Salvaging Low-Energy Days

[FreelanceWanderer]

Did you ever have one of those days where you just felt blah? I eat well, exercise regularly, and treat myself well -- and I generally feel energetic and good. But maybe once every two weeks I have a couple of days where I just feel run-down and even a little sick. I feel like I'm coming down with something, but then I never do.

I'd love some tips on:

1. How to feel better on days like these. I usually just veg because I feel that's what my body needs, but maybe there's a way to get some pep back into my step?

2. How to power through times like these if needed. Sometimes I have a lot of freelance deadlines, so I'd rather not spend my low-energy day staring with glazed eyes at the Internet.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

[MariaG]

Sometimes when I'm running I feel great. Other times, I feel like I have lead in my shoes. It seems to happen completely randomly. The way I deal with the down days is to still go running, still try to get my mileage in, but only allow myself to focus 50-100 yards. I pick a target and run to it. When I reach it, I pick another target and run to that. I've gotten through many hard miles that way.

In your situation, FreelanceWanderer, maybe you could set Microtasks
and do a little bit of work at a time. You may not be AS productive as on a normal day, but you'll keep moving forward.

[silicon toad2000]

have a nana nap

[Ree]

Sometimes when I have those days I feel sluggish I just go with it. If I have the flexibility, I'll grab a nap or sit down with a book and a cuppa tea.

Otherwise, I have found that once I FORCE myself to get going, my energy level gets back to normal, unless I'm really getting sick. And to force myself, it's just one foot in front of the other.

[Shamou]

FreelanceWanderer!

Unless they are sick, professional people don’t have “low energy” days… it simply does not equate with the way that they “see” themselves… so they are not subjected to that state…

I am a professional… and I could say conservatively that I have interacted with well over one thousand other professionals… and I have never heard even once that one of them suffered from that syndrome…

Therefore, I can only conclude that “low energy days” is a mental concept that will only affect those who believe it to be possible…

Could you picture Tony Robbins walking onstage in front of ten thousand people saying, “Sorry folks, I have a low energy day… so, if you don’t mind, I’ll simply sit down and mumble some platitudes for the rest of the day…”

Believe me, I never happened… and never will… you simply cannot experience what does not exist for you…

So, if you want to get rid of those “low energy days,” simply see yourself as a professional who cannot afford to indulge in that type of behavior…

The very best of luck to you...

.

[unwiser]

the first thing I would suggest is to eat well exercise and sleep but you say you already do that.

do you have any other stresses in your life that could be bringing you down?

or maybe you are putting your body through to much and body is trying to tell you something. I usually I dont miss work but occasionally I take a day off to go on a day sail trip or go to the beach or something something different and relaxing and away from home. I feel like a new person afterewards.

[Tristan]

If these days happen regularly, I would analyze very closely your stress levels (physical stress, emotional stress, environmental stress) because it's usually stress that saps one's ability to feel energetic.

But all of us have prime times and down times. My down time hits at about 2pm-4pm where I need a ciesta....of course, that is not always possible, so when I am feeling unproductive, I work on my "zombie list" of activities. My zombie list are all the relatively "small rocks" that require little to no creative mental capacity to accomplish and I just plug away at those when I am feeling "blah" so that I can still be moving forward.

Ignoring right now the stress part of the equation, it might be beneficial from a productivity stand point to have a task list or folder set up with mindless tasks you can do when you do not feel the creative urge coming on.

[FreelanceWanderer]

Thanks for all your suggestions!

One thing I did that helped was to turn off my computer for the entire weekend (nod to Ree here!), which was hard but worth it. I also got some spa treatments, saw a movie, and even played some video games. So I think I've just been working too much, which is causing the "off" days.

The tips on small goals and the zombie list are great. I even used to have a zombie list of my own, but I called it a "procrastination list" to use for those times when I didn't feel like doing what I was supposed to be doing, but wanted to at least be productive. It had things on it like "Post advice on X writer's forum" (to help boost my book sales), "Write a letter of intro to one editor," etc. I need to dig that out or make a new one.

Another problem may be that I'm burned out on my job. I love the lifestyle it affords me, but I've been freelance writing for 10 years now and I'm thoroughly sick of it. I seem to have more and more of these "low energy" days/periods, and today I went to the doc for chronic stomach pains I've had lately and she thinks it might be stress! I want to do something else -- something that would still allow me to work at home -- but that's a whole 'nother thread.

Thanks again for all your great advice!

[Ilya]

Originally Posted by Shamou

FreelanceWanderer!
Unless they are sick, professional people don’t have “low energy” days… it simply does not equate with the way that they “see” themselves… so they are not subjected to that state…

But sometimes they check in into hospitals with exhaustion and into rehabs with addictions
Stage performers do have better or worse days. It's just at some level of skill this is not noticeable to the audience. Besides, stage performers have more opportunities to recharge then many office workers.
That is just a couple of counterexamples.
However your advice is interesting. Being accountable does help to keep going through the less successful days. And it motivates people to do something about this low energy. If no one is there to see, it would be easier to sleep through the day, which is harmful.

FreelanceWanderer. Try unplugging, try doing physical instead of mental activity and vice versa. Such changes can quickly recharge you. This way you will "waste" an hour or two on something that is beneficial to you instead of wasting the whole day supporting the ineffective pattern.

[alsy]

Originally Posted by FreelanceWanderer

......I've been freelance writing for 10 years now and I'm thoroughly sick of it. .................................................. ..................... I want to do something else -- something that would still allow me to work at home

The body can be a great communicator of what is going on. In this case your desire to do something different. If you had ignored it and just powered through, i believe the signals would have just gotten louder and louder. Until finally one has no choice but to listen.