PRODUCTIVITY

How to Recharge Yourself At Lightning Speed

Feeling tired? get energized in minutes

There was nothing wrong with the day. There were no fires, screaming clients, missed deadlines, and even the boss was happy. Still, I was super tired.

Mondays were set aside for meetings. Getting the meetings out of the way early in the week felt good. The day started with the weekly status meeting with no projects in red (yeah!). There was a major go-live date coming up, but it was far enough in the future to be a cause for panic. I spent the rest of the day in one-to-one meetings with my team members.

So why was I tired? Maybe it was the passive listening through all those meetings. Or maybe my brain didn't have much stimulation to wake up fully.

In anticipation of a relaxing evening …

The drive home was uneventful. As I entered the door, I desperately wanted to sit down, sip a glass of wine and watch some boring documentary on Netflix. You can anticipate a big but coming up. Here goes …

But the Universe had other plans …

As I was pouring the wine, my daughter came running and talking, simultaneously, fast, garbled, and I could neither grab her location nor her words. When she finally slowed down, I understood that I would be spending the next couple of hours helping her complete a project which was due the next day. As always, once again, we had managed to end up on the last day to work on the project.

Though I felt exhausted, I actually wanted to work with my daughter. It is a lot of fun trying to realize her crazy imaginative ideas.

The parenting paradox …

As parents, we frequently complain about the demands of our children. The truth is that we do want to spend time with them and have some fun. If only we could have enough energy left over, after a full day of work plus cleaning, washing, organizing, chauffering … the list is longer than we can fit into our day.

Back to the story …

A magic recharge pill would have been so useful. Since I didn't have one of those handy, I asked my daughter to play Minecraft for 15 minutes while I tried to energize myself quickly.

The 10-Minute Recharge Method

The following process takes less than 10-minutes and works like magic:

Minute 1: Drink 1 Glass of Water

We often reach out for caffeine-laced drinks to revitalize ourselves. Late evening isn’t the best time to drink coffee if you want to get a good night’s sleep. Alcohol will dull your senses, so that’s not an option if you want to stay alert.

So what’s the best drink to recharge for time with kids? Good old water.

We often forget to drink enough water through our busy day, and by the end of the day, we are slightly dehydrated, which reduces our cognitive function and causes muscle fatigue.

Water is the best drink to refresh you in a matter of minutes. To get the full benefit, drink a tall glass of water in one go (about 250ml or 8oz). If you don’t like plain old water, add a few drops of lemon or lime juice, or try a herbal tea.

Why does this work? Water transports oxygen and nutrients to the brain and provides cushioning for the brain tissue. Even minor dehydration (1–3%) can impact our cognitive functions adversely. Dehydration doesn’t just affect your brain but your body as well. As per a Harvard Health article, dehydration is a common cause of fatigue.

Minute 2 to 5: Practice Box-Breathing for 3 Minutes

Box-breathing is a simple breathing technique followed by the Navy Seals. It goes like this:

Step 1: For four counts, breathe in fully through your nose. Try filling up the lower part of your lungs, which will push down your diaphragm and extend your belly.

Step 2: Hold for four counts. Try not to create a block or back-pressure; just stop inhaling or exhaling. It’s hard to explain, but if you try it, you will know the difference.

Step 3: Breath out smoothly for four counts through your nose.

Step 4: Hold for four counts. Repeat from Step 1.

You can set a 3-minute timer on your phone and repeat the box breathing steps until the timer runs out. Keep your phone face down and try not to pick it up for these few minutes.

This is not a slow breathing technique, and it will calm you down without making you feel sleepy. Other techniques such as 2–1 breathing are better for relaxation at the end of the day, but not if you want to stay alert and keep up with your hyper-charged kids.

Why does this work? A study by Professor Patrick J. Drew of Penn State Neuroscience Institute concluded that respiration modulated the oxygenation of the brain. An increase in blood oxygen level improves cognitive function.

Minute 6 to 9: Move Your Body for 3 Minutes

Now that I am rehydrated and oxygenated, I need to tell my body and brain to get ready for action. Any high-intensity exercise will do the trick.

Step 1: Select any 3 from the list below:

• Jumping jacks
• High knee running in place
• Push-ups
• Squats
• Sprinting back and forth across the room
• Burpees

Feel free to add your favorite high-intensity exercises to the list, which you can do at home.

Step 2: Complete 2 sets

Do each exercise for 30 seconds without a break (3 x 30s = 1.5 minutes). Stop for a few seconds and do one more set. You will get a total of about 3 minutes of high-intensity workout.

Why does this work? A few minutes of physical activity releases enough endorphins and other feel-good neurochemicals to counter the effects of stress hormones such as cortisol, released throughout the day. You may have your weekly workout plan for your overall fitness, but for a quick recharge, even 1-minute of exercise can make a big difference.

Minute 10: Do Nothing

For the last 1 minute, close your eyes and feel the serenity of your mind and body. Now you are ready for the fun.

Final Thoughts

Your workday can be exhausting in many different ways, but you need a second wind afterward to enjoy time with your family. The 10-minute routine rehydrates, oxygenates, and floods your body with natural feel-good chemicals, and you are ready for your loved ones.