One of the biggest factors that affects our energy levels is the annual seasons. Our energy starts to slowly rise in January towards the Spring. Once we reach the height of Spring, energy levels will drop as the Summer temperatures rise and put us into a lull. When Autumn starts to come around, our energy rises again as the heat drops, and the season starts its colourful transition into Winter. As the winter creeps in, our energy levels drop again, but significantly, pulling us down to hibernate.
The way our energy moves considerably due to the seasons is contradicted when we look at the cadence of an annual business year. There is a steep rise in expectation for employees, which rises consistently until the summer holidays in July and August. The expectation then rises again, steeply in September until Christmas. This stark difference in cadence helps highlight why people are burning out continuously and where cyclical points of burnout can occur.
Summer, which may surprise you, sees our energy lull because of the heat - we should consider what aspects we could learn from other countries to conserve our energy levels, instead of forcing our energy levels up alongside cranking up the AC in the office. E.g. We’ve seen this implemented nation-wide in Spain, where there are siestas during the hottest temperatures in the middle of the day, and they resume work in the evening.
Winter is for warm food hibernating and rest; that is all our bodies and minds will crave in the cold dark days. I urge you to find ways to work smarter, eat hearty food, find pockets for rest and consider working with your 90 minute peaks of energy linked to your ultradian rhythm. You can also see what you can stop, postpone, limit, and just say no to!
Nearly 70 percent of professionals feel their employers are not doing enough to prevent or alleviate burnout within their organisation*. The reason why this is so important to understand, is so that you as a leader can protect yourself and your team by preparing for when your energy will naturally dip. You can also start to arrange some of your annual activities around your energy levels throughout the year. Something you may want to consider is where you’ll have energy for a full social calendar, and what periods may need to be more restful so you can conserve your energy to do the work that you need to, for the income that sustains your lifestyle.
If you want to know more about the topic, or learn how to maximise your energy levels feel free to reach out to us at Ribbons Consultants.