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Napping for
Maximum Efficiency
by Elaine St. James
 If
you're like most people, you work at your maximum efficiency for the first hour
or two of your workday, then your efficiency slowly dwindles. By the time 2 P.M.
rolls around, you're functioning at 40 percent of your capacity.
This means you're only half as effective from ten to noon as you are from
nine to ten. Then if you take a lunch break at noon, presumably you are able to
work at closer to your maximum efficiency until roughly three, when your
efficiency drops again. The result is you're losing three to four hours of your
peak efficiency every single day.
But there's a way to work at your maximum efficiency for close to eight
hours each day. The body has access to the perfect system for totally
rejuvenating itself in a very short period of time. It's called sleep. So all we
need to do when we notice our energy is lagging is take a ten-minute nap.
The wonderful thing about naps is that they make it possible for us to
work better without having to take drugs such as coffee or caffeinated teas or
sodas.
If your work environment allows, get a blanket and one of those roll-up
pads people use for aerobics and yoga classes and keep them in your office. When
it's time to take a break, turn off the phone, put a "Do Not Disturb" sign on
the door, and set your timer or watch for ten minutes. Then roll out your mat
and zonk out. Lie on your back, feet together, hands on the floor close to your
body so all your energy is contained. Your body will be using energy for
rejuvenation rather than for keeping you warm, so it's helpful to cover yourself
with the blanket. You want to minimize the possibility of getting chilled, which
would make it impossible for you to relax completely. In those ten minutes you
can bring yourself back up to your morning's energy level.
If you're not getting enough sleep, it'll be hard to recharge in ten
minutes. If you're sleep deprived or have had a bad night's sleep, you might be
better off sleeping for an hour. Your drive then returns, and your energy will
be back up to your maximum level. Even if it takes an hour to recharge, you'll
still be better off than if you keep pressing on when you're exhausted, working
at less than half your normal level of efficiency.
Give Yourself a Thump
Unfortunately, though things are changing rapidly, not every office has a
work culture that encourages naps. If napping is frowned upon in your work
environment, get into the habit of using three thumps as a quick and powerful
way to energize yourself whenever you're feeling drowsy, have difficulty
concentrating, or find your energy is lagging.
I learned this technique from Donna Eden, author of
Energy
Medicine (Tarcher/Putnam, 1998). Donna, in my opinion, is one of the great
intuitive healers of our time. For over twenty years she has been teaching
people how to tap into the body's energy system to generate healing and to
enhance physical vitality and mental acuity. Based on the theory that the body
is designed to heal itself, energy medicine employs, among other systems, your
body's energy pathways, called meridians, that have been used in acupuncture for
thousands of years. Meridians can be used in predictable ways to positively
affect your energy field.
Start by thumping your K-27 meridians, which are located about one inch
below and to the outside of your collarbone. Using the fingers of both hands, or
the thumb and index finger of one hand, find the slight indentation in that
area, and tap or massage these points firmly for about twenty seconds. Breathe
deeply, in through your nose and out through your mouth, while you're tapping.
Next, move one hand to your thymus, located in the center of your chest,
several inches below your K-27 points. Firmly tap your thymus for about twenty
seconds while breathing deeply, in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Then thump your spleen meridian points. To do this, move your hands to six
inches on either side of the thymus and down to find the slight indentation
between your first and second rib. Firmly tap with several fingers for about
twenty seconds on your spleen meridians, while breathing deeply, in through your
nose and out through your mouth.
As you can see, this exercise takes approximately one minute. You can do
one or more of the thumps while sitting at your desk, in the middle of observing
an important presentation when your body wants nothing more than to fall into a
deep sleep, or at any other time when you need an immediate energy fix. If you
don't have time to thump all three of these meridian centers, take just twenty
seconds and thump your K-27 points for an emergency energy booster. (Don't worry
about what others will think if they see you tapping your K27s during a meeting.
One of two things might happen: You could start a trend so that everyone you
work with would learn how to instantly boost their energy levels; or you could
find that you're invited to fewer meetings, which would greatly simplify your
work life.)
Not only does this series of taps instantly raise your energy level, it
strengthens your immune system and also improves your coordination and balance.
It'll make it possible for you to think much more clearly and will vastly
increase your productivity. I've found it so effective that I incorporated it
into my early morning routine every day. And I automatically use it during the
day when I notice my energy is down or when I feel sleepy and don't want to take
time for a nap. Try it right now so you can become familiar with the meridian
points, and notice how it gives you an instant energy boost.
To learn more about energy medicine, I recommend you get Donna's six-hour
video program,
Energy
Healing with Donna Eden. This tape series is exceptional. Not only will it
show you many other techniques to reduce stress and increase your energy levels,
but it will also teach you literally dozens of simple processes you can use in a
multitude of health-enhancing ways. I believe energy medicine is the medicine of
the future. I don't know of a better way you could spend eighty dollars to
achieve immediate and long-term health benefits. The program also will help you
build a repertoire of techniques you can use every day to enhance your energy
and to improve your productivity.
 This
article was excerpted with permission from
the book:
Simplify Your Work Life
by
Elaine St. James.
Published by Hyperion Books. ©2001 www.hyperionbooks.com
Info/Order
book.
More books by this author.
About The
Author
Elaine St. James had her own real estate investing
business for over 15 years. She now lives a quiet, simple life in Santa
Barbara, California. She is the author of many bestselling books:
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