We cannot do anything to increase the hours in a day. Time management? Who can accomplish that? Time just keeps on keeping on throughout each day. We have control only of what we do during our 24/7 each week. Being fully engaged is essential when we are working to make wise choices in using our mental, emotional and physical energy for optimal productivity. Making the most of our brainpower keeps us thinking clearly and creatively. That is what makes the difference in how productive we can really be. "Companies with higher than average employee engagement scores enjoy 15 percent lower costs due to higher productivity" PeopleMetrics . Here are seven tips that can move you in the direction of being fully engaged. 1. Start your day with premium fuel and continue throughout the day. Eating a healthy breakfast gets your metabolism going and sends needed fuel to the brain. And choosing some protein as part of your breakfast can give you a kickstart even better than caffeine. Protein boosts your dopamine level that stimulates brain function. 2. Create your intentions for the day. Getting a clear picture in your mind of how you'd like to see the day transpire is a powerful tool. It's more than just having a to-do list of items to be accomplished. It's actually stating how you would like to see things happen during the day. 3. Observe your own and others' emotional states for greatest effectiveness. With that awareness you are more likely to have a rational response rather than a reaction coming out of your own emotional reaction to what someone has said or done. Taking that moment for observation can save hours of effort trying to mend a working relationship. 4. Be fully focused on each task rather than multitasking. Multitasking can negatively affect your emotional state and your immune system. Studies have shown that our brain actually shuts down one function to do something else. We are fooling ourselves to think that we can effectively perform two tasks at once. 5. Incorporate some physical activity throughout your day. Studies have shown that people who exercise regularly keep their brain functioning at a higher level due to the increased blood flow to the brain. Take short breaks throughout the day just to stretch and move around. Also plan more extensive exercise a few times a week. 6. Debrief your day and really acknowledge your accomplishments. How often have you been down on yourself at the end of a day, thinking about all that things that you did not accomplish instead of focusing on what did get completed? You can do this in your head or for an even more powerful effect, take a moment to list your acknowledgments to yourself. When we ramp up the attention to those positive things in our life, it keeps us going in that productive direction. 7. Prepare for sleep and make sure you get enough. Our brains are not ready to fall asleep immediately after leaving the stimulation of the computer screen. And although we sometimes fall asleep in front of the television, watching television is not a good way to move into restful sleep. If you have problems falling asleep and staying asleep, you might try an exercise that works for some people. Name the states, working your way up and down the coastlines and across the United States. This is challenging enough to keep your mind from worries of the day, but boring enough to allow you to fall asleep.
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