Understanding Your Energy Levels in a Busy Work Week

Last week I was in a slump. This week my mind feels like it is slamming itself into a brick wall, trying to keep up with everything I didn’t do the weeks before. 

 Last Friday night, I had initially drafted the post I planned to publish. All I had to do left was polish and publish. But my mind and body refused to cooperate, and I procrastinated until the last minute. 

Seven days later, I am cramming another post in hopes of publishing it the same day.

The slow weeks are helping me understand that we fluctuate, like the market. There are days when you feel like you can conquer the world, but also when lifting a finger feels too much. Days that no matter the effort, nothing seems to be enough—you fall short, and all your plans are over the place.

This week, I tried to be in tune with the energy levels and motivations of my body, soul, and mind. I sped up and slowed down even when the traffic lights kept telling me to go. 

So here are a few things I learned this week about understanding my energy:

1. Some Activities Drain You and Some Re-Energise You

After my week of procrastination, I felt the weight of all the unfinished responsibilities on my shoulders Monday morning. 

I felt ten times more pressure over the smaller tasks for work. I pushed back more of my responsibilities and personal projects to say I had my work under wraps. 

Instead of working on big responsibilities head-on, I usually look for lighter tasks to complete. I use my energy to tackle small things I can check off my to-do list or give myself a 10-to-20-minute break.

During lunch breaks, I mindlessly listen to some commentary on YouTube—dissociating from the work I set aside. 

Instead of gaining the motivation to face the work I have been putting off, these activities drained any wish in me to get them done. And made big tasks feel more daunting.

I learned that instead of procrastinating amid the chaos, I need a change of pace, surroundings, and space. Physically detaching myself can help me return to these tasks feeling more energized. 

Getting the more significant tasks out of the way also makes me feel like I accomplished more in the day. This makes the smaller tasks seem minuscule compared to the chunk of work that was already done. Adding the smaller wins to the pile makes the end of the workday feel so much better.

In line with all the procrastination, I started to feel the blunt end of the snooze button the longer I delayed getting up for a busy workday.  Sleep is supposed to energize me, but the snooze button made me feel more tired the next day. According to this article by NBC, snoozing is the crux. 

So get up at the first ring and out of the house or office when stuck! 

2. You Cannot Force a Drop of Water Out of Desert Sand.

No amount of dedication and time will help if my mind refuses to put in the energy and focus I need to get things done. Nothing is going to happen.

I will end up with potential ideas that crash and burn. 

My last post (which I haven’t even bothered to re-read yet: Falling Back In Love: Ballet (Dance))  and how messy it felt were why I decided to look into what energizes me to create even after a long day’s work. What habits and practices in a day or a week keep me from or motivates me to keep going? 

After recognizing that, I am learning to accept that there are weeks when I should sit and dwell in my nothingness. There are days I would feel better in the stillness of a drained and empty desert. 

I know I am not the only one with weeks of great optimism—days where the mind keeps going while the body happily goes along. But I know you have days when the work feels bleak and futile, too. 

During these times, I dissociate, phone in hand, falling into one rabbit hole to the next. 

It is also in these slumps when the feeling of unworthiness, failure, and giving up cloud my mind. This feeling forces me to only worry about work, due dates for tomorrow, household chores, and bills to pay. Things I can control but responsibilities that kill the joy of living.

It took me too long to realize that this emotional roller coaster is normal. 

There are days when everything looks and feels great.  But there will also be times when things look great but feel gross, and when things both look and feel terrible. 

And that is okay.

There will be rises, but there will also be falls. That does not mean we should stay low when we feel low. 

This week I decided to allow myself to feel low, not push myself into productivity when my soul and mind craved nothingness. Giving myself the grace to take things slow helped me better understand that no matter how hard I try, water cannot be squeezed out of desert sand.

There will be days when you have to sit empty-handed, thirsty, and dry. 

3. Respecting Your Social Battery 

Three weeks ago, we had guests. We went out of town to visit our cousins and grandfather. Before heading home, we dropped by my brother and his wife and went on a little adventure.  (Check out my post about falling back in love with Nature here)

The following week, we had a little karaoke party with friends. The Monday after that, we visited my mom’s friend for a dermatologist appointment three hours away. 

I finally took a “real” leave from work, asking my teammates to step in as I was away. Two days off, one socializing with strangers and another alone to recoup, was not enough. I was still greeted with three days to catch up with a five-day workload.

The weekend rolled over, and I found myself amid multiple social gatherings: practicing for the worship service, fellowshipping with young graduates, stepping in front to lead, and attending a child dedication. 

Sunday afternoon, I began feeling the weight of the past weeks on my shoulders. 

Rolling into this week, I had five calls booked with clients (one was canceled last minute-thankfully!) and a few calls with team members.  

A meeting for a hike planned next month and another for a small group squeezed their way into my calendar. And oh, were my sighs heavier than a feather. 

I love that I can go out, enjoy the beauty of life and spend time with people I care about, but right now, I am at the end of a rope. And if I keep going, I may have to let go and lose everything. 

This principle applies to the desert sand and my desire for water. I really could not give more than I have. I need to recharge too. 

I have a limit. Being an introvert is a part of who I am. I cannot increase my capacity— even if I want to. 

Others may not know how close you are to an edge, so the responsibility is on you. You need to make the space. You have to take all the time you need in solitude to recharge.

4. Taking Note and Taking Action

Looking into how drained I have been over the last few days and understanding why and what hurts or helps my energy levels have made this week insightful but nonetheless tiring. 

I am still pooped, still drained. I still want to cry and hide under a blanket in the dark. I cannot fix how my body copes with an empty battery—even with eight hours of sleep. 

Exhaustion is natural. But that does not mean I did not have minutes or hours of peace and satisfaction in the week or over the last 12 hours.

Understanding these things has helped me prioritize rest, my need to step outside and walk my dog, and my need to sometimes just be alone with my thoughts. 

Learning about the habits that drained me helped me preserve energy for the things that need to be done—things I refuse to do but have to tick off my to-do list. 

Taking action has helped me finish the last day of the work week on a higher note, one without pending tasks from a week ago. It feels great knowing next week will begin on a somewhat clean slate. 

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Yes, moods and feelings fluctuate, but that does not mean we cannot curate our activities to help us with the highs and cushion us in the lows.