How I Boost My Energy Levels And Productivity

(6 proven strategies)

Having consistently high energy is a superpower that will significantly enhance your capacity to achieve your goals, maintain focus, and give you an “edge” in just about every aspect of life.  Over the last sixteen years, I have slowly incorporated the following six practices into my daily routine in an effort to cultivate this superpower.

1. Prioritize Sleep

Why:  This is the most obvious strategy because we have all slept poorly and felt its effects.  Poor-quality sleep will negatively impact your energy levels and cognitive function, which will lead to decreased productivity and poor health.  If you aren't consistently getting good sleep, start here first, as it will make the other strategies easier and more effective.

My Strategy:  I aim for 7 hours of high-quality sleep each night by keeping a consistent bedtime and wake time.  My thermostat automatically drops the temperature to 68°F which is ideal for helping our body reduce its core temperature for sleep.  I also follow a consistent bedtime routine, which helps me wind down and enter a more relaxed and peaceful state right before sleeping.

2. Eat Nutritious Foods

Why:  Eating a healthy and balanced diet rich in essential nutrients provides the body with the fuel it needs to function optimally, which will have a positive impact on your energy levels and productivity.  Avoiding processed foods, refined carbohydrates, and sugar will stave off afternoon lulls in energy by eliminating blood sugar spikes and crashes.

My Strategy: I focus on eating whole, unprocessed foods like fruits, vegetables, meat, seeds, and nuts while avoiding all processed food, refined carbohydrates, sugar, and alcohol.  Eating this way ensures that I have stable blood sugar levels, improved cognitive ability and focus, improved hormonal balance, and enhanced physical stamina.  All of which significantly boost my overall productivity and allow me to remain alert until bedtime.

3. Lift Heavy Things

Why:  Strength training has been shown to improve blood flow, increase metabolic function, improve focus and cognitive function, boost mood, and reduce overall insulin sensitivity leading to better blood sugar management.  While it is important to listen to your body and not overdo it, following a strength training program is another great path to maintaining consistent energy throughout the day.

My Strategy:  I have started and stopped strength training numerous times over the last sixteen years primarily because I found it boring, difficult, and inconvenient.  A little over seven years ago I decided to give CrossFit a try and it made strength training fun and allowed me to train with several like-minded people while I built up the habit.  Last year, for convenience, I built a gym in my garage that I now use every day.  I have grown to enjoy strength training and find the wealth of benefits that it provides to be immeasurable.  Since I prefer consistency, I like to train every day with an occasional recovery day as needed.  In order to continue training with high frequency, I stay away from max effort lifts which will require additional recovery time.  I also focus on slower, strict movements, with good form so that I avoid injury.

4. Elevate My Heart Rate

Why:  Endurance training offers enormous benefits including improved cardiovascular function, increased blood flow, decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, increased lung capacity and efficiency, improved joint health and stability, improved blood sugar management, and increased metabolic function.  Additionally, endurance training releases endorphins, which act as natural mood boosters and stress relievers.

My Strategy:  I run outside daily for around 40 minutes with a longer 90-minute run each week, typically on Saturday.  I find running outside to be more relaxing, meditative, and enjoyable than running indoors on a treadmill but this is largely just personal preference.   Running outside does provide the added benefit of increasing your vitamin D levels, which is yet another thing that helps reduce fatigue and boosts energy levels.  It’s worth noting that it generally takes a few months of consistent running to get to a point where it's enjoyable.

5. Practice Mindfulness

Why:  Stress can deplete your energy and cause you to feel overwhelmed. Mindfulness techniques will help reduce stress, increase energy, stave off distractions, and allow you to maintain focus for longer periods of time.

My Strategy:  In addition to running, which I also find to be meditative and stress-reducing, I spend five minutes each morning doing unguided meditation so that I am better able to hit the ground running when I start my morning deep work period.  I find that, even after only five minutes, this strategy allows me to avoid distraction by making my mind better equipped to control my impulses.

6. Take Breaks and Hydrate

Why:  Short breaks will refresh your mind, improve focus, and sustain performance throughout the day.  Hydration is essential for physical and mental energy.

My Strategy:  I break my day down into work blocks that last for 1-2 hours depending on the time of day.  Between each work block, I take a break to do things like take a short walk outside, let my dog out, work out in my garage, or go for a run.  I find that this allows me to recharge my mental focus and come back to my work with renewed energy and a fresh perspective.

I have found that Integrating these strategies into my daily routine has had a profound impact on my energy levels, productivity, and health in general.  Give them a try and let me know how it goes!