Take Control of Your Energy, Not Your Time

"There was a time when I despised running errands," she writes in her new book The Happiness Track: How to Apply the Science of Happiness to Accelerate Your Success. "Taking care of this or that trivial task rather than being 'productive'—that is, doing things that might advance my career—felt like a waste of time."

Does this sound familiar?

In The Happiness Track, he attempts to untangle one of the modern era's most perplexing problems: our burnt-out, overscheduled existence. We are trapped in a tangle of feeling overwhelmed yet never accomplishing enough, held together by our basic ideas about productivity: Success requires stress. We must contend with them. We cannot afford to be lenient with ourselves. "We have simply come to accept overextending ourselves as a way of life," she writes.

Thus, it's unsurprising that many of us are unhappy—we're emotionally drained! Nearly half of us sleep awake at night as a result of stress, our day's worries eventually coming to fruition when we finally stop moving. We tell ourselves to "tough it out" rather than resting or reevaluating our actions.

To address this issue, the conventional wisdom is to improve your time management skills: Prioritize. Improve your to-do lists. Delegate non-essential jobs. If it hasn't worked for you, don't be shocked; nature, like us, despises a vacuum. If we allow ourselves an additional hour, we will find something to do with it. As a result, Seppälä says, time is not the commodity we should be tracking and managing. Rather than that, we must regulate our energy.

According to Seppälä's definition, we deplete our energy whenever we are confronted with overwhelming unpleasant emotions or ideas, or when we struggle against our drives and desires. If we take a walk during lunch but are absorbed with thoughts about our afternoon workload, we have depleted rather than gained energy—yet the same amount of time has passed. If we have to drag ourselves out of bed each morning to make up for lost sleep, it takes a toll on our vitality, even if we have more waking hours to accomplish things.

Seppälä suggests six characteristics to nurture in order to increase both our productivity and happiness. They are, in fact, techniques to improve energy without significantly altering our schedules:

1. Complete presence. Consider the past or future to arouse regrets and anxieties that sap our power. Rather than that, Seppälä encourages us to employ focus and mindfulness skills to maintain a sense of present moment awareness. Not only will we be happier, but we'll also be more likely to experience flow, that engrossing condition in which time seems to fly by. Additionally, presence is necessary for charisma and developing great relationships at work, as true connection occurs only when we devote our complete attention to others. On a daily basis, this means we must abstain from multitasking and technology distractions, as well as incorporate meditation and savoring into our routines.

2. Resilience. As we bounce from one stressor to the next, Seppälä continues, we deny our bodies the opportunity to quiet down and engage their natural repair and healing mechanisms. As a result, we are constantly in a state of stress, which puts our body and mind under strain. To combat the frazzle, we must remember the fundamentals of self-care: enough sleep, nutritious diet, exercise, and deep breathing.

3. Calm. Seppälä dispels the idea that energy and tranquillity are diametrically opposed elements. Rather than that, she feels that tranquility and energy are necessary components of good work and a happy existence. Calm can be found in yoga or meditation, while energy comes from everyday pleasant moments: brief breaks to watch a viral cat video or go for a stroll, engrossing hobbies, and a gratitude practice.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON WORKPLACE HAPPINESS

"How Being Present Increases Your Charisma" is an extract from The Happiness Track.

Srikumar Rao discusses finding joy and meaning on the job in an interview.

Take a look at some of the presentations from our Mindfulness & Well-Being at Work event.

Is the organization for which you work thankful and compassionate? Take one of our quizzes to learn more!

4. Rest. In our haste for achievement, we may have overlooked a significant casualty: originality. Creativity is infamous for its inability to be called on order, crammed into an extra power hour of evening labor, or wedged between meetings. It takes time and space for new ideas to emerge, interlace, and recombine. Remember how much Seppälä and I despised errands? It is possible that inspiration strikes during these idle moments—while driving to the grocery store, listening to music, or walking in nature.

5. Self-compassion. According to study, it is self-compassion, not self-criticism, that provides us with the motivation to continue. Self-compassion motivates us to learn from our mistakes and try again, but self-criticism may result in our quitting or rejecting our mistakes. Who wants to be labelled stupid and evil by their own inner voice? Notably, research indicates that self-compassionate individuals experience reduced worry and stress and demonstrate increased curiosity, creativity, willpower, and motivation. Self-compassion entails treating ourselves with the same consideration we would a friend, both in our conduct and internal monologue.

6. Compassion. A source of stress and tension in today's workplaces is a lack of connection with coworkers—maybe because we lack time for "socializing," or perhaps because we view them as competitors. However, research repeatedly demonstrates the benefits of reaching out. "Givers" are admired, respected, and influential, as long as they maintain limits and avoid being exploited. Employees are both happier and more productive in a compassionate atmosphere. Not to mention that healthy professional connections can act as a barrier against workplace stress and anxiety.

Although each of these tips for boosting our happiness and productivity is based on significant study, many of us continue to rely on time management tactics. Why is this the case? Perhaps it appears more concrete—cancel a meeting here, delegate a task there, and we've accomplished what we set out to do. Managing our energy through attitude and belief changes requires more effort and dedication, but if we cultivate these traits over time, we will gradually begin to break free from the chains of stress and overwork. While that road may appear daunting to the burned-out reader, it is ultimately the wiser one. And the more cheerful one.