If you’re like everyone I know, this is your busiest time of the year. Not only are we all doing our year-end assessments and strategy sessions for 2014, we are spending time outside of work preparing for celebrations, houseguests and gift-giving.

You might feel like you have something filling up every waking moment already, but unless you are functioning at a high level all the time, there is still room for you to get more done quicker and maybe even reduce your stress. After all, there’s almost nothing as relaxing as checking that last item off your to-do list.

We recently read an article on Amex Open Forum by Michael Beck of Skyline Group International about the 4 elements of what he calls “personal energy” and they sound pretty on point. Mr. Beck tells us that to be productive, we must keep all 4 energy reserves topped up:

Physical Energy–You cannot function at your peak without a healthy body. Eat small, nutritious meals often and make sure you are getting enough sleep, whatever amount that is for you.

Emotional Energy–Focus on the positives. Make a list of what went great yesterday or what you are grateful for before you start your day. Practice positive self-talk. Not only will you be able to maintain your equilibrium, but you can have a positive influence on the stressed out people around you.

Mental Energy—Take breaks. We cannot emphasize this enough. High productivity is impossible to maintain over many hours in a row. Take a 15 or 20 minute break every 90 minutes. Walk around the block, read a book, listen to some music, even close your eyes for a catnap. Your next 90 minutes will be just as productive as the last.

Inspirational Energy–Whether you get your best ideas when you draw or run or sing or read, carve out time to do the things that inspire you. You’re not wasting time–you’re saving it by getting your ideas lined up for when you get down to work.

This time of year can be overwhelming, but it’s amazing what we can get done in just a few weeks. What if we were this productive all year round?

We would love to hear your suggestions for staying productive throughout this busy time of year!

Wendy Stackhouse, for Artisan Creative

A constant flow of creative energy is a goal devoutly to be wished. We don’t always manage to be as creative–or as productive–as we would like, but a small change to our working environment might make a big difference.

Ambient Sound and Creativity

A recent study showed that about 70 decibels of noise literally triggers the part of your brain responsible for creativity. 50 decibels was found to be too soft and 85 decibels too loud. Here is a chart of common sounds and how many decibels they are.

The noise level in that coffeeshop you like is about right, but so is your livingroom TV or radio, a vacuum cleaner or the white noise you hear riding in a car going 25mph.

If you don’t want to go to the coffeeshop, but want the non-caffeine-related benefits, you can even have the noise of a coffeeshop at home via this app!

Silence and Creativity

At the other end of the spectrum is a more difficult thing to find: silence. Many creativity experts feel that silence is the only true route to creative thinking.

Many creatives of the past had an opinion: Thomas Merton – “In silence you will discover the Great Artist from whom you emerged; you will sense the pulse of creative energy through your being so that you slowly grow to recognize that creating is your birth-right;” Shaksespeare called silence “the perfectest herald of joy.”

If you live in a city, a day of silence can be hard to come by and you, like our coffeeshop denizen above, may need to go somewhere other than your everyday workspace to find it.

If you find yourself stuck or struggling to be creative, why not try the unfamiliar? Whether you turn on that coffeeshop app or some music or even go out for some ambient noise, it could make all the difference in what you accomplish.

Or if your typical day is full of sound and fury, try turning everything off for a while. Go outside and let the only sound you hear be the grass growing. Either way, a change in your environment might mean a change in your mood and your energy and may very well-knit up the raveled sleeve of care into a lovely finished project.

Wendy Stackhouse, for Artisan Creative