‘The first wealth is health’
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Over the last week I had several conversations with leaders in sustainability and social change. One common topic that came up over and over again: people are exhausted from trying to stay positive and well in the current environment.
They feel like they are working an uphill battle against an avalanche of growing tasks. All in an environment that is not always supporting their cause. There’s a lot of doom and gloom in the media and some stakeholders make their life more difficult than necessary.
When we are deep in the mud, it often feels impossible to take a break and rethink what we are doing. From my experience, there’s often some solid ground when you step aside for a moment. Sometimes, you might need other people to pull you out.
Here are three things you can do this week:
Do an energy audit: Take a moment to get an overview on what’s draining your energy and what is giving you energy. Energy management is often more important than time management. You can download my EnergyMap tool here to get started. The whole exercise shouldn’t take you more than 10 minutes. It is not the ultimate solution, but it’ll give you enough awareness to notice what matters and will need your attention in the coming days.
Try Lunchtime naps: There is plenty of neuroscience research on the benefits of a 20 minutes sleep break. It might feel like absolute luxury but can increase your productivity by multiples.
Go for a walk in nature: Time outdoors can act as a good reminder of why you are actually working so hard. Plus, you get exercise, fresh air and often different perspectives and ideas. Go alone and go slow. An hour would be ideal.
Feeling more energised is an ongoing quest. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. However, often it is enough to just redirect your attention to the small moments during a day when you feel great and at your best. It all starts with an increased level of awareness of what truly matters. You can build from there! You have got this.
Let me know how you are going.
Naturally yours,
Ingrid