Make Time To Recharge

ARE YOU RUNNING ON EMPTY? IN OUR JOBS, KEEPING OUR BATTERIES FULL IS CRITICAL TO AVOID BURNOUT.

By Andrew Hay, CAMEx, CCAM-ND.PM

We’ve all had those days where we feel on top of the world, able to accomplish all necessary tasks with efficiency and speed, and feeling more powerful than an EV Charging Station. What makes those days different than most days? What happens to us on our worst of days where it feels like we are walking up an endless sand dune, or our brain is foggy and slow to respond?

Chances are on our good days we’ve done one or multiple things lately to properly recharge our batteries and avoid the burnout that causes our performance to suffer. It is important that you take scheduled time for self-care to avoid the burnout that many managers face.

Picture a meter from 1-10 that represents the quality of life and work that you experience and perform. What is your output and how do you feel/act when at a 10? How about a 6? What about a 3?

Human beings do not operate like most of the things we use in our daily lives. Think about your car. Does it run the same as a quarter tank as it does right after you’ve filled it up? How about your cell phone? Until you get to 5% battery life, it continues to run at the same speed and capacity as it does when plugged in.

We simply do not work that way, so the need to recharge is even more important than it is to fill your gas tank or plug in your phone. So when was the last time you recharged your battery? How often does that happen, and where was your personal meter at when you took the time to recharge yourself?

If we’re being honest with ourselves, most people would agree that we don’t (or at least don’t consciously) make attempts to recharge our batteries regularly enough. How often should you recharge? Daily, weekly, monthly, periodically, or annually? The answer is all of the above.

Here are some ideas and tips to help keep your battery recharged and keep you performing at the best possible level:

Rest

This one is very straightforward on a daily basis. It’s important that you set a mandatory number of hours of sleep for yourself every day. Minimum for adults should be 7 hours, but 8 to 9 is ideal.

Since we live in a 24/7 world always connected to our email through our phones, there also must be dedicated time where you simply don’t respond to things for a minimum of 24 hours straight each week.

Release

Ask yourself, “How do I unpack the challenges that I’m facing within my daily workload?” Who do you confide in, and how often? This step is about releasing the stress built up over time by relying on others to simply listen to what you’ve been experiencing.

Find a friend or group of friends to hang out with monthly and let them know you’re going to be blowing off some steam by sharing what you’ve been experiencing at work or at home. Use the resources of CACM to attend an event each month, taking the time to get to know those who share the same struggles as you and can understand the challenges of the job.

Be Inspired

Get involved in activities that restore your spiritual side. Find inspiration from others while engaging in meaningful activities that help you understand your purpose goes beyond what you do for a living, and you will gain new perspective on whatever issues you are dealing with.

Have Fun

Yes, play! Whether it’s joining a softball team, going dancing on Saturday nights, or kayaking on a peaceful lake, you must make time for recreation and exercise both for your mental and physical health.

Relate

Often the most overlooked and difficult item to achieve is about putting others above yourself and finding a connection to friends and family that restores your energy and helps you to develop empathy for others.

As managers, we spend so much time helping our clients and the members of the community to the point where there doesn’t seem to be much left for those who are most important in our lives. Fostering strong friendships and family bonds by focusing on them often will add energy to your life and restore your meter.

Cycling Through the Motion

The only way to ensure you refill that meter and avoid burnout is to be present in your attempts to complete the above items. One must consciously remember to set aside time in your life daily, weekly, monthly, periodically, and annually to do each of these items to keep your battery at an optimal level and to avoid the burnout that has claimed so many of this industry’s stars.

As managers, we are very task oriented and actually blocking time in our calendar for these items is a recommended best practice, so other demands on our time do not take away from improving and reviving ourself to the highest level of performance and happiness.

Andrew Hay, CAMEx, CCAM-ND.PM

Andrew Hay, CAMEx, CCAM-ND.PM, is the Chief Executive Officer of The Helsing Group, Inc.