As winter approaches and temperatures start to drop, you might notice that your workforce is entering its annual slump. With shorter days and saying goodbye to those sunny days, it is important that employers understand how to boost energy at work, to ensure your team
With the nights drawing in and the festive season approaching, it can feel like there’s just not enough time to fit everything in. We’ve all had days where we’ve worked non-stop, yet by the end we seem to have achieved very little. We become tempted to work through our lunch breaks or sacrifice an hour of sleep to buy a bit more time in the day, before we know it, out energy is at an all-time low, and we still don’t feel as productive as we wanted.
Perhaps it’s not more time that we need, but more energy. An energised team that knows how to boost energy at work, are able to make most of the working day, without risking burnout.
Understanding the energy balancing act
Throughout the day our energy levels fluctuate as we fuel our bodies and use that energy, and that’s completely normal . Our bodies burn over 1000 calories each day just processing our vital functions, before we even consider exercise, mental fatigue or stressful deadlines. For many people, the changing seasons can further exacerbate these energy shifts. Try our free Winter guides for more detailed winter health tips.
Think about how your daily activities build or deplete your energy. A large meal can fuel us with energy or make us feel sluggish. An intense workout can be invigorating or exhausting, depending on how well we have prepared our bodies. The key is to balance activities to maintain energy levels throughout the day.
The same applies in the workplace. Employee energy is influenced by dozens of factors throughout the day. Bear in mind the four pillars of performance: mindset, nutrition, movement and recovery. It’s likely that most of us can identity a deficiency in at least one of these categories.
It’s important to apply the same principle to your work day.
Encourage your team to proactively think about how they manage their energy and create proactive energy habits. Whether it’s eating a healthy breakfast, building better sleep habits or scheduling a five-minute workout, small changes can reinvigorate the workforce.
Energy boosting advice for employers
While most people experience periods of high pressure, employees shouldn’t regularly feel drained. Managers must lead by example and build positive habits for their team to follow. During the workday, be open about taking regular breaks and encourage others to do the same. Schedule time during meetings for people to pause and regroup.
If an employee is struggling with low energy, it may be common for someone else to pick up the slack. This not only masks the true problem, but also depletes the energy of the wider team. Be aware of the signs that your team is overreaching. Can you recognise when your team is fatigued and step in before they become exhausted?
An employee experiencing low energy is likely to feel less productive and become frustrated with their work, so schedule time to discuss energy levels in catch ups and 1:1s. Keep in mind that energy is influenced by factors both in and outside the workplace. While these factors are sometimes out of our control, taking action throughout the day can steer us in the right direction.
If we can foster habits that maintain employee energy levels, teams will be well equipped to take stressful days in their stride. Productivity is not about working flat out all the time. It’s important to build a schedule that includes time to recharge. Try introducing the Pomodoro Technique to boost productivity and encourage balance by scheduling periods of focus and planned recovery.
Energy boosting tips for employees
Healthy habits help employees to build easy energy rituals to feel ,more alert and proactive throughout their day. Try encouraging your team members to try one or more of the following energy boosting tips this autumn.
- Refuel your body: Slow release carbohydrates and healthy fats can help keep you fuller for longer, whilst maintaining more stable energy leaves. Go for sweet potatoroes, brown rice, oats, yoghurts and nuts for stable energy levels at work.
- Hydrate throughout the day: Increasing your water intake plays an important role in boosting your energy at work. Try keeping a bottle of water by your side, and aim to drink around 2 litres a day.
- Be conscious of caffeine cutting: High caffeine intake provides a temporary energy boost; however, it often creates an ‘energy crash’ a few hours later and can disrupt sleep patterns, leading to more fatigue and low energy. Cutting down on caffeine can promote better sleep and more stable energy levels. Making small switches, like switching to decaf after lunch or swapping a cup of coffee for a glass of water, can make a big difference in boosting your energy at work.
- Alternative energy activities: Looking at your work day, you will likely see a mix of high and low energy activities. Try planning short bursts of activities aways from your desk to maintain energy levels and keep restlesness at bay. For example, short 5 minute wrk outs or Yoga allow you to focus your energy and improve your focus.
- Understand the importance of sleep: A consistent night-time routine with 6-8 hours of sleep can help you wake up feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the day ahead of you.
Resources for your team
Low energy is usually caused by just one or two main factors, such as lack of sleep or nutrition, but often only small changes are needed to make a real difference. Encourage employees to recognise which energy boosting habits they already practise and keep doing them. From there, gradually introduce new goals.
It could be as simple as switching to decaf or stretching twice a day. Building new habits slowly helps them to stick. Try sharing these easy energy rituals with your team, or download the file as a PDF.