 💪 Fuel Your Body and Mind for Optimal Energy: ○ Eat for energy, not just for taste: Stock up on nutritious, whole foods that provide sustained energy. Limit processed foods, sugar, and excessive caffeine, which can lead to crashes. ○ Stay hydrated: Dehydration can zap your energy and focus. Aim for 8 glasses of water daily and adjust based on your activity level and climate. ○ Move your body: Exercise is a natural energy booster. Even a short walk or workout can improve focus, mood, and overall well-being. 💆♀️ Prioritize Rest and Recovery: ○ Get enough sleep: Aim for 7-8 hours of quality sleep each night. Optimize your sleep hygiene with a consistent bedtime routine and a dark, quiet sleeping environment. ○ Learn to say no: Don't overload your schedule. Prioritize tasks and delegate or decline those that drain your energy unnecessarily. ○ Schedule time for relaxation: Make time for activities you enjoy, whether it's reading, spending time in nature, or connecting with loved ones. These activities can help reduce stress and replenish your energy reserves. Remember, managing your energy is a journey, not a destination. Experiment with these tips and find what works best for you. Bonus Tip: Share your own energy management strategies in the comments! Let's build a community of support and learn from each other. #Productivity #EnergyManagement #PeakPerformance #WellBeing

A common mistake I see when working with CEOs is that they manage their productivity based on time 🕝 rather than energy 🔋. But once they make the shift and focus on how they manage their energy, they realize they can actually do much more in less time. As human beings, we receive energy from four main sources: the body 🧍, emotions 😊, mind 🧠, and spirit 🪬. You can systematically expand and regularly renew each of these sources by adding specific rituals or behaviors into your daily routine: Set boundaries 🚧: Take control of your agenda and establish what times you will do certain activities. For example, you don’t have to be available all the time for all requests. You can answer emails and messages at certain established hours during the day. Take an energy audit 📝: Print your agenda from past weeks and check what gives you energy and what takes it away. For all those things that take it away, delegate them or find other ways to make them exquisite. Be conscious of your energy 🪫: Identify your peak and low-energy periods and schedule tasks accordingly. Be kind to yourself ❤️🩹: Take the time to acknowledge and process negative emotions when they arise and participate in activities that refill your emotional energy tank. Image; verbaltovisual

Ever lose motivation to work as the day drags on? (fight the afternoon slump using the 4-quarters method) If you’re anything like me, afternoons are the hardest time to concentrate. I would struggle to complete any complex tasks the moment lunch ended. Little did I know, it was my approach that was causing the issues. - - - - - Enter the 4 quarters method. The idea is simple enough, design your workday around your energy level. This is done by splitting the day into 4 chunks: 1. Morning: Energy level is high (7am - 10am) ↳ Focus on creative/complex work ↳ Examples: strategic planning & complex problem solving 2. Late-Morning: Energy level is medium (10am - 1pm)   ↳ Focus on collaborative/communication tasks  ↳ Examples: brainstorming, high importance emails, meetings 3. Afternoon: Energy level is low (1pm - 4pm) ↳ Focus on low intensity work ↳ Examples: routine emails, scheduling, busy work 4. Evening: Energy level is lowest (4pm - 7pm) ↳ Focus on planning and review ↳ Examples: finishing small projects & task list for tomorrow  - - - - - And there you have it! A simple strategy for matching your work to your energy levels. A quick note for those looking to implement. These times work for me but feel free to play around to fit your schedule I look forward to hearing about your results! - - - - - ♻️ If you found this helpful, repost so your network can benefit too. 📌 Follow me (Samuel Sheridan) for daily career advice you can actually use. Thanks for reading and have a marvelous Monday!

Energy management is the new time management. It's not just as simple as how much time you have, because different tasks take different amounts of energy.  Sometimes certain tasks are fun or interesting or align with your personality in a way that they just don’t need as much energy.  Other tasks might not actually take you that long to complete but you put them off because they require more energy to get done. When I’m organizing my tasks, I sort them into buckets based on how much energy I think they'll take (low, medium, or high).  When I have free time, I’ll consider both how much energy I have and how much time I have, and choose the best tasks to work on accordingly.  In doing so, I don’t run into the situation where you’re staring at the same document and not making progress because you lack the energy to do so. Instead of feeling drained, prioritize tasks based on your energy levels. I think you'll find that you can accomplish more than you think. #EnergyManagement #Productivity #TimeManagementMyth

Two years ago, I learned that "energy management" is a more effective mindset than "time management" for getting things done. Initially, I thought to myself, "Oh, okay, this is an interesting observation of life." But it wasn’t until I had completely burned out that I understood the importance of energy management, regardless of what’s happening at work. Effective energy management involves identifying your energy patterns throughout the day and scheduling tasks accordingly (or automating them using no code tools such as Make or Airtable). Do the more demanding work when you have the most energy, and tackle lighter tasks when you're feeling fatigued. Sometimes, it's okay to take a day off. I found the methodology of energy management most useful while having a weekly plan and schedule to avoid wasting time wondering what to do. My ADHD brain just can’t afford not to have at least an outline of a plan; otherwise, everything becomes a huge pile of mess. And the most important thing I recommend you to do is to minimize the time spent with "energy vampires" - people or activities that drain your energy. I once heard Naval Ravikant say that the key is to "work like a lion" - be highly focused and productive when you're at your peak energy, and then rest and recharge when your energy is low, rather than trying to power through. Hope you are having a day filled with energy, and if not, that's ok too.

This idea changed my life (it can do the same for you): → The Zen of Focus In the chaotic world of entrepreneurship, focus is the ultimate superpower. But with countless distractions and demands vying for your attention, it can feel like an uphill battle. Here's how to achieve zen-like focus and boost your productivity: 1. Embrace the power of silence: Noise is the enemy of focus. Find a quiet space, put on noise-canceling headphones, and create a distraction-free zone. Silence helps your mind settle into deep concentration. 2. Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness means being present and fully engaged in the moment. Take a few minutes each day for meditation, deep breathing, or simply observing your thoughts. This builds your mental muscle for focus. 3. Use the Pomodoro Technique: Work in 25-minute sprints, followed by a 5-minute break. This method helps you manage time and maintain focus, preventing burnout. 4. Write down your MIT: Your Most Important Task is the one thing that will make the biggest impact on your day. Write it down first thing in the morning and make it your top priority. This clarity will keep you focused on what matters most. 5. Take regular breaks: Contrary to popular belief, breaks improve focus. Step away from your work every 90 minutes to recharge. Take a walk, stretch, or do something unrelated to work. Your brain will thank you. 6. Learn to say no: Focus is about what you say no to as much as what you say yes to. Guard your time and attention ruthlessly. Say no to non-essential tasks, meetings, and commitments that don't align with your goals. 7. Fuel your focus: What you eat and drink impacts your ability to focus. Avoid sugary snacks and drinks that cause energy crashes. Opt for brain-boosting foods like nuts, berries, and leafy greens. Stay hydrated. 8. Prioritize sleep: Sleep is the ultimate performance enhancer. Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night. A well-rested mind is a focused mind. Implementing these tips will help you achieve a state of zen-like focus, transforming your productivity and performance. Remember, building focus is a practice, not perfection. Start small, be consistent, and celebrate your progress. With the power of focus, there's no limit to what you can achieve as an entrepreneur. So go forth and focus like a zen master.