Did you know that a whopping 82% of employees are at risk of burnout?
Over half feel totally “used up” by the end of their workdays.
Traditional time management techniques, like color-coded calendars and time-blocking, often miss a key point: our personal energy is limited and changes throughout the day, which affects productivity.
Most of us have just 90-120 minutes of peak focus each day before needing a break. If we don’t keep our energy in mind, the rest of the work hours might not be worth it.
According to experts Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz, we have four dimensions of energy: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. Think of them like muscles that need to be exercised and recovered.
If we neglect any one of them, our performance and well-being can take a hit.
The common idea of “doing more with less” only adds to fatigue and drives us deeper into a cycle of burnout.
To keep our performance up without burning out, we need to manage our energy better—not just cram more tasks into our day.
The experts say to work in 90-minute focused blocks, then take 10 to 15-minute renewal breaks. These are not fake breaks at your desk.
You should involve movement, nature, or social connection.
Also, respect your limits. Most people can handle 3-4 quality focus blocks per day. Trying to force a fifth or sixth produces diminishing returns.