Work-Life Balance vs. Energy Drainer-Retainer Balance
I’ve been thinking about the work-life balance lately and how it’s simply not enough to achieve equality or prioritize your personal life over work demands.
The time aspect is important, but what about the energy you put into it? Even if you spend less time working in one day, if everything you do is driven by the urge to keep busy and stay productive, chances are you will be drained at the end of your workday.
I spent some time thinking about things that drain my energy and the things that retain my energy. Some of my energy drainers are back-to-back Zoom meetings, seldom/too short breaks and too much noise on Slack. Some things you can change and optimize, but some activities feel inevitable in the remote world. However, I realized that I have full control over one thing: managing my energy levels by intentionally balancing and prioritizing energy-retaining activities.
I identified my energy retainers easily: short walks between meetings, coffee breaks at a local coffee shop and cooking/baking during my lunch break. Having more informal chats with folks, being present during the meetings, and not trying to multitask. Identifying and stating my three priorities for the week, focusing on the most impactful and important projects/tasks, and not trying to keep myself busy.
When I stay mindful and present enough to identify poor patterns in my work day, I allow myself to focus intentionally on doing the right things. I reduce the “noise” of non-important activities that someone flagged as urgent (more on the firefighting topic later) and choose how I spend my time and where my energy goes.
Identifying the activities that drain or retain your energy is not hard. You can start with simple Post-It notes in your home office or a FigJam board. Every time you feel drained/annoyed/overwhelmed, do some introspection and write down activities that led to this situation. Do the same for things that make you feel energized/happy/present. Soon enough, you should have a list of things you can look at, prioritize and choose how to take action. Finding the right balance is the end goal, but starting somewhere is important — you can continuously improve until you find your perfect rhythm.
I would love to hear your thoughts about my Energy drainer-retainer balance philosophy. And if you decide to try this exercise yourself, let me know how it goes!
