How Mental Energy Renewal Adds Productivity

Mental energy renewal! It does your heart, mind and soul a world of good and you probably need it much more than you realize.

When was the last time you got away from work for a week or more? How about for an extended weekend? Even for a full day of no work whatsoever? I’ll bet it’s been a long time, hasn’t it?

Then again when was the last time you simply stopped and took a brief mental energy renewal break to clear your mind, reset, and get back at it refreshed, re-energized and ready to go?

Mental energy renewal can take on many different forms. It can start small for you with periodic and timely mini breaks and then progress to something like a vacation.

Do I need a renewal break?

If it’s feeling like you can barely keep your head above water then it’s likely time. Check in with how you’re feeling? Any of these sound about right?

• You feel overwhelmed
• Anxiety is rising
• You’re spread too thin
• Pressure and stress is mounting
• You’re having difficulty focusing, concentrating, and staying on track
• The noise in your head, your inner voice, never stops it’s constant chatter

Now me, when I’m away on vacation I always make time for energy renewal, rest, and recreation. In the summer of 2018 stress reduction and mental energy renewal came about in two distinctly different but  positive ways from our family adventure vacation in Thailand.

First was snorkelling and SCUBA diving in the Bay of Thailand. If you’ve ever done either you know how calming each can be. When focused on the bubbles and all of the amazing under sea life your inner voice quietens to complete silence. Check out my post here from that trip for deeper connection with what that experience of “bubble therapy” was like.

Then there was learning meditation and participating in a guided meditation from a Buddhist monk. Again, an amazing experience that I will never forget with incredible re-energizing benefits. But it was not the kind of trip I, or many people, can make all that often. 

You might be feeling all of those telltale signs I mentioned above and thinking “wow I could never do that”. I can barely keep my head above water (figuratively) with so much going on at work.

I get it. I was once there in the constant state of overwhelm feeling like I could not stop for anything. Unfortunately it kept building and building both inside and outward impacting everything in a negative way.

So here’s a smaller, simpler, and easier step towards the solution.

Periodic Daily Mental Energy Renewal Breaks

Ideally done every 90 minutes but you can even start with mid day, end of working day, and just before sleep. Then add in any times when the overwhelm of your current situation leads to the bullet points above. At these times STOP whatever you are doing and remove yourself from your surroundings. It’s a pattern interrupt. Take 2-5 minutes to do something a calming type of activity.

While doing this aim to centre your focus, hear your inner chatter and let it go, and gradually clear your head. It’ll take practice but you will return clear headed, calmer, re-focused on what matters most and ready for a productive next part of your work day, evening doing whatever you love, or heading off into restorative sleep.

Do this EVERY DAY. It will become a habit and something you crave and make more time for as you experience it’s value. Then you might be able to ramp up your game and take a full day nurture day that’s all about you and your self care. You might take an extended weekend personal retreat. Maybe we can even get you on track for a vacation!

Baby steps to give you the mental energy renewal you need will open the door to bigger steps and even more benefit. It’s a process towards living the ideal life you dream of while having a thriving business at the same time.

This kind of change is absolutely possible but it will take time and conscious effort. If you know you really need more energy to make the ultimate changes you want for your business and your life but are not confident you can do it yourself and you’d like some specific guidance on what to do in your micro breaks consider a membership in One Wave Global community. Our online lessons in energy renewal go deep into how to do them, why to do them, and what you can get from doing them.

Another option is to join our free One Wave Lifestyle community. With peer mentor support from other business owners who experience many of the same challenges you’re feeling, and professional guidance from our Ideal Life Architect, Brent Haydey, it’s perfectly suited to help you reclaim time, build energy, and gain the freedom you deserve for what matters most at work and at home.