Size does matter: Eating five small meals keeps energy levels high throughout the day

Most of us respond to rising demands in the workplace by putting in longer hours, which inevitably takes a physical, mental and emotional toll. That leads to declining levels of engagement, increasing levels of distraction and high turnover rates.

The core problem with working longer hours is that time is a finite resource. Energy, however, is a different story. Defined in physics as the capacity to work, energy comes from four main wellsprings in human beings: the body, emotions, mind and spirit.

The body

The first step is to identify rituals for building and renewing physical energy, for example, going to bed at a designated time and sleeping longer, changing eating habits from two big meals a day to smaller meals and light snacks and making yourself take regular breaks throughout the day.

The emotions

When people are able to take control of their emotions they can improve the quality of their energy, regardless of external pressures. To do this, they must become more aware of how they feel and the impact emotions have on effectiveness.

Most people realise that they tend to perform best when they’re feeling positive. Unfortunately, we’re not physiologically capable of sustaining highly positive emotions for long periods. One simple but powerful ritual for defusing negative emotions is deep abdominal breathing. Another powerful ritual that fuels positive emotions is expressing appreciation to others, a practice that seems to be as beneficial to the giver as to the receiver.

The mind

Many executives view multitasking as a necessity in the face of all the demands they juggle, but it actually undermines productivity. Distractions are costly: a temporary shift in attention from one task to another — stopping to answer an e-mail or take a phone call, for instance — increases the amount of time necessary to finish the primary task by as much as 25 per cent. It’s more efficient to focus for 90 to 120 minutes, take a true break, then begin to focus again.

The spirit

People tap into the energy of the human spirit when their everyday work and activities are consistent with what gives them a sense of meaning and purpose. If the work they’re doing matters to them, they typically feel more positive, focus better and demonstrate greater perseverance.

To access the energy of the human spirit, people need to clarify priorities and establish rituals in three categories: doing what they do best and enjoy most at work; allocating time and energy to the areas of their lives that they deem most important; and living their core values on a daily basis. The implicit contract between an organisation and its employees today is that each will try to get as much from the other as they can, as quickly as possible, and then move on without looking back.

This is mutually self-defeating. Both end up depleted rather than enriched. Employees feel increasingly beleaguered and burnt out. Organisations are forced to settle for employees who are less than fully engaged and to constantly hire and train new people.

We envision a new contract that benefits all parties: organisations invest in their people across all dimensions of their lives to help them cultivate their values. Individuals respond by bringing all their energy to work every day. Both grow in value as a result.

This article is a collaboration between Times Online and the Harvard Business Review