Energy, Stress and Motivation

During my MBA studies, I realized that self-management goes far beyond scheduling tasks. It is not only about time management, but much more about managing energy, dealing with stress, and sustaining motivation.

1. The Golden Hour - Combining Performance und Distraction Curves

   Everyone has a personal performance curve - phases of high focus and energy, and phases of fatigue. At the same time, there are typical distraction curves - moments when interruptions are most likely.

   By combining these two, we can identify the "golden hour": the period when we are both energized and least likely to be disturbed. This window should be reserved for challenging, important tasks - deep work, strategic thinking, or creative projects.

   
   

2. Understanding and Managing Stress

   Stress is not inherently bad:

   - Distress is negative stress that harms us.

   - Eustress is positive stress that motivates and drives growth.

   But the health risks of chronic stress are serious:

   - Unused energy can lead to vascular constriction and, over time, damage the heart, lungs and brain.

   - Continuous stress keeps the body in a state of resistance, wearing down the immune system.

   - Harmful coping mechanisms like smoking, alcohol, or unhealthy eating further reduce resilience.

   The relationship between stress and performance is U-shaped: a moderate level of stress boosts performance, but too little or too much reduces it.

   Three levels of stress and the corresponding management:

   1. Stressors (external demands): Manage with instrumental strategies such as time planning, setting priorities and boundaries, or upskilling.

   2. Personal amplifiers (internal motives and beliefs): Perfectionism, impatience, control needs, self-overload. Counter with mental strategies such as positive self-talk, reframing, and finding meaning

   3. Stress reactions (physical and emotional): Address with regenerative strategies like relaxation training, exercise, hobbies and breaks.

      
      

3. The Energy Model by Birkenbihl

   Birkenbihl distinguishes 5 key sources of energy:

   

   Energie-Modell und Energie-Haushalt nach Birkenbihl

   A - Autonomy Energy: inner independence, drawing strength from within.

   B - Self-Worth Energy: "Am I okay?" - self-esteem is one of the greatest energy thieves. Two key questions: How much do I like myself? How much do I like others?

   C - Time Energy: distinguishing between Chronos (time as a pressing arrow) and Kairos (moments in the here and now). The more Kairos we allow into life, the less Chronos drains us.

   D - Activity Energy: work gains meaning when it helps us move toward big goals or benefit ourselves or others.

   E - Expansion Energy: growth, learning and discovery.

   An important step is to take stock: where do I currently stand in these 5 areas of energy, and how I consciously balance my overall energy budget?

   The key lesson: It is not time management but energy management that should be at the center. Only when we understand how we gain and lose energy can we shape our lives with intention.

   
   

4. Finding and Strengthening Personal Motivation

   Motivation doesn't appear magically - it's built from inner drivers and external influences. Some possible personal motivators include:

   being active and busy/taking responsibilities/looking back on achievements/seeing progress/having a pleasant environment/working in teams/seeking challenges/receiving recognition and praise/being well-prepared/living convictions and finding meaning in work/having visions and dreams/having role models...

   4 strategies to strengthen self-motivation:

   1. Set goals, not just tasks: Goals should be specific and concrete

   2. Choose effective rewards: Quality of matters more than quantity

   3. Make progress visible: Break down big goals into small milestones and celebrate them

   4. Use the influence of others: Surround yourself with motivating people or use public accountability (eg., sharing progress on social media)

Conclusion:

True self-management is about more than managing minutes and hours. It is about finding balance between energy, stress, and motivation.

• With the golden hour, we work at peak performance

• With a clear understanding of stress, we protect both health and productivity

• With the energy model, we shift the focus from time to energy

• With self-motivation, we ensure sustainable growth and resilience

In the end, it's not about doing more, but about living better - with energy, meaning and motivation.