Put Yourself Into Low Power Mode – It's The Perfect Way To Find Calm

My phone battery hovers precariously at 20%; the result of all those hours spent on WhatsApp. As I move it into low power mode, attempting to conserve the battery by accessing only the phone’s most basic functions, I wonder: should we be applying the same rule to our own lives?

That is the view of Gretchen Rubin. I listened in to the New York happiness expert’s podcast as she chatted to her sister about the idea of adopting a low power mode for ourselves: powering down a little if we feel overwhelmed; saying no to the endless stream of requests and demands; doing just what needs to be done, in order to conserve our energies. “Energy is precious,” Rubin tells HuffPost UK. “Whenever we can conserve it, we can use it in another area of our lives—an area that’s more valuable to us.”

It feels like the analogy that might help us find balance in busy lives; a strategy to carry into the new year. How many times have you found yourself saying yes to everything, only to end up juggling a drink with an old work colleague, catch up with your mum, and the planning for a dinner you agreed to host on the weekend.

Just as your phone battery drains when you’re flicking relentlessly between WhatsApp, Twitter and Instagram, so the same happens to energy levels when we never give ourselves a break to just breathe.

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Rubin goes into low power mode (LPM) when she’s on holiday. “There’s no one right way or wrong way to do it,” she says. “For some people, it’s useful to switch off completely during holidays. For others (like me) trying to switch off completely creates more stress than it relieves – I find it more relaxing to go into LPM, so I stay connected, stay in the loop, but just in a far less active way.”

Rubin says she will check emails occasionally and do an hour or two of work – but not at the pace she would usually push herself. She also goes into LPM when she’s in a time of great change. When she has a book that’s about to hit the shelves, she doesn’t make lunch dates or plans with friends – she reduces the number of events in her social calendar to get prepped for what’s coming up.

Fancy giving it a go? Here’s how to get started:

Decide What Low Power Mode Looks Like For You

It’ll be unique to each individual – while one person may stop saying yes to every social invitation, for another it may be about not logging into work emails after dinner. Think about what aspects of your life you can remove or reduce that may give you headspace. “Decide for yourself what you will and won’t do when you’re in LPM,” says Rubin. “Do you check your email over the weekend? Think about what you could ditch.”

Try To Keep Away From Distractions

Focus on one thing at a time, suggests Chloe Brotheridge, hypnotherapist and coach at Calmer You, and author of ‘The Anxiety Solution’. This means staying away from distractions – “They create more stress and overwhelm you as you battle to keep your focus,” she says. “How can you arrange your environment so that it’s clutter-free? Can you take yourself away to a quiet cafe to do some work away from your colleagues?”

“Focusing on a single thing at a time is a good way to start when going into low-power mode."”

Tell People What You’re Doing To Manage Expectations

If you decide that you need to temporarily reduce the number of wine dates you have with pals, let them know that you’re going to be taking some time out so they don’t worry about why you’re not in touch. “Tell people that you’re in LPM so that they know what to expect from you,” says Rubin.

Prioritise Your To-Do List

Some of us love to get everything out of our brains and onto a to-do list – only to then feel daunted by its length. But is it all urgent? Do you actually need to research 2019 holiday destinations now? “Your to-do list can be a distraction - so instead, write the highest priority task on a piece of paper and focus exclusively on that,” advises Brotheridge. “Once you’ve done that, write another task on another sticky note and focus just on that. Some people find it helpful to schedule their tasks into their diary hour-by-hour; you use up less energy deciding what to do next and you’ll be more productive.”

Work Out How Long You’ll Need For A Recharge

Going into low power mode for one weekend might be enough to help you feel refreshed. Or, you might need a few weeks downtime in order to recuperate some energy from a particularly busy time. “Decide approximately how long you’ll be in LPM,” advises Rubin. “If you want to be in LPM indefinitely, you’ve actually decided to change your level of work engagement. That’s fine, as long as you realise that’s what you’re doing.”

Ideas For Going Into Low Power Mode
:: Only respond to texts/messages that have a purpose, rather than general chit chat.
:: Turn off notifications for certain apps on your phone, so you only get alerted for phone calls or text messages, for example.
:: Avoid saying yes to every social event, particularly ones you aren’t that enthused about anyway.
:: Don’t work out of hours if it isn’t necessary.
:: Reduce the amount of time you spent scrolling aimlessly on your phone.
:: Don’t stress yourself out making fancy pants meals, if you can make a quick and easy dinner without the hassle – unless you find it relaxing.
:: Make time for basic self-care that you enjoy, whether that be taking a bath, reading a book, or getting an early night.
:: Try to live in the moment. Don’t worry about an occasion that might be happening in three weeks’ time. Take each day as it comes.

Before You Go

How To Steal The Secrets Of Danish Happiness

Trust(01 of05)

Knowing that both the state and the people around you have got your back is key to a content society. It's in the education system, with kids given empathy training at school, via the

From a young age, children are given empathy training in schools through the Klassens tid programme, which aims to build emotional awareness.

"We have a society that is built on trust," explains a Dane in a new video made by the Socialdemokratiet party. The film asks what trust means to Danes, who respond that it's everything from confiding in other people, to being honest, to something that is simply in their DNA. That trust extends to asking a stranger to look after your child while you go into the toilet, or the simple expectation that if someone borrows something, they'll give it back. And that when it comes to making a deal - a handshake, and your word - is as binding as any contract. This whole philosophy underpins how all of Denmark's institutions are run - society trusts in its people, and in return, the people rely on the systems in place to take care of them, providing security and stability and making Denmark one of the world's richest and most equal societies.

Check out the video below to see Danish trust in action. Spoiler alert: it's on point. (credit:MarijaRadovic via Getty Images)

Equality & Balance(02 of05)

When it comes to work vs. play, the Danes know what's important to them: they work hard, but they also prioritise other things in life: socialising, friends, family and hobbies.

In fact, according to this year's OECD Better Life Report, the Danes had a better work-life balance than any other country surveyed, with only 2% of employees regularly working long hours. Danes spend two-thirds of their days doing rather lovely things: eating, sleeping and enjoying leisurely activities. And yeah, even though Danes have a reputation of working from 8am-4pm each day, working fewer hours doesn't mean Danes are less productive (or less creative). But when 11.25% of those surveyed said they prioritised life satisfaction (compared with 8.04% who think income is of paramount importance), their attitude to life says it all. There's even a word for it: Arbejdsglæde, which means work happiness.

Another reason the Danish system of work-life balance actually works? Women are well represented in the workforce, even after having children. The generous policies the Socialdemokratiet put in place, like parental leave that can be split between mothers and fathers and a childcare policy in which the welfare state picks up 75% of the tab when it comes to sending your baby to a high-quality nursery, means that 85% of mothers return to work. Compare that with the stats from the NCT survey on first-time mothers going back to the workplace after baby, which found that 80% of all new mums were not going back to work, with over half saying that childcare costs were a key influence.

The Social Democrats also believe that a great society starts from childhood: as kids grow older, education remains free, so everyone can pursue whatever it is they love, even at university level.

We have a feeling even Danish babies are enjoying all of the happiness emanating from their relaxed, fulfilled parents: Danish babies don't cry as much as babies in other countries, according to a new study published in the Journal of Pediatrics, which found that babies in Denmark have some of the lowest colic rates. (credit:T.T. via Getty Images)

Enjoying The Great Outdoors(03 of05)

It won't surprise you to know that Danes love nature. They like playing sports outdoors, many have cabins in the woodland or countryside that they escape to and in Copenhagen, you'll find more bikes than inhabitants, with women in heels through to the country's top politicians riding their bikes through blizzard conditions.

In the nation's capital, 50% of citizens commute to work by bike every day, and there are almost 400 kilometres of biking lanes. And yes, you'll even see little children cycling along next to their parents.

A recent report in Danish newspaper Kristeligt Dagblad stated that more and more Danes are spending time outdoors, reconnecting with Mother Nature by taking up winter bathing or joining a scout association, with over 140,000 people sleeping in the woods in 2016.

And we've all seen the proof that being outdoors makes you happier, from our own experiences after spending an invigorating afternoon outside to scientific studies, like a 2012 one from the University of Essex which found that the colour green makes exercising seem easier or the recent study published in Scientific Reports which found that being outdoors can even help lower blood pressure.

Leaving babies outside is also part of the Danes' embracing of the great outdoors - parents believe frisk luft (fresh air) is crucial for babies and promotes healthy development. (credit:william87 via Getty Images)

Being Nice To Yourself(04 of05)

In Denmark, the unspoken motto may be that we all look after each other, but Danes also look after themselves. There's a reason that the concept of hygge - cosiness and indulgence - has become such a buzzword in the UK (to the point that Morley College even decided to teach the concept to students as part of its Danish language course).

But hygge is a state of mind as much as a state of comfort, and putting on your knit socks and snuggling by the fire will only get you so far. For one, the concept of hygge is part of a bigger Danish mentality which centres on being kind to yourself. Instead of the binge-purge cycle us Brits so often adopt, where after we spend weeks depriving ourselves of food, we then stuff our faces later and feel horribly guilty as a result, the Danes eat their delicious cinnamon rolls and apricot custard turnovers with no consequences. They simply enjoy. (credit:Francis Dean via Getty Images)

Home Is Where The Heart Is(05 of05)

The Danes know a thing or two about how to create interiors that are inviting, airy and stylish - there is no stressful clutter in sight, everything has its place, there's an emphasis on natural, organic design materials and smart designer accents contribute to the overall sense of comfort and style.

The Danes are indeed a "design society," but having a beautiful home isn't just about the aesthetic appeal: according to scientists at UCL who observed what happens in the brain when you look at art, looking at something beautiful can give you a happy feeling akin to gazing at someone you love.

The Year of Living Danishly author Helen Russell writes that every Danish home is centred around the dining room table, because having family meals together is an important part of daily life in Denmark.

The concept of hygge comes into play in the home especially - think lots of candles, gorgeous lighting and relaxing music. It's central to the Danish design ethos and is all about creating an atmosphere that cultivates warmth, cosiness, peace and happiness - something the Danes are already doing in their minds. (credit:Klaus Vedfelt via Getty Images)