Where do you sit on your priority list? If you’re putting everything ahead of yourself for the sake of growing your business, you are potentially setting yourself up for the polar opposite of thriving, professionally and personally. The impact of not managing your energy appropriately and sustainably can be devastating to your bottom line.

I recently had a simply glorious coaching session with a solopreneur who has set the theme for the first quarter of 2022 as ‘nurtured.’ She did some analysis of the first quarters of the last three years in her business and knows that as she heads into the Easter break she’ll need every molecule of energy she has at her disposal. She is determined manage her energy to make it her superpower.

I can’t tell you how refreshing this is. As a holistic business coach self-care is central to my coaching approach, simply because I have lived experience in the impact of mismanaging my energy. In many ways, my career reflects a walking, talking test case for the power of self-care and good nutrition. I know full well the impact of working 14 – 18 hour days and of reaching for a sugar-laden muffin rather than an energy-boosting bliss ball or clean treat. I’ve experimented over the years and have great awareness of how to lift my energy levels sustainably as well as my energy zappers.

When you’re tired and poorly or inadequately fuelled, research (and my personal
experience!) tells us that you are subsequently less productive, more distractible, less engaged and less able to get into the meaty, deep work that keeps your motivation and passion for your work alive. This is when you get stuck in the busy and the boring Business as Usual that may keep things ticking along, but hardly thriving. You may feel as though you can barely keep up with the demands, let alone get ahead of your to-do list. As for time off? Forget about it- there’s too much to do!

It’s no secret that I believe that in order to renergise your biz and live a life you love, the health of your business can be directly correlated to your health. How’s your sleep lately? Are you working 14 hour days? Do you skip breakfast? Are you finding your working hours are scattered throughout the day and night, meaning you never really effectively switch off for the day? Have you ever written a work email while you’re chopping up the veggies for the evening meal? These are all signs that you’re probably not managing your energy, you’re spreading yourself far too thinly and the impact on you personally and professionally is not going to be pretty.

That’s the bad news, but here’s the good - replenishing your energy stores and making an ongoing, sustainable plan to manage your energy moving forward is not rocket science. Rather, it’s the basics.

Like Nanna said, go to bed early! The importance of sleep on your energy levels cannot be underestimated. Don’t wear four hours of sleep a night as a badge of honour.  If you are not a fabulous sleeper like me, at least go to bed early and listen to some meditation music to lull you off to sleep and give yourself time to ride the rainbow dream.

Move that body - it’s what it was designed for! I’m not just talking about your early morning training session, but also moving incrementally over the day. We weren’t built to spend hours upon hours sitting. Do some stretching or lunges as you’re waiting for the kettle to boil for your mid-morning break.

Consider investing in a sit/stand desk and have all your meetings standing – I invested in a trestle table stand up desk from IKEA 12 months ago, it does wonders for the posture and energy levels! No more slumped over the computer.  Build movement into your day such as walking to the Post Office or mailbox, taking the pooch for a quick midday walk or breaking at 3:00pm to get some fresh air before you start your evening shift.

Drink like a fish - but don’t keep a jug of water on your desk. Instead, make refilling your water glass part of your incidental movement for the day and walk to the fridge.

There’s some interesting research coming out about cycle tracking and the impact that the different phases of your cycle have on your energy, and how to align your actions to this.

I’ve written before about good, simple nutrition, but equally important is a clear understanding of the actions and behaviors that deplete your energy. What habits and actions have you fallen into that aren’t serving you well? When you’re aware of what doesn’t work, you can make the change to set up the habits that do. I’m a big believer in what gets measured gets focus, so make a list, and check it twice!

We are nearly one quarter in to the New Year, what’s your theme to continue out this year? I strongly encourage you to invest in yourself - when you bring your focus to the energy you need to create a thriving business, the impact is indisputable. This is made all the more achievable through holistic business coaching and I’d love to work with you.

To your success…