🌟Energy Management Over Time Management(Today's Small Courage for Tomorrow's Change: Part 6.)

Subtitle: The Rhythm and Flow of Daily Energy Through the Lens of Performance Psychology, "Time is the Same, But Energy Varies."

🌅 Intro: 'I spent the day the same way, so why am I so tired?'

As a nurse, my hospital work deeply ingrained in me the importance of 'time management.' Faced with an incessant flow of tasks, emergency situations, and countless patient treatments, I constantly had to hustle to get everything done within limited hours. Yet, even though I spent the exact same 24 hours each day, some days I felt incredibly vibrant and accomplished much, feeling proud even late into the night. Other days, strangely, despite no major incidents, I would be inexplicably exhausted, dragging myself through with a hollow sense of fatigue. It truly felt as if my internal battery charge varied from day to day. It was then that I realized: no matter how efficiently I managed my time, it was all in vain if my internal 'energy' was depleted.

Caring for patients requires not just 'time,' but 'my complete energy.' A warm look, a word of comfort offered by a colleague to a weary patient, doesn't come from a calculated timeframe, but from an intrinsic wellspring of energy. That led me to shift my focus from 'how to use my time more efficiently?' to 'how can I effectively manage and recharge my energy?' This is the essence of 'energy management over time management' that I wish to discuss with you today. While the time given to each of us is identical, the energy that fills that time is vastly different. Now, let's understand how our brains operate and explore strategies for managing energy, together finding today's small courage for tomorrow's change.

" It's all useless when 'energy' runs out. "

Psychological & Neuroscientific Background: Performance Psychology – Managing Energy to Become Your Best Self

We often say, 'I don't have enough time,' and focus on securing more time or using it more efficiently. However, performance psychology poses a more fundamental question: "Are you in the optimal energy state to do what is most important?" No matter how meticulously you plan your time, if your energy is depleted, it's difficult to concentrate on important tasks or come up with creative ideas. Performance psychology, based on insights gained from studying athletes and high performers, teaches us how to manage our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual energy to achieve our best performance.

• What is Performance Psychology?
  • Main Goal: To enhance mental skills such as concentration, motivation, self-confidence, resilience, and emotional regulation, enabling individuals to maximize their potential.
  • Application Areas: It applies to all areas where performance is crucial, including sports, business, military, medicine, and artistic performances.
  Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz, expert coaches for high performers and authors, argue in their book The Power of Full Engagement that 'energy management, not time management, is the key to high performance and personal renewal.' They propose methods for managing four core energy dimensions (physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual).
• This field evolved from sports psychology but applies more broadly. It is a branch of psychology that systematically applies psychological principles and techniques to help individuals achieve optimal performance, particularly in high-pressure and stressful situations, by adjusting and maintaining their mental and emotional states.

1. The Difference Between Energy and Time: Energy is Consumed and Recovered

• Time is Linear: It is given equally to everyone, and once passed, cannot be retrieved. Everyone has the same 24 hours in a day.
• Energy is Cyclical: The amount of energy varies by person, fluctuates continuously throughout the day, is consumed with use, and is restored through adequate rest. Our energy levels greatly depend on sleep, food, exercise, and recovery routines. While time is finite, energy is a 'renewable resource.'

2. Biological Rhythms (Circadian & Ultradian Rhythm) and Energy Flow

Our energy follows specific biological rhythms regardless of our will.

• Circadian Rhythm: A roughly 24-hour biological clock that influences sleep-wake cycles, body temperature, and hormone secretion. The difference between "larks" (morning people) and "owls" (evening people) comes from individual variations in this circadian rhythm. Understanding your rhythm and allocating important tasks to your high-energy periods is crucial.
• Ultradian Rhythm: A cycle of concentration and rest, approximately 90 minutes long. Humans are designed to need 15-20 minutes of rest after about 90 minutes of high concentration. Ignoring this cycle drastically reduces energy efficiency.

3. The Core of Neuroscientific Energy Management

• ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate): The energy source required for all cellular activities in our body and brain. ATP is primarily generated through glucose and oxygen and must be continuously supplied and recharged through sufficient sleep, a balanced diet, and appropriate exercise. Energy depletion begins with insufficient ATP.
• Role of Neurotransmitters:
  • Dopamine: Associated with motivation, reward, and positive mood. Activated through appropriate goal setting and small achievements to boost energy levels.
  • Serotonin: Involved in regulating mood, sleep, and appetite. Maintained in balance through sun exposure, healthy diet, and exercise.
  • Acetylcholine: Important for learning, memory, and concentration. Requires rest and recharge after activities demanding high concentration.
  • Norepinephrine: Associated with alertness and attention. Excessive release during stress can cause anxiety and fatigue.
• Energy Consumption of the Prefrontal Cortex: The prefrontal cortex, responsible for high-level cognitive activities such as decision-making, planning, and emotional regulation, consumes a great deal of energy. When energy is insufficient, prefrontal cortex function declines, leading to clouded judgment and a tendency toward impulsive or unproductive behaviors.

4. Chronic Stress and Energy Depletion

Persistent stress adversely affects the brain's hippocampus (memory and emotional regulation) and prefrontal cortex function, and chronically elevates cortisol levels (stress hormone), depleting energy. This easily leads to lethargy, decreased concentration, insomnia, and burnout. Therefore, effectively managing stress is central to energy management.

In conclusion, while we cannot control time, we can manage and restore our energy. Our brain possesses a sophisticated energy management system, and understanding and utilizing the principles of this system is the shortcut to becoming our best selves and is 'today's small courage for tomorrow's change.' "Time is the same for everyone, but energy is what I create."

'Energy Management' Over 'Time Management'

🌱 Practical Tips: Designing a Brain-Science-Based Energy Charging Routine

Here are concrete practical tips for understanding your daily energy flow and maintaining an optimal state. Understand your rhythm and apply them flexibly.

1. Sleep Optimization Routine: Guarding the Golden Hour for 'Brain Recharge'

• Practice:
  • Maintain Consistent Sleep-Wake Times: Go to bed and wake up at consistent times, even on weekends, without much deviation. This stabilizes the brain's circadian rhythm, improving sleep quality.
  • 'No Blue Light' 1 Hour Before Bed: Blue light emitted from smartphones, tablets, and computers suppresses the secretion of melatonin, a sleep hormone, thus deteriorating sleep quality. Avoid all electronic devices an hour before bed and create a relaxation routine with activities like reading, meditation, or light stretching.
  • Optimize Your Sleep Environment: Keep your bedroom dark, quiet, and cool (around 18-20 degrees Celsius).
• Example: "10:30 PM, begin blue light cutoff -> warm shower -> read a favorite book for 10 minutes -> 11:00 PM sleep."
• Elaboration: Sleep is the most crucial time for the brain to clear accumulated waste, consolidate memories, and recharge energy for the next day. The 'glymphatic system,' which cleanses the brain with cerebrospinal fluid, is most active while we sleep. Insufficient sleep leads to fatigue, decreased concentration, mood swings, and drops in all energy indicators.

2. Strategic Rest and Exercise Routine: Managing 'Energy Oscillation'

• Practice:
  • Apply the 90-Minute Focus – 15-Minute Break Rule (Utilizing the Pomodoro Technique): For tasks requiring high concentration, do not exceed 90 minutes. After 90 minutes of work, always take a 15-20 minute break. During breaks, get up from your seat to stretch, take a short walk, idly gaze out the window, or drink a warm beverage to rest your brain. (※ Note: The Pomodoro Technique, developed by Francesco Cirillo using a tomato-shaped timer, is originally a time management technique to improve concentration by focusing for 25 minutes and then resting for 5 minutes, repeated four times. Pomodoro means tomato in Italian.)
  • Movement Breaks: The Antidote to 'Sitting Disease': If you sit for long periods, stand up and move your body for at least 5 minutes every hour. Light bodyweight exercises, climbing stairs, or a walk are good options.
  • Regular Cardio/Strength Training: Exercising for 30 minutes or more, at least three times a week, not only boosts physical energy but also significantly benefits brain health (BDNF secretion, neural cell growth) and reduces stress. (※ Note: BDNF stands for 'Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor,' a protein that helps the growth and survival of nerve cells. Also known as 'brain growth hormone,' it is crucial for learning, memory, and improving brain function, and its production increases with exercise.)
• Example: "9:30 AM to 11:00 AM work -> 15 minutes stretching and drinking water -> back to work." Or "30-minute walk immediately after work."
• Elaboration: Exercise supplies oxygen and nutrients to the brain and promotes the release of positive neurotransmitters like endorphins. Specifically, reducing sitting time and moving the body directly impacts the improvement of cognitive function and emotional regulation. Intentionally resting according to the ultradian rhythm is essential for preventing burnout and fostering creative ideas.

3. Concentration Management Routine: Wisely Using 'Cognitive Energy'

• Practice:
  • Most Important Task (MIT) First: Prioritize the most important and cognitively demanding tasks (MITs) during your highest energy hours of the day (usually the morning). The key to concentration is recognizing the 'timing for flow.' This is possible when the connection between the brain's frontal lobe and thalamus is strengthened, and it is reinforced through repetitive routines.
  • Shift to 'Single-tasking': Multitasking inefficiently consumes brain energy and disperses concentration. Cultivate the habit of focusing on one task at a time.
  • Reduce 'Decision Fatigue': Minor decisions consume energy. Automate routine daily tasks, such as pre-selecting clothes or deciding on your breakfast menu each morning, to conserve decision-making energy.
• Example: "First hour after arriving at work, organize the most complex case chart -> move to the next important task."
• Elaboration: Our brains have limited cognitive energy. The essence of energy management is not to waste it on unnecessary things, but to 'select and focus' on the most important tasks. Decision Fatigue refers to the phenomenon where the quality of decision-making decreases, and energy is depleted faster, the more choices one has to make.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: I'm always tired and lack energy no matter how much I sleep. Why is that?

A1: Simply getting long hours of sleep doesn't necessarily mean your energy is recharged. The quality of sleep is crucial. Various factors, such as sleep apnea, insomnia, or irregular sleep patterns, can degrade sleep quality. Additionally, underlying conditions like hypothyroidism, anemia, chronic stress, or nutritional imbalances can also cause chronic fatigue. It's important to check your sleep environment and, if necessary, consult with a specialist to identify and resolve the cause.

Q2: I try to be a morning person, but it's very difficult. How should evening people manage their energy?

A2: It's important to know your chronotype (biological rhythm). Not everyone needs to be a morning person. If you are an evening person, your energy peak is likely in the afternoon or evening, so it's best to schedule important tasks or activities during these times. Rather than forcing yourself to conform to a morning person's routine, respecting your own rhythm and adjusting your daily schedule accordingly is a wiser way to optimize energy efficiency.

Q3: How should I manage my energy when I'm under a lot of stress?

A3: When stressed, the brain releases cortisol, which depletes energy. In such cases, you should focus on activities that enhance 'resilience.' It's important to find and regularly practice stress-relief methods that work for you, such as short meditations, breathing exercises, walks in nature, listening to favorite music, talking with friends, or taking a warm shower. Most importantly, efforts to clearly identify stress factors and reduce unnecessary stress must be pursued concurrently.

Q4: My job requires irregular shifts (e.g., rotating shifts), which makes energy management very difficult.

A4: It is true that shift work disrupts biological rhythms, making energy management challenging. However, there are still a few tips that can help:

• Maintain the most consistent pattern possible: Try not to significantly alter your wake-up and sleep times, even on weekends or days off.
• Strictly manage your sleep environment: When you need to sleep during the day, use blackout curtains, earplugs, and sleep masks to minimize external disturbances.
• Prioritize nutrition: Ensure regular and healthy meals to provide energy.
• Utilize energy peaks: Schedule important tasks during your peak energy times, according to your work schedule.
• Active rest: Consciously use even short breaks to recharge your energy.
• Connect with colleagues: Emotional connections with colleagues in similar situations can be a great stress reliever.

Q5: Time is limited, and I worry that if I rest more, I won't be able to finish what needs to be done.

A5: This is a common anxiety felt by many who are accustomed to 'time management.' However, paradoxically, 'sufficient rest' leads to 'better productivity.' By recharging energy through rest, you can complete tasks with higher concentration and efficiency within the same amount of time. In other words, it can lead to 'doing less but achieving more.' While it might feel anxious in the short term, it's essential for better long-term performance and burnout prevention. Initially, it's important to set and adhere to 'mandatory rest periods' to experience their effects.

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🌟 Words for Your Action Practice

"Haven't you been focusing solely on 'time management' all this time? Now, it's time to 'manage your energy.' Only when you fill your day with recharged energy, not with a tired body and mind, will your tomorrow truly change. Today, listen to your energy battery."

🌷 Concluding Remarks

Today, we explored our daily lives through a new lens of 'energy management,' moving beyond the familiar concept of 'time management.' Time is allocated equally to everyone, but how that time is filled depends entirely on our energy management. I hope your days are filled with vitality through optimizing sleep, exercise, and conscious rest and concentration management. May this simple truth that 'time is the same, but energy varies' take deep root in your heart, becoming a powerful force for changing your tomorrow.

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(이 글은 "시간 관리보다 ‘에너지 관리’(내일을 바꾸는 오늘의 작은 용기 시리즈 6편)"의 영어버전 글입니다. 한글 원본은 아래 링크를 참고하세요.)

https://kiheo.tistory.com/158

🕰시간 관리보다 ‘에너지 관리’(내일을 바꾸는 오늘의 작은 용기 시리즈 6편)