Posted on: March 7, 2022
By Nancy Marshall, The PR Maven®
When you combine the digital revolution with a pandemic, you’re left with the most virtual world in human history. Technology is everywhere — from iPhones and Oculus headsets to Starbucks app orders and Tesla charging stations across the street.
But technology is nothing without batteries. Over the years, I have become slightly obsessed with keeping my batteries fully charged. All of my electronics need to be full, whether it’s a phone, laptop or watch. When my batteries are running low, I get a feeling of panic.
The same concept applies to keeping my internal “batteries” charged. When I sense that I’m getting tired or running on fumes, the same panicky feeling comes out of nowhere. It feels like I won’t be able to face the challenges of the day. It feels like my productivity drops to zero. And it’s not fun!
In business, you need to be sharp. You need to be vigilant. You need to perform at your best to stand out in a crowd and separate yourself from competitors. So how do you keep your batteries charged? Here are a few tips that I’ve learned over the years.
- Get some rest. It’s important to go to bed and wake up at roughly the same time on a daily basis. For me, I need to clock eight hours of sleep to stay fresh and perform at my best. Calculate the hours you need and figure out the best times to fall asleep and get up. Remember: Many workers lose productivity due to lack of sleep; don’t let that be you.
- Be active. Don’t just stay seated all day. I ride my Peloton regularly, in addition to skiing, biking, swimming and walking (plus Pure Barre), and such activities yield a wide range of physical benefits. Plus, they make me function better mentally since they come with feelings of accomplishment, exertion and presence.
- Be intentional about your diet. There’s an old formula: Looking good is 20% exercise and 90% nutrition. In other words, six-packs are made in the kitchen. But even if your beach body isn’t ready yet, I’ve found that focusing on a healthy diet brings positive benefits. When I am eating a healthy diet and tracking my meals and moods, I feel like I am in charge of my destiny and like I have my own personal gas tank filled up for my busy days as an agency owner. When I eat “clean,” stick to lean foods, such as chicken or vegetables, and don’t overeat, I feel much better.
- Stop drinking so much. When I say “nutrition,” I mean cutting down on alcohol, too. Trust me: It’s hard. I love my wine, but drinking too much can have a lot of negative impacts. I try to keep alcohol consumption to one day per week, if not less. Indulging nightly or every other night can set you back in more ways than one, including quality sleep.
- Connect with others consistently. Human contact is invaluable. Whether you’re introverted or extroverted (I’m definitely the latter), we all need to be around people every so often. Of course, family members and friends matter the most, but the same goes for employees, co-workers or clients. Identify the people who keep your batteries charged and stay in touch with them.
- Travel. Like with socializing, the Covid-19 pandemic has made traveling more difficult, but you shouldn’t overlook it — so long as you’re taking the necessary precautions, of course. Try to find ways to explore and experience new situations, even if you stay in the United States. I need to see new places, but it’s also worth visiting the places that you love over and over again. For me, it is my family’s lakeside cottage or the ski slopes at Sugarloaf, but you need to find your oasis.
Discover what charges your batteries, and keep them full. To achieve peak performance in business and life more generally, you need to follow through with rewarding habits. Create new ones if you don’t have them now. Never drop down to “zero percent.” Live life to the fullest.
This article originally appeared on the Forbes Agency Council CommunityVoice in January 2022.
