9 Simple Ways to Increase Your Energy... So You Get A Lot More Done

Having high levels of productivity are key for entrepreneurs and business owner’s to be successful.
Your ability to get things done and to do so masterfully dictates whether your business is profitable or incredibly profitable.
The level of productivity that you must sustain in order to deliver the high quality products and services demanded by your customers requires that you have optimum physical, mental and emotional energy.

Successful business owners know how to create, sustain and use their energy to get the most out of themselves and their team.

Part of being highly productive is understanding your energy, where it goes, how to maintain it and how to renew it.
Your overall energy is impacted by the use and replenishment of energy in three energy domains; physical, emotional and mental.
It’s how you think, how you feel, what you eat, how you exercise and how you spend your time.
I’m sure you’re familiar with how your physical energy impacts you, but you expend just as much energy with your emotions and your mind.
Think about it, after an argument, are you taxed and tired? After you crush a deadline, are you mentally exhausted and wiped out? These aren’t just physical manifestations, but ones derived from your emotional and mental states.

All three energy domains are interconnected and make up your total power plant of energy.

By maximizing the energy in each domain, you operate at optimum productivity to crush the most ambitious goals in your business.

Don’t burn down the house you live in

Because of the incredible demands of your business, you maybe living on a diet of too much fast food, caffeine and sugar.
It’s OK, you’re not alone and I’ve been there. 😉
You’re caught in the sweet, no pun intended, crash and burn energy cycle, where you get an immediate lift then come a crashing down only to need the lift again, which slowly depletes your overall energy.
Burning the candle at both ends is also a physical energy drainer, by not getting enough sleep and working non-stop without regular breaks you eventually break down. Read this post “How to Take Charge of Your Time: What Every Entrepreneur Needs to Know”. It will help you invest your time for maximum business results without burning out by utilizing my simple 4 Quadrants of Time Framework.
Lack of physical activity is also a great energy suck. By not engaging your body, it atrophies, stores less energy and releases less energy when you need it. 
Energy, as a business owner, you need to successfully run your business and create the life you deserve.

3 simple ways to ramp up your physical energy:

1. Exercise. When you exercise, you release endorphins and a host of other chemicals into your body and brain that fire up energy. If you aren’t physically active, then I suggest you start by engaging in cardio exercises 3x per week for 20 minutes, then add in weight training 2x per week, giving yourself 2 days of rest. (Provided you are healthy to do so. Always consult your doctor first.)
2. Eat more high energy foods. These are foods that give you lasting sustained energy throughout your day. Almonds, spinach, sweet potatoes, lean meats, coconut oil, blueberries and anything green and leafy. Stick to eating low glycemic fruits like peaches, apricots and oranges. Eat smaller meals more often, like 5-6 per day and always eat protein with every meal. Oh yeah, drink more water!
3. Sleep. According to the Mayo Clinic you need at least 7-9 hours of good sleep. You also need a regular sleep schedule, that means go to bed about the same time every night and get up at the same time every day. Sleep is the great energy restorer, don’t skimp on it.

Your business is your baby, don’t let your emotions get in the way of its success

Your ability to control your emotions and to effectively manage situations which impact your emotions is crucial to your energy.
Your emotions are a needed and necessary component to your existence, but whenever you become overly stressed, angry, agitated or anxious and let your emotions run the show you’re draining away your energy.

3 easy tactics to maximize emotionally energy:

1. Develop your emotional intelligence (EQ). The greatest tool for small business owners is developing and fine tuning your emotional intelligence. When people are able to take more control of their emotions, they can improve the quality of their energy, regardless of the external pressures they’re facing. By practicing EQ, you take control of your emotions and you refuse to let them run the show and sap your energy.
2. Create a mindfulness habit. Calming your mind and staying present will increase your ability to practice EQ and not let your emotional past or anxious future drain your energy from your present business challenges.
3. Practice appreciative feedback. Praise your employees and tell them what they are doing well more often than what is missing or not going well. This is basically seeing the glass as half full and it works.

Fiercely guard your mental energy

As a business owner, your mental energy is in use from the minute you wake up until your head hits the pillow and you drift off to sleep.
Your mind is always thinking and problem solving, from making coffee in the morning to working through complex logistical issues in your business.
Unfortunately, you are also wasting a ton of energy in between your fantastic problem solving and thinking skills, because you’ve developed some bad habits that are taking away from your ability to perform at your best. 

3 strategies to increase your mental energy:

1. Multitasking is one of the worst mental energy drainers in existence. You’re doing yourself no favors by trying to do multiple tasks at once. Your brain is in a constant state of switching between tasks, trying to manage your short term memory and track where each task is in the queue. This takes tremendous energy and you usually end up with lower quality work.
2. Poor time investment is another mental energy killer. Setting unrealistic deadlines and procrastinating both lead to stress which drains mental energy. While you may thrive under deadlines and wait until the last minute to accomplish your work, in the long run you’re burning your mental energy down to where you won’t able able to perform as well during those crunch periods in the future.
3. Are you addicted to distraction? Turn off email, the internet and instant messenger and only check them at designated times or on a break. Clean off your desk and get organized. The less distractions and the more organized you are, the less energy you waste with the little things so you can focus on what is important for your business.

As a business owner your physical, emotional and mental energy is central to your productivity, your success and your profitability. 
So go out and take on at least one of these steps today and commit to increasing your energy.