An exercise to map and boost your energy at work.
People naturally have a sense of the activities and tasks at work that light them up and those that drain energy away from them.
Despite knowing what shapes our energy we often do very little about this. We just tend to get on with work; because well, we feel we have to.
We have normalised the idea that there are always going to be parts of our work that we don’t enjoy and that we will find draining and mundane.
But what if we changed the way we looked at these tasks and found ways to reduce, shape or reframe them?
And what if we found ways to do more of the things that light us up?
We want to help positively shape your energy at work for a happier and healthier you.
What is the exercise?
Love and loathe is an exercise we use at Tailored Thinking with individuals and teams.
The starting point is to identify 10-15 key activities that are core and important parts of your current roles and to reflect how much energy they give or take.
Why should you use it?
This mapping exercise enables people to reflect on, and see the interplay between their tasks and their energy load.
You will become more aware of how you’re spending your time at work and what fills you with energy and what does not.
This self awareness may change the way you think about tasks and how you carry them out. It’s a great starting point for job crafting.
Who is it made for?
Everyone! For most people, regardless of which industry you work in there are always going to be tasks we find more enjoyable than others. Likewise, there will be tasks we find that are less enjoyable, that may drain our energy.
If you’re someone who wants to boost your energy at work then this is the exercise for you.
What are the benefits of doing this exercise?
This exercise:
Enables you to consider the current allocation of personal resources of time and energy.
Highlights opportunities to shape and change your activities to maximise your energy.
Allows you to meet your needs for control, positive self-identity and connection with others.
Love and Loathe Exercise Guide
If you’re interested in the love and loathe exercise and would like to find out more around the dynamics, we have produced a short guide on how to use it.
It will also give you the diagrams of the exercise that you could print out and use or simply copy.
You can download it here.
If you have any questions, queries or just fancied a chat about this then please do not hesitate to get in touch, we’d love to hear from you.
