Picture this: it’s around 2pm and you’ve just returned from your lunch break, full of food and good intentions. But instead of powering through your to-do list, all you feel like doing is crawling under your desk for a quick nap, what the Spanish affectionately call a siesta. We’ve all experienced this post-lunch slump, and it highlights a critical truth: time isn’t the only factor that determines our productivity.
Energy is just as important, if not more so.
That’s where human energy management in the workplace comes in. In this article, we’ll explore what it is and how you can use it to reduce burnout, boost productivity, and improve performance, not just for yourself but your entire workforce.
Understanding Human Energy at Work
Energy is more than just eating the right food or getting a caffeine hit. It goes deeper. True human energy encompasses more than physical stamina; it’s about how we show up for both your physical and mental health, as well as emotionally, and even spiritually throughout the workday.
There are four key dimensions of human energy levels:
- Physical energy – Nutrition, sleep, movement, and rest all affect our stamina and alertness.
- Emotional energy – Our ability to manage stress, stay positive, and relate well to others impacts team dynamics and resilience.
- Mental energy – Focus, clarity, and the ability to manage mental health, well-being and distractions are crucial to productivity and decision making.
- Spiritual energy – This is about purpose, feeling connected to our values and doing meaningful work.
When all four are aligned and intentionally managed, employees are more energised, engaged, and productive. This is how you work smarter, not harder. The difference between energy and time management is that while time is finite, energy is renewable. As a result, how we manage our energy has a far greater impact on performance than time management.
Why Energy Management Matters More Than Time Management
Let’s explore further into energy management over time management. Traditional time management may involve scheduling tasks, meetings, and deadlines. But without attention to how we feel or function during those blocks of time, productivity suffers. You can’t power through every hour of the day if your energy is running on empty.
Energy management, on the other hand, recognises our natural highs and lows and encourages smarter work habits. This means knowing when your peak energy periods are and tackling demanding tasks during these times. It could also mean building in short breaks to recharge, as the Pomodoro technique encourages. This leads to sustainable productivity throughout the whole day, not just short-term output.
Perhaps you run an organisation or manage a team. In that case, shifting your focus to energy over time results in:
- Improved employee engagement;
- Fewer burnout cases;
- Healthy culture that supports wellbeing.
Research by IBM and Globoforce found that companies that scored in the top 25% on employee experience report nearly 3x the return on assets and 2x the return on sales compared to organisations in the bottom quartile. When people feel energised, they contribute more meaningfully, and stay longer.
Common Signs of Poor Energy Management
How do you know if you or your workforce has an energy management problem? Besides discovering workers sleeping beneath their desks or visibly shaking from their fifth coffee before lunch, there are more subtle yet serious signs to watch for. Do you notice any of the following within your workforce:
- Chronic fatigue and burnout – Constant exhaustion, even after rest, often signals a deeper energy imbalance.
- Low focus and emotional reactivity – Struggling to concentrate or reacting emotionally to minor stressors is often a result of depleted mental and emotional energy.
- Absenteeism or presenteeism – Whether people are frequently off sick or physically present but mentally checked out, both are red flags.
- Lack of creativity or motivation – When energy is low, innovation stalls, and even simple tasks can feel overwhelming.
Remaining vigilant for these patterns is key to rebuilding a more energised and productive team.
Strategies for Managing Energy in the Workplace
So, you’ve recognised the signs. Now, how do you reverse course and rebuild energy across your team? Managing energy requires an entire employee experience approach that supports the whole person, not just their output. Here’s how to address each key dimension:
Physical
Encourage regular movement throughout the day. A good rule of thumb is to encourage getting up for 2–5 minutes every 30 to 60 minutes of sitting. Furthermore, promote hydration and support quality sleep through flexible scheduling where possible. Finally, normalise taking real breaks, not just eating lunch at your desk.
Emotional
Emotional management means fostering a psychologically safe environment where employees feel valued and heard. Also, recognise effort, minimise unnecessary stressors, and deal with toxic behaviours early to support emotional intelligence. Work with your human resources department to understand the importance and take action to support the emotional wellbeing of your team.
Mental
Protect focus time by limiting meetings. A Harvard Business Review study reported that 71% of senior managers said meetings are unproductive and inefficient. Additionally, reduce multitasking, and help staff prioritise what truly matters. Clear goals reduce decision fatigue and boost clarity.
Spiritual
Help people connect their work to a bigger purpose. According to McKinsey, research suggests employees who find purpose in their work are more productive, healthier, more resilient, and more likely to remain with their company. When roles align with personal values, and employees have some autonomy, they feel more fulfilled and energised.
By proactively supporting these area, you can create a healthier, more sustainable work culture.
How Leaders Can Support Energy Management
On the subject of work culture, it starts at the top and trickles down throughout your organisation. Therefore, energy management is inspired and shaped by leadership. When leaders actively model and support healthy energy habits, it creates a ripple effect that influences the entire organisation.
Along with what we’ve discussed, this could mean setting clear boundaries around after-hours communication, and openly prioritising wellbeing—without guilt. When team members see such work–life balance behaviours demonstrated by management, they see the value in it and encourage them to do the same.
But you can also take proactive steps. Here are some ideas:
- Embedding flexible work policies;
- Supporting mental health;
- Wellness initiatives;
- Allowing people to align their work with their natural energy peaks;
- Consider flexible work-from-home or hybrid working arrangements;
- Encourage healthy early morning routines such as visualisation and deep breathing;
- Try walking meetings outdoors to avoid energy drain.
And finally, give teams the tools to sustain it. Programs like Priority Management’s Energy Management course equip employees with practical, science-backed strategies for managing employee energy long term. This benefits both people and business.
Case Study: How a Mid-Sized Tech Company Reduced Burnout and Boosted Productivity
When a 150-person software firm based in Melbourne noticed rising burnout rates and employee disengagement, leadership decided to invest in human energy management. They partnered with a workplace wellbeing consultant and rolled out a three-month program focused on energy awareness, break optimisation, and aligning tasks with employees’ peak focus hours.
Managers trained Priority Management to spot signs of low energy. As a result, teams implemented “focus hours” free from meetings, and wellness sessions encouraged better sleep, hydration, and movement habits. They even installed sleeping pods for the post-lunch slump with half-hour limits. They also introduced a “purpose check-in” initiative, helping employees reconnect their roles to larger company goals.
The results? Within six months, employee engagement scores rose by 22%, reported burnout symptoms dropped by 35%, and project delivery timelines improved across multiple teams. Notably, the company achieved a 21% increase in profitability. They credit the shift in workplace culture for the long-term impact.
Rethinking Performance Through an Energy Lens
To sum up, when you become mindful of how the energy levels fluctuate, you unlock more sustainable productivity, higher engagement, and less energy depletion.
You can start small: encourage regular breaks, open conversations about workload and wellbeing, or carve out time for focused, meaningful work.
Just these minor shifts can create a major impact.
But if you want to take the next step, instead of tracking hours, try auditing your team’s energy. Visit Priority Management to explore training and programs that help recharge, refocus, and realign your workforce for long-term success.