How To Embrace High Energy Habits And Perform Optimally

Humans are energy beings who run a vast amount of their day by habit or on auto-pilot. As our habits are outside conscious awareness, we need to ensure that they support our goals. Consequently, embracing high energy habits is the perfect formula for boosting performance and goals, on and off the field. This month I will share seven high energy habits that you can take into your workplace to boost your results.

Athletes have high energy habits because energy is the key currency of great performances. Moreover, they are in tune with how they feel and how their body is functioning. They fuel their bodies for optimal performance, between and after training sessions and races. Athletes schedule adequate rest between training sessions, an essential part of replenishing energy levels. Furthermore, on race day, they have a high energy habit of digging deep for that extra one per cent of energy to propel themselves over the finish line, faster, and ahead of their competitors.

If only we could create a high-performance arena in our business world

Unfortunately, unlike athletes, most people who work in offices and businesses, are expected to perform optimally all day. There is a silent expectation that we can and will keep motivated and productive. We place expectations on ourselves of what we should or could get done, with little consideration for any high energy habits, such as a recovery or short rest. If time permits, we may reward ourselves with a quick lunch break to eat some food. We expect our brains to work optimally on demand, but we are not computers. Like nature, we function in cycles and rhythms, so we need to create high energy habits to perform optimally and maintain consistent momentum throughout the day.

Do you suffer from the three o’clock slump and sugar craving?

How many people do you know who have that mid-afternoon slump? Perhaps you know them well? This is the time when we feel fatigued and often crave something resembling comfort and nurture? Consequently, we succumb to a quick fix in the form of coffee to perk us up or a fabulous bar of chocolate. This then becomes a poor and hard to change habit. Furthermore, it may then develop into the time-wasting habit of procrastination. Ultimately, we know that choosing a high energy habit of a short walk, drinking a glass of water or having a quick chat with a colleague would probably create far better results.

Unlike working in an office, athletes are using their brains as well as their body. They exercise, which as we all know, is one of the best high energy habits there is. In today’s workplace, most people are sedentary, and according to Medibank and the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, the average worker spends 77 per cent of their day sitting down. Yikes.

Give yourself the gift of a high energy habit. Get up and move your body.

Even fifteen or twenty minutes will help. If you can’t do this, the simple act of standing up will change your energy levels. Standing up has been proven to kick start your metabolism and many companies are now using stand up work stations. By embracing this simple high energy habit, you can even lose weight, as one presenter on the ABC Radio did. He shed several kilos in a few months.

Drinking water will also help keep your energy high. Athletes know how important it is to drink water to keep their bodies hydrated, but what you may not know is that your brain is ‘greedy.’ Moreover, it uses vast amounts of water when you are working. Consequently, it is critical to keep your brain hydrated, to maintain a clear head and function optimally.

Creating high energy habits is easier if you add a new behaviour onto an existing routine

A great way to create a new high energy habit is to tack a healthy behaviour onto something you already do. So, let’s imagine when you stand up at your desk, you also have a drink of water. You are adding a simple task to the one you are already doing. If you stick with it, you will create a winning high energy habit. Furthermore, it may become an important keystone habit.

Athletes set clear goals and maintain focus on their outcome. They have routines, a clear training plan and create winning habits that support their outcomes.  Imagine if we had such clarity and precise plans in our working days. I am sure there would be many more equivalent ‘gold medals’ in many people’s days.

Finding a meaningful reason behind what you are doing will help keep your energy high and yourself engaged

At the beginning of the day, when you sit at your desk, connect with your ‘why.’ Make sure you create your own future vision or mission statement and read it before you start your day. This one small habit is guaranteed to create winning high energy habits. If you can find a meaningful reason as to why are here right now, it is easier to keep focused and engaged. When you do what you love and love what you do, your energy will be higher and you will feel more inspired.

Immediately after this, invest another few minutes to plan your day. Decide what must be done today, and create a reminder so that this simple act of planning your day becomes a naturally high energy habit. Create a few non-negotiable goals for the day, and commit to completing them. Consistency is the key to success. Furthermore, this high energy habit will ensure you keep focused on what is important and like compound interest, will grow.

Doing less can actually result in getting more done

Consequently, when you purposefully slow down and eliminate some of your tasks, you may surprise yourself by getting more accomplished. Practising the art of ruthlessly prioritising is the key to getting more done and nailing your goals. If you were an 800-metre runner would you allow yourself to get distracted to practice the javelin? I think not. Otherwise, you may succumb to that terrible virus of not doing the things you know you should.

Moreover, when you make a high energy habit of ticking off each task, each small win you acknowledge your achievement and build your muscle of belief. Remember to celebrate wildly, as if you have just won a race, or at the very least, in your mind and imagination. Doing this will cause your brain to send you a shot of serotonin. Consequently, you will feel better and be more likely to continue.

In conclusion, the best way to create high energy habits is to start small. Furthermore, add one habit first and when locked in, add another. Taking small steps compounds to create big results. Moreover, you will soon have new winning high energy habits so you can perform optimally. This is exactly what athletes do day in day out, to ensure on race day, they give their very best.

Discover more high energy habits to skyrocket your productivity taken from the sporting field.

About the Author