Let’s keep the intro to a minimum this week and just get down to business. You’re looking for energy, and I’m here with five ways to give you the energy you need to fuel your passion and get your goals accomplished.
Try to one – or all – of these ways to boost your energy when you’re feeling depleted.
Score Some Vitamin D
I’m a true believer in the power of sunlight. If I feel my energy or mood starting to dip, I’ll grab my shades, a book or some tunes, and head outside. Ten minutes later, I’m sun-soaked, more relaxed, and ready to get back to work.
Not only does this short mental break help clear my mind and get me ready to re-focus, but I get to absorb some Vitamin D from the sun’s rays. Keeping your vitamin D levels high can help battle fatigue, achiness, and even some symptoms of depression.
While I like to enjoy my daily dose of sunlight around midday, heading outside into the first thing in the morning lets your body know it’s time to get going. And your body gets the message – the amount of the sleep hormone melatonin in your system decreases in sunlight, helping you feel more awake.
Keep it Moving
It might sound counterintuitive, but taking a few minutes to get your body moving is one of the best ways to get a full-on energy infusion. Exercising is a natural mood-booster that can help you break out of your mid-afternoon malaise.
You could do a few jumping jacks or push-ups. Or, step outside for a brief-but-brisk walk around the block (great for snagging some sunlight, too!). The key is to find a way to blow off some steam and rev up your internal engine that still feels fun.
I like to keep a hula hoop near my standing desk – it’s the first thing I reach for when I feel that mid-morning lag around 10:00am. But a few swings of the hips later, I’m smiling and ready to settle back into my work groove.
Break Up Your Routine
It can get boring looking at the same sights, hearing the same sounds, and smelling the same smells, and you may find yourself feeling a little uninspired as a result. To help put yourself in a more innovative state of mind, break up your normal schedule.
Drop everything in the middle of the day and go for a half-hour walk. Drive to an area (near or far!) you’ve never been to before to pick up something new and exciting for dinner. Throw on some loud music and dance while you enjoy your morning coffee (be careful of spills, though!).
When you get back to your regular routine, you’ll feel fully invigorated. Maybe even inspired.
Stay Hydrated
Want more energy? Drink more water. It’s simple, but that’s the beauty of it. One of the first symptoms of dehydration is feeling fatigued or tired.
For lots of us, our midday tiredness can be explained by being dehydrated after the coffee wears off. To head this off, down a full glass of water when you first wake up in the morning, and do your best to keep drinking water throughout the day.
If you find yourself forgetting to drink water, try keeping a pitcher of water near your workspace. Or, use a cup with a reusable straw – you can drink more water in less time that way, reaching your hydration quota in no time.
Get a Good Night’s Rest
We need sleep each night for our bodies to recover from the day we’ve had and get ready for the next. If you’re consistently getting less than seven hours of sleep a night, you’ll likely feel sluggish and tired throughout the day, no matter how much coffee you drink.
This doesn’t mean that you have to go to bed at 9pm or anything. If you’re a night owl, try to ensure you can sleep late enough the next day to snag those seven hours. If you’re an early riser, get to bed by 11pm, so that when the sun starts to appear around 7am, you’ve had plenty of time to catch some Z’s.
You’ll be surprised by how much energy you have when you first wake up after a fperfect 7-hour-minimum sleep schedule.
