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It can be difficult to form a new habit in the best of times, even if you are already spending. Almost everyone has been stretched in the last couple of years. You may find yourself exhausted and confused about where to start, or you may feel like you can't really turn your situation around.
When you're trapped in a vicious cycle of needing to improve your habits so you can feel refreshed, what do you do?
Many of the individuals who come to me are already tired and sometimes to the point of exhaustion. They don't know how to start. We need to find a path to recovery that honors their current state but doesn't leave them there.
The key to helping them move forward isn't coming down hard on them, they're already hard enough on themselves. Taking care of yourself through sleep, nutrition, and exercise lays the foundation for you to advance in other areas of time management.
If you find yourself exhausted and longing for a change, this is the place to start.
The key to greater productivity is not to push harder, but to push less if you are tired. Your body will support you in achieving your daily goals once you start getting enough sleep.
I recommend working on sleep when you are at the point of exhaustion. Aim for an earlier bed time based on how much sleep you need. If you need to get up at 7 a.m., then the lights will go out at 11 p.m. Set a recurring alarm on your phone for at least 30 or 45 minutes before that time to remind you to start winding down.
Once you begin to get the hang of heading to bed earlier, then start to work on your pre-bedtime routine so that you can actually fall asleep. Try different strategies, such as signing off electronics an hour before bed, not watching anything late at night, or simply dimming the lights.
Getting up at a consistent time is the next step in improving your sleep quality. The goal is the first step in the process. When you get to bed on time and fall asleep quickly, it's much easier to wake up on days you need to commute to the office.
If you give yourself enough time to rest, you will be able to work on other areas. Simple nutrition strategies are the next most effective habits for rebuilding energy.
Start drinking more water. Greater water intake improves energy, concentration, and fatigue. It's a good idea to always have a water bottle by you. I fill a water glass at breakfast, keep it on my desk while I work, and then refill it throughout the day. If it's hard for you to refill your water bottle, then get a big bottle so that you only have to fill it once a day.
Think about whether you are getting enough food. Some of my coaching clients get so engrossed in their work or have so many back-to-back meetings that they don't feel like they have time to eat. If you find yourself in that situation, you can always buy a bar or a shake at your desk. It is a goal to eat at least one or two during the day. You may need to set a reminder on your phone or calendar to remind you to eat. My clients who remember to eat a priority find that they have more energy throughout the day and feel less drained after work.
Once you have the building blocks of sleep and nutrition in place, you can start thinking about physical activity. Exercise gives you more energy throughout the day than it depletes. It has added benefits such as improved mood, sleep quality, and focus. Exercise is one of the key ingredients to being able to concentrate throughout the day, as found by some of my coaching clients with ADHD.
If you do 25 minutes of vigorous cardio exercise at least three times a week, you can improve your health. I will work out at the gym on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 7 to 7:30 a.m. When you are tired, you can borrow the energy and motivation of others.
If it seems like too much to start, starting with gentle stretching or walks is a step in the right direction. When I get up, I stretch for five minutes to help you integrate the habit into your lifestyle.
If you integrate the healthy habits that will reduce your exhaustion, you can pick other new habits to fold into your life.
I advise you to choose one to work on at a time. You can choose to focus on being on time, planning your week, breaking down projects, keeping up on email, or some other habit that you would like to master. Incremental change is what you should focus on. If you are on time, you can pick one type of meeting where you really focus on arriving a couple minutes early and then gradually expand the scope to other activities in your professional and personal life.
The key to habit change is to take it slowly and steadily, and not put too much pressure on yourself. You won't be able to change all of your habits in a day. With time, you can develop new habits that will help you regain energy, stave off fatigue, and build momentum for growth and development.
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