A few weeks ago I started a series of posts I’m calling Recover You. The series is focused on practices and habits that I believe lead to a healthier mind, body and spirit, a healthier business and ultimately a healthier economy.

You can catch the entire Recover You series here.

Business owners lack time more than anything else. And so, they concoct all manner of routine to try to help them manage this most precious resource.

But time can’t really be managed. We can’t make more, we can’t move it, we can’t even restructure it – all we can do is monitor how much we get done as we move through it.

Managing our energy is a more profitable pursuit than wrestling with time. We can manufacture energy, we can channel energy and we can use a variety of tools to remain conscious about the various types of energy we need to draw upon daily to get more done with the time we’re allotted.

Human energy is a fascinating concept.

As any business owner has likely learned it takes plenty of physical energy, or stamina perhaps, to run a business day in and day out. You likely work more hours than most, build up and hold a tremendous amount of stress and never fully come off the stage and out of the performance lights.

So while most acknowledge the drain of physical energy, few truly consider the emotional energy consumption that occurs as well. On top of the energy to get up do the work, running a business involves the need for energy that drives things like creativity, intention, purpose, love, intuition, and innovation.

When we neglect these forms of energy we lose touch with why we do what we do and business becomes a grind. I believe that owning a business is the greatest opportunity for peace, joy and happiness that exists in life, but it’s also the quickest way to have the life and energy sucked right out of you if you let it.

Over the years I’ve developed a few habits or rituals that I adhere to daily in my efforts to manage the energy I need to run my business. I certainly didn’t write this post to convince people to partake in any particular practice as much as to help people start to become more consciously aware of how important this idea of energy is in any pursuit.

Whenever it feels like I’m getting a little stuck in business it almost always because I’ve grown a little sloppy in the area of energy management.

These are my energy tools and hacks.

Meditation

I spend about 20 minutes in a very simple breathing form of meditation first thing. This really wakes me up, allows me to get centered for a bit and focus on my intentions for the day and beyond.

Yoga

I’ve fallen into a 15-minute series of poses that focuses on stretching and involving the organs and glands and just makes me ready to take on the day.

Exercise

I do some form of exercise, running, biking or strengthening, at least five times a week. I may spend as much as an hour or more in each session, but I always, always get this time back in terms of energy and productivity.

Planned interruption

Throughout my day I set a timer and never go over about 45 minutes without getting up and doing something. I keep a few kettle balls in the office and take quick movement refreshers throughout the day. We also have a couple puppies that hang out at the office and taking them out for a lap around the garden is always a great thing to do.

Windows

I’ve learned that I seem to be most productive in terms of creative type work in two very distinct windows of time each day. I suppose there are valid physiological reasons for this, but I plan my days accordingly and use those windows like a maniac.

Naps

I’m terrible at doing this habitually, but a 15-minute nap in the middle of the day is such an incredible thing to do. There’s an amazing amount of research that suggests the many benefits of this practice, but for me it’s such a great way to release the physical stress that builds up unconsciously during the day.

Evening

Honestly, I’ve never adopted a very good way to end the day. Perhaps you’ve got some ideas you could suggest as a way to wrap up, access or simply acknowledge and be grateful for another awesome block of time.

In fact, please share what works for you in this category in general, I’m always interesting learning about what works.