Sleepy? Need more energy? Check out these tips!

  photo by jeffhillphoto.com

Are you exhausted?

How about just not energized or struggling to stay focused and ‘in the zone’?  Maybe you just feel sleepy a lot!

A lot of people these days are feeling stressed, nervous, anxious and generally not as effective or productive as they’d like to be – and that lack of productivity makes the whole thing worse, creating a real problem for a lot of people.

With that in mind – here are 3 articles full of tips from experts on how to be more effective, productive and less sleepy!

First up – 10 Tips for re-energizing your day, every day.  The article is by Matthew May, but the tips are from Tony Schwarz – CEO of The Energy Project and author of the book ‘The way we’re working isn’t working’.

There are several interesting things to take away from the article:

  • People perform best when they’re ‘pulsing’ on 90-minute intervals (go hard for 90 minutes and then take a break – scientifically proven!).
  • Anxiety and fear aren’t positive motivators (even in moderation) – negative emotions of any kind undermine peak performance.
  • Build time into your day and purposely let your mind wander (daydream, listen to music, go for a walk) to come up with creative solutions.

The second article is “How to be Insanely Productive and Keep Smiling” from the blog Zen Habits.

The central premise of the article is that high productivity isn’t about doing, it’s about being.  (It sounds new age, but she makes practical sense).

My highlights:

  • Negativity will stifle productivity (there’s a common theme here) – if you’ve spent any time around negative co-workers, you’ve probably seen this firsthand.
  • You’ve got to take action…make things happen.  I think this is true from a personal perspective and for your business – you should be leaving a wake, building momentum to really get things done.
  • Get perspective – why do you need to be productive?  If what you’re trying to achieve is meaningful to you, then you’ll be much more focused.

Finally – a bit of a different take that’s more focused on writing is an article from David Meerman Scott, noted Author and Speaker with “Efficiency and Cranking Stuff Out” from his blog at WebInkNow (also a blog worth following).

I found this one compelling because I like his work and he is very prolific – multiple books, lots of blog posts, speaking engagements, etc.  Here are my thoughts from his article:

  • He loves what he does.  He has a clear focus and it’s on his mind a lot.  You get more done if it’s something you love doing.
  • He repurposes content – if you’re creating for marketing purposes, are there other ways you could use the same information?
  • Just get it done – he knocks out what needs to be done and minimizes procrastinating.

Finally – here’s a quick bonus article – How to be more Productive in the Workplace. The author highlights the importance of taking breaks, eating right and getting enough sleep. All of that should be common sense, but I can assure that a lot of people struggle with even the basic things.

What are your tips for being more efficient?  Do you agree that being well rested, focused with a clear outcome is the best way to really get things done?

I’d love to hear your thoughts – share them in the comments below if you’ve got the time or energy.  😉

Shawn Kinkade   Kansas City Business Coach