Embracing Ease At Work: Protect Your Energy At All Costs

Written By Abena Sey

January 31, 2022

Why You Should Protect Your Energy

You must protect your energy each day to help you remain focused and alert at work. Protecting your energy will help you attain mental clarity, and this will help you make better decisions when experiencing daily challenges. The decisions you make each day can vary in complexity, so your response in each circumstance must come from a place of clarity. Clarity can help you be and do your best in each circumstance. Processing and responding to various communications at work requires you to be alert, so mental clarity is helpful for this reason as well. Position yourself to make the best choice given the time and resources you have available, because each decision you make has impacts on future outcomes and decisions. It is best to operate when your energy is at its fullest capacity as this can help your mind process the information you receive to make the best choice possible.

Now that you know why it is important to protect your energy, here are some practical ways you can do so.

How To Protect Your Energy

The Importance of Sleep

Taking into consideration that each person’s requirement is different, think about the hours of sleep you need and prioritize getting enough sleep to help you feel refreshed and prepared for your day. This may include using a sleep app to keep you on track, having a nighttime routine to ease yourself into sleep, adjusting your diet, increasing your exercise, or organizing your sleep space. Once you have made the effort to prioritize your sleep, your next step is to consider how you will spend your energy.

Managing Your Energy Expenditure

Protecting your energy involves making decisions about where to focus your attention as you move throughout your work day, and deciding how much of your energy you will expend. Some matters do not require your attention right away, so you can decide to metaphorically put it in a folder for it to be looked at when your time permits. While “urgent” matters may be urgent from the perspective of the one who requests your attention, they may not necessarily be urgent for you and your particular work. In cases such as these, use your best judgement to decide what gets your attention now and what can be looked at later. Wherever possible, delegate tasks that can be done independent of you to maximize your time. While managing your energy expenditure helps you prioritize time and focus, another tip to protect your energy is to regulate your response to communications that you perceive as disrespectful.

Navigating Negative Communications

There are times when the communication you receive is in poor taste or off colour. It may be the words used in the communication, the tone of the delivery, the body language of the person communicating or the time you receive it. This is where protecting your energy will help you stay positive and focused on your work. If the verbal or written communication you receive comes across as condescending, disrespectful or offensive, do the best you can to carefully consider how you will respond, or if you will respond at all. Communication such as this can impact your mood and throw you off focus, if you allow it. Your energy conservation is extremely important in this case. Learn how to effectively navigate negative communications to protect your energy. Pay attention to how you respond in situations like these. You can go into work feeling in a good mood, and a negative exchange can bring you down, if you give it your energy. Remember, the goal is to conserve your energy so that you can do your best work, operating from a place of peace and clarity. Choose where and when you will expend energy when experiencing unprofessional or negative communications.