The last few years have proved stressful for employees and employers alike. For many organisations, the pandemic brought with it increased demands, while staff shortages have seen many employees respond by putting in overtime. Inevitably, these pressures lead to burnout, higher stress levels and exhaustion amongst the workforce. In fact, according to a global study conducted last year, Australian office workers were the most burnt out in the world, with 53 percent admitting they suffered burnout in the last 12 months. This high number has been a considerable factor in the higher attrition rates many organisations have been experiencing, which inevitably leads to more pressure on the workforce. 

While many people look to time management to help gain control of their lives, get more done at work and decrease stress, this may not be the best approach. Time is a finite resource, and no matter how much we wish for more, we still only have 24 hours in a day. 

According to The Energy Project, however, energy is different kind of resource. And while it may not necessarily be infinite, there are steps we can take to increase our energy output in such a way that, not only helps us achieve more in our workday, but do so in a way that reduces our risk of burnout and stress. 

This theory suggests there are four key areas from which we draw energy—the body, emotions, mind, and spirit—and that each of these can be enhanced in a way that drives better outcomes for both individuals and organisations, such as greater professional satisfaction, productivity, team output and retention. 

Here, we look at these four areas of renewal and what employees and employers can do to bring more energy into their everyday lives so they can work and feel better. 

Physical energy – the body 

It’s no secret that inadequate exercise, a poor diet and lack of sleep diminish energy levels, reduce concentration, inhibit performance and impact your mood. Despite being widely accepted, however, a great proportion of people don’t practice the healthy lifestyle rituals that would add so greatly improve their lives. This isn’t to say people don’t want to make this change, but instead they don’t feel there is the time to do so given the demands on their time are so high. 

A great place to start is by performing an energy “audit”, which will help to identify the areas of your physical energy that may be the most depleted. For example, do you regularly get less than seven hours of sleep each night? Are you frequently skipping nutritious meals in lieu of something quick and easy? How often do you exercise each week? Asking yourself these questions can help you understand where to place your focus and make improvements. 

The next step is to identify rituals for building and renewing physical energy in these areas you’re lacking. Here are a few that could be useful: 

Get more sleep 

According to a 2019 Federal Inquiry about the state of Australians' sleep, 10.3 million or 40 percent Australians aren’t getting the recommended seven to nine hours sleep each night, and close to 60 percent of Australian adults show at least one sleep disorder symptom. While this is obviously concerning for individuals, it also places a huge impact on the Australian economy, costing $66.3 billion a year in health and indirect costs. 

Prioritising sleep and aiming to get at least 7.5 hours every night can help to improve memory, better immune function, elevated mood, and enhance learning and problem-solving abilities, to name a few. 

Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day 

Daily exercise can help to elevate your mood, reducing stress, lower anxiety, improve blood flow to the brain, enhance the production of new brain cells, boost memory, increase discipline and aid in decision making. 

According to psychologist and behaviour change expert Ron Friedman, exercise shouldn’t be thought of as something we do for ourselves—a personal indulgence that takes us away from our work—the positive impact physical activity has on work performance makes it something that should be seen as part of your job. Roughly 150 minutes of weekly exercise can be sufficient to gain all the benefits. 

Take regular breaks 

Implementing breaks in your work day every 90-120 minutes can result in higher performance, greater productivity and less fatigue. Also known as "ultradian rhythms", these refer to 90 to 120-minute cycles during which our bodies slowly move from a high-energy state into a physiological trough. Toward the end of each cycle, the body begins to crave a period of recovery, which you may notice through symptoms such as physical restlessness, yawning, hunger, and difficulty concentrating. If ignored, this can result in feeling exhausted by each day's end, but by giving your body breaks for renewal can result in higher and more sustained performance. 

Emotional energy – quality of energy 

In a negative emotional state, an individual tends to burn through their energy very quickly and easily. Conversely, when people are able to take control of their emotions and work in a positive mindset, they can improve the quality of their energy, regardless of the external pressures they’re facing. 

Unfortunately, when confronted with relentless demands and unexpected challenges, people tend to slip into negative emotions—the fight-or-flight mode, which makes it difficult to think logically or reflectively. They become irritable and impatient, or anxious and insecure. Here are some ways to combat this in the workplace: 

Deep breathing or meditation 

When it comes to regulating emotions, the breath is one of our most powerful tools. Deep abdominal breathing is a simple ritual you can initiate anywhere, so when you're feeling stressed, overwhelmed or frustrated, try exhaling slowly for five or six seconds for a minute or so. This has been shown to induce relaxation and recovery, while turning off the fight-or-flight response. You take up to 23,000 breaths a day – make them count! 

Express appreciation 

Showing appreciation and gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness, giving way to positive emotions, relishing good experiences, improving health, dealing with adversity, and building strong relationships. For employees, this could be emailing or calling a colleague to congratulate them on a job well done. For managers and HR teams, this might be about creating a culture of appreciation and gratitude through rewarding results, holding company-wide awards and thanking people for their years of service. 

The mind - focus of energy 

In today's connected world, switching off from technology and finding solid focus time can be challenging. And though multi-tasking might seem like the most effective use of your energy when you have several deadlines on the go, it actually reduces productivity and your overall energy. In fact, studies show that when you multitask, you aren’t doing multiple things at once. Instead, your brain is rapidly switching attention between the activities you’re engaging in, resulting in lower productivity, slower memory recall and becoming more easily distracted. 

If you find yourself struggling to focus and constantly distracted, here’s some strategies that may assist you: 

Schedule “technology downtime” 

Taking breaks from technology, such as answering phone calls and responding immediately to emails can be a good way to ensure your focus isn’t broken multiple times throughout the day. Find the time in your day when you feel you do your best work and mute your technology during this time. By doing so, you’re creating a mental routine and training your brain to show up, ready to focus on the task ahead at the same time every day. This becomes a mental cue for deep, focused, distraction-free work. 

Remember to let your colleagues or team know you won’t be available during these times. 

Create a distraction-free environment 

This will be particularly useful for those working from home or in a hybrid model. Clear your desk of clutter, set yourself up for the day in a quiet space and let those in your home know that you’ve begun working and won’t be available until a specific time. Doing this will create the kind of environment where you can maximise your productivity, work in a calm environment and feel in control of your day. 

The spirit: energy of meaning and purpose 

When performing work that feels meaningful and valuable, people typically feel more positive, focus better, and demonstrate greater perseverance. Following the pandemic, purpose has become a significant decision-making factor when it comes to accepting a job offer, with a survey finding that employee’s sense of purpose or impact on society is the second-most important criteria for young talent when considering new jobs.   

Regrettably, the high demands and fast pace of corporate life don’t always allow for this focus on purpose and values, with external factors so often influencing our actions. These strategies could prove useful: 

Do what you’re good at and what you enjoy 

It can be useful to take a step back from your work and assess the tasks you do. Along the way, have there been responsibilities you’ve picked up or been assigned that you don’t enjoy? Are their things you do each day you find meaningless, or feel don’t add value? It’s worth understanding what these are and having a discussion with your manager about whether you’re the best person to perform these duties. This then frees up space for you to perform that work which you find fulfilling and meaningful. 

For managers, it will be important to support employees on this journey to find purpose at work. When organisations invest in employees’ purpose, individuals respond by bringing all their energy wholeheartedly to work—and both companies and their people grow in value. 

Live organisational values every day 

Organisations can talk the talk when it comes to company values and purpose, but if it’s just lip service, employees will likely see straight through this. Leaders can perform an audit to see if the everyday work and culture align with organisational values. If they don’t, then a shift may need to occur to re-engage employees. If they do, then perhaps they need to be more readily promoted throughout the business and, indeed, within your Employee Value Proposition. This won’t only aid in retaining employees and helping them perform their best work, but also attract candidates to your organisation.