“Luscombe, you’re a machine”. I took this as a compliment...it wasn’t!

A few years ago, my then employer called me a 'machine' because of my constant foot on the pedal at work. I was known for being ‘productive’. Getting things done, meeting deadlines, fitting extra work in and just generally not stopping for a break.

I took the ‘machine’ comment as a compliment.

 It wasn't.

He had recognised what I hadn't. I was focused on doing, doing, doing with no recharging in-between. I thought it was the path to high productivity and feeling in control but in reality, I was tired and frazzled.

My next role was as a 'Head of' department in a health care organisation. One of the Directors  said to me within the first six months...

"You do know that you don't have to fulfil the whole of the job description straight away, right?" Then at my annual appraisal, she suggested I slowed down.

I was confused. The only way I knew how to work was full on.

After almost reaching burnout in that organisation and some tough self love as I acknowledged my contribution to that through my mindset, I finally learned the art of 'pulsing' which was transformative to my working life both when I was still employed by others and now that I am self employed.

In Nick Petrie's enlightening research on high performers and avoiding burnout, his team found that the most effective individuals don't push themselves hard all day - they ‘pulse’.

'Pulsing' is where you develop a rhythm that works for you but also enables you to get stuff done at work but also in other areas of your life. It’s about learning to work in a way that sees you not in a steady state of go, go, go all day but instead bouncing intentionally and then naturally between different ‘polarities’. This helps you to perform but also keeps you energised.

Key polarities were:

Deep work …………………………… Shallow work needing less concentration but still important
Offline…………………………………… Online
Single task …………………………… Multitask
Boundaries……………………………. Open door
Rest and recharge…………………. Exertion
Concentration time………………… Collaboration time
Solo time ………………………………. Group time

Humans, to be at their best, need to pulse between the poles throughout the day. But most people in workplaces don’t do this. They are static. That is why so many of us feel fatigued and lethargic.

 You don't need to choose between the poles e.g. deep work or shallow work. Both are necessary. But you need to find ways to help your people to pulse rhythmically throughout the day.

I now intentionally design my days this way and it has made a massive difference to my productivity in a good way and also keeps me energised to do my best work.

So, if you’re reading this feeling overwhelmed with commitments at home as well as work perhaps, managing your energy as opposed to your time may be part of the answer.

We are all different so our solutions, patterns and rhythms will be different. What might it look like for you and your colleagues? How can you support each other? How can you manage your energy as opposed to your time?

For example:

·       When are you feeling most alert and able to concentrate? Are you a morning person or an afternoon person? Wherever possible, it can be helpful to plan your ‘concentration’ tasks for the times when you are feeling the most energy. I am definitely a morning person and wherever I can (not always possible), I start early, get the intense focus tasks done and leave the tasks that are important but need less concentration for the afternoon but before my regular 3pm slump! I’ll usually take a break around then because do tend to get a burst of energy between 4pm and 6pm so I also take advantage of that.

·       What are your work/home boundaries like? What works for you? The answer to that will be different for us all and based on our personal preferences and life situation. How does knowing that help you plan your day?

·       If you are someone that values being available for others and don’t want to lose that, you could consider how you can build time in for yourself for an hour a day, when it is specifically for you. If that is at work, it might just be having the door closed instead of open for an hour or putting your headphones on if in a shared office. The key here is communication – explain why you are doing this, what you need to get done and then you will be available again. And then stick to it! This works at home as well as work.

I work with many health care workers and although it is fair to say that what works in the boardroom does not always work in the clinical areas, in this case, it is transferable. But it takes some examination of your specific circumstances and reflection. I’ve worked with many senior nurses who have made small but significant changes to the way they manage their work that has reduced their feelings of overwhelm. A great podcast to listen to for health care staff is ‘You are not a frog’ by Dr Rachel Morris who aims her information specifically at YOU.

Now I support others who are concerned they are heading for burnout or returning to work after a burnout experience to reflect on their own mindset and what small but significant changes they can make to allow them to fall back in love with their work again. Not just surviving but thriving.

Or I support managers and leaders to support their teams to find ways to help them to pulse rhythmically throughout the day. Having a productive and energised team who have had time to recharge their thinking and be creative will always beat a team who are tired and frazzled and busy being busy.

If you want support to do this...DM me for more information.

Nature pulses. We are part of nature and so should we...

Pic and research credit Nick Petrie