How to get your mojo back at work

Leaders need to practice self-care and model it for those they lead. If you or your team are less productive, stop and take some time to identify what’s been draining your energy. I recommend doing this through an energy budget. In part one of this series, we discussed how to identify your energy drainers. It is equally important to know how to recharge your energy levels, and that can be different for each individual.

If you realize that your energy budget has gone into the red, meaning there is more draining you than recharging you, then it’s time to take a look at how to boost yourself back up. As with the first exercise, this is a great exercise to do by yourself or with your team.

Questions to identify your rechargers

As with drainers, you should consider this across five dimensions: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social. Write down your answers to these questions.

1. What recharges me physically? This could be a workout you love, eating better food, getting more sleep, or drinking more water. Think about what makes your body feel better.
2. What recharges me mentally? These are things that stimulate your mind. Mental recharging can involve learning something new, practicing a hobby that is mentally exciting such as writing or music, or simply completing a project.
3. What recharges me emotionally? These are things that calm you down when you are upset, cause you to feel happiness, and help you gain perspective.
4. What recharges me spiritually? These are things that bring meaning back into your life. What gives you purpose? What helps you connect with something greater than yourself?
5. What recharges me socially? This could include answering questions such as: what gives you a secure base, where do people make you feel most appreciated, and where do you feel connected with others?

If some of your answers fit into more than one category, pick the one that you feel is most relevant. It is important to realize that we are all one system and these components influence each other within the system. This means that if you make improvements in one dimension, it will influence the others.

In part three, we will look at your budget holistically to determine how to restore balance.