Energy Management

Simple strategies can harness the vibrant energy potential within each of us to make pursuits more attainable through stabilized moods, consistent energy and mental clarity.

Managing energy flux through dietary decisions and physical activity can dramatically enhance productivity.  Food, water. air and a slice of sunshine are the raw materials for everything a body is and does, including thinking.  Better clarity of thought, better memory and better energy to continue learning or creating can be as easy to harness as changing out a few items on our plates, increasing water intake, timing snacks and meals better or moving a little more.  

Use the right fuel.  Eat for energy.

When productivity is the goal, eat light and eat frequently.  Growing children need ample quality food for their ongoing development and to prevent mental fatigue and emotional meltdowns.  Adults who prefer not growing anymore benefit from healthy snacks to stave off unruly cravings and prevent our own emotional meltdowns. Refueling during each break time creates a natural rhythm to keep energy and moods consistent.   For strategies in timing breaks, read my post Patterns in Productivity, specifically, the section Work to a Rhythm.  Drinking a full glass of water each break is just as important, if not more.  Proper hydration improves all bodily functions, including memory and executive cognitive processes.  

"Eat the energy you want to become." -Deanna Minich

Supporting productivity by optimizing digestive effects can start with a generous portion of vegetables, especially fresh ones (fruits included, since fruits are seed bearing vegetables).  Add a protein, a complex carbohydrate, and don’t forget a little fat is important too (quality sourced).  Variety broadens the nutrient base while stimulating the mind. 

It has become evident over the years that there are significant benefits in cognitive processing for several of my children if certain types of foods are avoided for at least 12 hours before any serious academic work. Even without dietary sensitivities, however, foods and drinks high in sugars, artificial ingredients or highly processed, create energy spikes that lead to energy crashes shortly after in just about anyone.  That drama can wait until after working hours, as well as the “heavy" foods that make people sluggish physically and mentally.  Snacks are best simple and quick (like trail mix or a peanut butter apple with milk); this maximizes chill time or playtime during breaks, thereby maximizing mental and motivational recharge.

Move for mental acuity.

Physical activity gets the blood and lungs pumping, quickly supplying the entire body with nutrients and causing the mind to become more alert and active.  It promotes neurogenesis, nurtures existing neurons and synapses and increases a variety of neurotransmitters that help regulate mood, mental awareness and focus.   This is why the activation phase, discussed in my post Patterns in Productivity, is so effective in solidifying learning at the end of a study period, as well as priming the mind for another round.   

Children, being bundles of energy and creativity, sprint from one idea to the next.  Energy at max capacity is difficult to channel in them.  With a developing motor cortex that needs to be exercised regularly, letting young people burn off some of that energy before attempting stationary studies is beneficial for our adult sanity and their success in developing sustained attention.  

We adults are distance runners with our sights on further range goals.  The very practical design shift that comes with age gives us the wherewithal to keep trucking slow and steady, even with those little bundles of energy asleep on our backs if need be.  Maintaining any cheerful flexibility to sprint and play with them, however, requires some regular physical activity on our part.  Even just a little exercise here and there between tasks makes a massive difference in our energy versatility, as well as our own mental acuity.

Burn energy.  Boost energy.  Balance energy and mood. Move for a more dynamic body and mind.  

Incorporating physical activity throughout the day mitigates the build up of anxious energy in children, and gives adult metabolism a boost.  More importantly, it sharpens the mind and supports positive mindsets for everyone, leading to better teamwork and productivity.  

The scheduling flexibility possible when homeschooling is ideal for accommodating energetic, wandering young minds with plenty of intermittent physical activity and healthy dietary support to fuel their learning, creating and exploring.   Be strategic.  Be as tenacious as your ambitions are.  Energy management is an elemental mechanic, a life hack to remaining motivated and capable of keeping up with your dynamic lifestyle.

-S. E. Bocker

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