Balance. Many working adults strive to balance their personal and work lives on a daily basis. There are many stressors that make it difficult to do so. Some components include, but not limited to, time, family relations and child care all while working from home during a pandemic. This can cause burnout and fluctuate energy levels in working adults. Studies show that there is a link between energy and outcomes of performance as well as motivation (Welbourne, et al., 2005). Therefore, it is important to understand the types of energy one can get throughout the day to balance stressors for optimal productivity.
There are four categories that energy can stem from. Physical energy allows undivided attention to tasks and reduces anxiety (Qi Zhang, et al., 2018). Some ways to maintain this energy is through healthy eating habits, regular brief breaks, and consistent physical activity. It is important to fuel the body with proper nutrients and create movement at some point in the day. Try using the Pomodoro method when taking breaks. Set an amount of time, like 25 minutes, to devote your energy in a task. Once that time is up, take a 5 to 10 minute break and repeat. This creates better focus strategies to optimize productivity. Emotional energy is also important to take control of one’s emotions and focus on positivity. Studies show that maintaining positive emotional energy can improve productivity due to being in control and reducing stressors (Welbourne, et al., 2005). Awareness and mindfulness practices are helpful to gain control over such emotions. Start by gratitude journaling or practicing deep breathing exercises. Becoming more aware of the present can create balance overwork and personal life. Spiritual energy reflects the alignment of values one has in their personal to their work life (Qi Zhang, et al., 2018). This can be done by participating in activities that one enjoys which will provide a greater sense of purpose. It is important to take time for oneself to reduce overthinking, especially about work. Self-care practices will increase satisfaction of work-life balance and create awareness of one’s needs as well. Lastly, mental energy helps concentrate on tasks and block out distractions at work (Qi Zhang, et al., 2018). These activities also include relaxation and mindful techniques. This can be a 5-minute breathing exercise or a 10-minute walk outside. Recovering from a long day of work can be easier when participating in a hobby that one enjoys. Such techniques can help working adults manage workplace emotions, cognitions, and energy level problems. In addition, a way that an employee can recover from their job is through their outside hobbies. Work engagement can be very energy consuming, so a way to add back that energy is by enjoying off-job activities. A study showed that there was a significance between daily workload and energy gained from off-job hobbies that was performed the previous day (Breevaart, et al., 2020). Thus, the more that employees performed outside activities, the higher the employee engagement was, which resulted in less daily workload. Such hobbies allow relaxation from working while recharging for the next day. This makes it easier to accomplish more tasks during the working day when there is higher energy.
Employees undergo high stress situations, unbalanced personal-work life, and feeling unproductive. Most times, employees have work on their mind and it doesn’t go away when at home. All of these components stem from their energy levels. Therefore, optimizing energy throughout the day will improve performance outcome and satisfaction in the long run. The major indication of optimal energy is taking time for oneself outside of the workplace. Therefore, being present at home and performing outside activities can help combat the low energy and workplace overload. This will have an overall positive outcome in the individual and workplace.
References
Breevaart, K., Bakker, A. B., Derks, D., & van Vuuren, T. C. V. (2020). Engagement During
Demanding Workdays: A Diary Study on Energy Gained From Off-Job Activities.
International Journal of Stress Management, 27(1), 45–52.
https://doi-org.proxy.lib.uiowa.edu/10.1037/str0000127
Qi Zhang, Jiajin Tong, & Da Huo. (2018). Development of the energy management
scale. Social Behavior & Personality: An International Journal, 46(12), 2081–2095.
https://doi-org.proxy.lib.uiowa.edu/10.2224/sbp.7426
Welbourne, T.M., Andrews, S. B., & Andrews, A. O. (2005). Back to basics: Learning about
employee energy and motivation from running on my treadmill. Wiley Periodicals Inc.
Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/hrm.20040