Every now and then the stresses of work and the pressures of deadlines takes its toll on us. Our creativity takes a nosedive and our energy level flat lines. It’s bound to happen over a period of time when you’re working hard to balance your professional and personal lives. The resultant, of course, is a decline in your performance. Though you know you have the potential, you’re just lacking drive and find it hard to remain energized.

One option to shake things up and recharge yourself is to take time off. A vacation is a superb way to rest and refresh so that you return to work motivated. But sometimes we don’t have the option to go on a vacation.

What I’ve found to work is altering some of your daily habits that have been preventing you from maintaining high levels of focus and energy. It’s the mindset that you’re aiming to realign that’ll help you feel a change. And the best part is, all of these habits are within your control so you can stop doing them immediately.

1. Always Rushing

We’ve all felt that we’re chasing time while it’s always trying to slip away from us. It’s as if there’s this constant race against the clock. Either you’re running after a deadline or rushing to be somewhere. You’re simply always on the go!

One of the first things I did to shake off this habit was to say to myself “if I’m already running late, then there’s little I can do to change that. There’s no point rushing now.” So that takes care of me driving around like a mad man! I am then able to release the pressure that comes from rushing and stay focused on getting where I need to be in calm, collected manner. That helps me ensure I’m not going to make mistakes or forget something.

However, to prevent being late in the first place, I try to get a head start on everything. Start the day early. Take some time to meditate or exercise. Don’t skip breakfast and make sure to let in lots of natural light so that you’re charging up from solar power. From then on, I usually aim to be somewhere at least 10 minutes before the scheduled time. Or if I have a deadline to meet, I’ll try and complete the task a day before. You have to give yourself ample buffer. That buffer comes in handy and will prevent you from rushing.

2. Alienate Yourself From Support

There are plenty of people out there who are going to make your life harder and more challenging. They’ll push you to the limit and drill you. They’ll do everything possible to extract the most from you. And you’ll reach a point where you’ll feel cornered and take a deep dive in the realm of self-pity where you’ll be seeking the answer to “why me”. But pitying yourself won’t get you anywhere.

Instead, try and focus your time on those who bring positivity in your life. People you trust and rely on. People who truly are there for you and can help you when you’re going through a rough patch. Rather than bottling your feelings up to a point where one day your emotions will explode, try turning to those who will hear you out and get your mind off things.

Talking things out and seeking advice and help can benefit you a great deal. It eases the pressure and gives you breathing space. By sticking around positive people you can remain energized and motivated because of the optimism they spread.

3. Lingering On The Negatives

If you keep telling yourself you can’t do it, you won’t. If you tell yourself it’s too challenging, it will be. If you look at a project and your first reaction is that it’s exhaustive and the deadline’s too short, then you will fail at it. That’s just how it works.

You can’t achieve or accomplish anything unless you believe it can be done and that you can do it. It’s easy to point out flaws and loopholes but those are the negatives that only hold you back from being successful. And success doesn’t necessarily have to be something big. Even smaller successes will elude you if you’re lingering on the negatives.

If you believe it can be done and believe in yourself and your abilities then you can effectively create a positive mindset. And that’s half the achievement itself. Drive yourself with your positive energy to remain energized and determined. Refrain from complaining and instead be grateful for what all that you have, what you’ve accomplished and what you can and will do. You could even extract more from people around you with your contagious positive energy.

4. Spreading Yourself Too Thin

There’s a saying that “If you want something done right, do it yourself”. That’s probably what most of us live by and are in the habit of. Sure, doing things yourself may be self-gratifying but it’s not necessarily, or always, the right thing.

Doing it all yourself can be quite taxing on your physical and mental health. You can’t realistically expect yourself to do it all. Spreading yourself too thin can also negatively impact your performance. You may end up compromising on quality by trying to get everything done.

I’m a firm believer that help comes to those who seek it. And there’s no shame in that. Nor will it (or even should it) hurt your ego. Collaborate and share the workload. And while you’re shaking off this habit of doing it all yourself, prioritize what needs to be done. While doing it all may be possible, it’s only realistically achieved if you take small steps towards your main goal. Set yourself minor objectives and milestones. Rather than being overwhelmed by a mammoth goal, take a deep breath and check off your list of things to do, one step at a time.

5. Submerge Yourself In Work

Think about how you go about your day. The mornings are usually about getting ready and out of the house. You probably drop the kids off to school and then head to work. From then on its eight straight hours of work until you head home. At home you’re thinking about all the chores you have to do and everything else that requires your time. When does your mind really get a break?

At a certain point even a well-oiled machine that’s producing quality output needs a break. It’s only natural that you as well need to slow down and maybe even just stop and take a time out. You know how kids are given a time out so they can reflect on what they’ve done and return in a better mood. The same is for adults. Give yourself a time out so you can slow down, rethink things and reorganize your thoughts.

After work, immerse yourself in things that you enjoy and that’ll make you happy (though I sincerely hope you enjoy your work as well and that it makes you happy). To truly remain energized you need to find happiness within, mentally, physically and spiritually. So go ahead and indulge in your guilty pleasures. Connect with people who cheer you up. Live a little and enjoy life.

Sometimes when we’re so caught up with “getting things done” we forget why we’re doing all this in the first place. It’s easy to lose focus on things that’ll make us happy and keep us calm. Things that drive us and which we’re passionate about. And that’s how we develop habits that negatively impact us in the long run. The good thing is if you’re able to alter your mindset and shake off these habits, you’ll be able to remain energized, focused and motivated. Just remember to find time for yourself. You deserve it.

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