
Energy. We can’t live without it. And for most of us, we just can’t seem to get enough of it, either.Ěý
Management consultant Peter Drucker once said: “what gets measured, gets managed.” He may have been talking about business, and may not have even said it at all, but this idea can apply to everything in life, including your energy levels.Ěý
Once you start tracking your energy, you can find the times of day you’re most productive, make the most of the energy you have, and learn how to get more of it the natural and sustainable way.Ěý
Below, we’ll explain why you should track your energy in the first place, how you can use this information to manage and improve your energy levels, and why the is the ideal tool to help you do it.Ěý
Time tracking is a popular productivity technique. You can see exactly how long a task takes to do, how long you’re spending on different projects, and how to most efficiently spend this precious resource.Ěý
However, you could have all the time in the world, but if you don’t have the energy, nothing will get done. Energy, therefore, is an even more precious resource than time.Ěý
But how do you manage your energy? Tracking it is a necessary first step.
Here's what you can do when you start tracking your personal energy:Â
Tracking your energy isn’t simply about assessing your daily amount of energy, though. Our energy levels follow a predictable pattern throughout the day. And this is all due to your circadian rhythm. This is your body’s biological clock. It runs on a roughly 24-hour cycle and, as well as your energy levels, it dictates things like hunger levels, body temperature, and when your body produces certain hormones.Ěý
Here’s what your energy levels look like over the course of the day:Â
The timings of these peaks and dips in energy are affected by things like your chronotype (whether you’re an early bird, night owl, or in between), how long you slept for the night before (and at what time), and your exposure to zeitgebers. Zeitgeber is German for time-giver and science-speak for an external cue that helps time your circadian rhythm to the outside world. The most powerful zeitgeber is light exposure, but meals and exercise also impact the timing of your circadian rhythm.Ěý
You don’t need to figure this all out with time logs or an expensive energy monitor, though. The RISE app predicts your circadian rhythm each day and shows you a visual representation of your energy levels.Ěý
We use your recent sleep history data and algorithms to make this happen. Our prediction model is built from the renowned (Sleep, Activity, Fatigue, and Task Effectiveness), which predicts changes in cognitive performance based on your circadian rhythm and was developed by the US Department of Transportation and the Department of Defense to forecast and avoid fatigue in transportation operations.
With the RISE app, you’ll not only track your energy levels, you’ll be one step ahead of them, knowing when they’re likely to rise and fall throughout the day, and by how much. You can check your schedule each day or get push notifications to remind you when your peak and dips are coming up.Ěý
“I have always had problems with the amount of energy I have in a day. It often happens that during my day I crash. This app has allowed me to know when my body is performing to its maximum. Thanks to this app I’m able to prioritize my work and do complex work during my peak moments.” — 5-star review.Ěý
“I love this app. I’ve been using it for six months now. Knowing when the peaks and dips in my energy levels will occur is so helpful.” — 5-star review.Ěý
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You may just be tracking your energy because you love data. But for most of us, we want to do something with this information. With the RISE app, you can not only see when your energy levels will change throughout the day, you can make the most of them by scheduling your day to match and getting reminders to see when you’ll be at your best.Ěý
“Well executed app that teaches about sleep and through alerting you to natural energy swings can help you structure your day better. Thanks rise!” — 5-star review.Ěý
Here’s how:Â
It can feel like torture to power through a particularly tricky task at work during your energy dip. And, on the other hand, it’s a waste to work simple admin tasks or scroll through social media during your most productive times each day.Ěý
With RISE, you can see when exactly these energy peaks and dips will happen each day, and how long they’re expected to last.Ěý
Connect RISE to your Apple or Google calendar, so you can see the best time to schedule your to-dos.Ěý
Here’s what we recommend doing: Â
Sleep inertia is a fact of life. You can make this morning grogginess shorter and less severe by keeping sleep debt low and staying in circadian alignment (more on both soon).Ěý
To make the most of this time:Â
To get over sleep inertia faster:Â
We cover more ways to get over sleep inertia faster here.
This is your biological prime time when you’ll have high energy and be most productive. Use this time of the day to do anything where you need to focus, be alert, or make important decisions.Ěý
How to make the most of this time:Â
The best way to beat your afternoon dip in energy? Working with it, instead of against it. Research shows now’s the time of day when we’re hit with sleepiness, more car accidents happen, and even our are affected.
How to make the most of this time:Â
You can learn more ways to stay productive through your afternoon dip here.
After the afternoon dip, you’ll start to feel your energy levels pick up again.Ěý
How to make the most of this time:Â