The 21st century has induced drastic changes in our lifestyles. The rapid rise of technology has turned our once active way of life into a sedentary one. More and more of our tasks are now automated-easy-which in turn causes us to be passive, and mostly desk-bound.
These sudden changes also has sudden effects on our well-being. Specifically, in the regulation of our energy levels.
Our bodies, for the majority of history have been used for physical labor. Our innate regulators such as our metabolism, moods, and immune system have based themselves on the premise that we are meant to be moving around and exerting energy for manual tasks.
This same mechanism within us is facing a dilemma. It is forced to undergo a counter-intuitive change to as it adapts to our modern lifestyles. Now that we aren't using much of the energy that we're supposed to use, our bodies are reacting in dysfunctional ways. Issues like brain fog, chronic fatigue syndrome, and lack of focus are just some of the ways in which they manifest.
Have you ever felt tired even after a night of sleep? Do you feel fatigue even if you're just at home doing nothing? Or the opposite, do you feel restless even if it's time to wind down? These and many others are just some of the problems that all of us are facing. I personally think that they are hindrances that holds us back from realizing our goals.
In my case, I know that I have to do something about them.
I have been exploring ways on how I can manage my energy levels better. And what I found was most of the solutions to our energy problems doesn't require us to be taken to the infirmary. Many of them are simple, inexpensive, and easily actionable for all of us.
I'm going to share 30 of such ways that I found most helpful.
The list that I have come up with is divided into three parts: physical, psychological, and spiritual. Each I find to be essential life domains that must be given attention. For I have learned that they build on each other. Whatever good we do to one domain, spills up with another. Allowing for a synergy that unlocks the potential of our energies, and opens us up to accomplishing more of our goals.
Let's begin the list in the physical domain.
* * *
Physical
1. Drink enough water
An often overlooked cause of having low energy is not drinking enough water. Not staying hydrated is costly for us since water is used on almost all of our body functions. Not only must we ensure that we take adequate amounts, but we should also refill it constantly.
It's easy to go about our day without being mindful of the amount of water that we need to consume. Our body can sometimes misled us by not making us feel thirst even if we do really need to drink. That's why it is a good practice to bring with us a water bottle at work, when we exercise or when we travel. Keeping one handy makes us remember to regularly hydrate ourselves.
Health advisers recommend the general rule of drinking 8 glasses of water a day. But it really varies from person to person, and according to lifestyles. The main key is to just make sure that we are well-hydrated throughout our day.
2. Have a well-rounded diet
Our energy problems can also be stemming from having a poor diet. We may not be eating enough or are eating foods that depletes our energy levels.
I know that it is elementary sense to make sure that we're filled with enough food. But nevertheless we can still fall into bad eating habits that cost us our health.
One of such damaging habit is skipping meals. Doing this disrupts our metabolisms, and causes our energy levels to dip. Eating a lot of junk/processed foods can also be a problem. As do foods with too much sugar or fat in it.
On hindsight, such kinds of food may not have immediate bad effects on our bodies. But in subtle ways, they will creep into our daily life by decreasing our energy reserves.
A diet that is composed of the things mentioned results in sluggishness, brain fog, and decreased strength. They can also lead to medical conditions such as obesity or diabetes.
The key solution for us is to remember that we have a choice in the kind and amount of food that we consume. If what we put is of high quality, and is well-rounded, the machine that is our body will inevitably function well.
3. Take Multivitamins
We can take multivitamins to complement a well-rounded diet. This supplements allow us to fill in the blank spots of nutrients that our diet may not initially provide.
To get our energy levels higher, it is suggested that we look for a multivitamins containing vitamins B12, B6, A, C, and E. This allows us a complete nutrient foundation that will allow us abundance in energy.
4. Manage caffeine intake
Coffee is another part of our diet that we need to address. Caffeine is a psychoactive drug that provides us with energy but we should not be dependent on it. Compulsive intake of coffee disrupts our energy levels by giving us spikes of alertness even if we don't need it. This lowers the quality of our sleep and can also lead to problems like insomnia or restlessness.
Coffee should be taken moderately; it can't be a substitute for drinking water. Managing our consumption of it is a simple, but helpful way to balance our energy reserves.
5. Minimize or avoid smoking
Like with caffeine, constant intake of nicotine can do harm for our energy reserves.
While it also acts as a stimulant that temporarily gives our moods a boost, its prolonged consumption can also create dependency and addiction. Its chronic use are linked with many complications such as heart disease, diabetes, and lung disorders like bronchitis and tuberculosis. It can also foster emotional and psychological disorders such as panic attacks, negative mood, and depression.
In short, irresponsible smoking habits causes more harm than good and it ruins our chance of having healthy energy reserves.
6. Get healthy sleep
Sleep is foundational to our energy reserves. It's so essential that lack of it impairs not only our physical functions but our psychological, emotional, and cognitive processes as well.
A full 8 hours of night's sleep is the ideal for most adults. But, again, it will also vary depending on our lifestyles. The common consensus among health advisers right now is making sure that we complete our sleep cycles. Most advisers agree that 10 PM is a good bed time, and waking up around 7 AM can allow us a complete sleep cycle.
Reducing gadget use, especially before bedtime can elevate the quality of our night sleep. A day nap can also be a helpful habit as it can give us an energy boost in the middle of our work day. Other effective techniques include putting blind folds and ear plugs when sleeping, and not engaging in any physically demanding tasks before bedtime.
Sleep is like a pre-requisite for having a great day. Making sure that we always get it in adequate amounts ensures us of stable and abundant energy levels.
7. Exercise
Exercising allow us to attune our bodies to its primary function: physical exertion. Exposing ourselves to regular exercise will make our body respond by giving us more energy. Thus, aiding us in solving energy problems like chronic fatigue, bad moods, or lack of motivation.
Exercising also allows our body to pump blood more efficiently. It activates our body processes and makes us feel more vibrant, energized, and alive.
Many of us neglect exercise because it can be drudging, or we may not have the time to spend to it. But it should not this complicated, a 30 minute exercise that incorporates strength, flexibility, and cardio can already provide great benefits. Engaging in sports is also a great option. Even a simple outside walk or jog will also do.
The key to maintaining an exercise habit is to keep it simple. We don't need to overexert ourselves. We can just start with what we can do, and be consistent with it. After a while, exercising will become a habit. It will become a valuable part of our daily routines that will bring great benefits to our energy levels.
8. Do breathwork
A solution to our energy problems can be found in something as simple as the way we breathe.
Conscious breathing has been proven to give us relaxation and calmness of mind. And it has been done across cultures-specifically through the rituals of shamans and yogis-who did it as a way to foster well-being.
It is no fluke that we are advised to "breathe" when faced with a challenging situation. Breath centers us, it funnels our attention and allow us an efficient use of our energy. By practicing the art of proper breathing, we can have the presence of mind to direct our energy on things that merits our attentions, and less on the things that saps our vitalities and vigor.
9. Practice yoga
Yoga combines the benefit of exercise and breathwork into one. It is powerful way of managing our energy levels because it also touch upon our emotional, psychological, and spiritual health.
It is no surprise that yogis are some of the most high-spirited individuals. They exuberate vibrancy as a product of their practice, and we are fortunate that we can do the same.
Like with exercise, we need not be able to make complicated poses to yield yoga's immediate benefits. We can start our routines by doing simple poses, until we slowly integrate it as a habit. Soon, we'll be feeling yoga's effects in no time, and it will do wonder on our efforts to have healthy energy reserves.
10. Have a healthy sex life
A healthy sex life also correlates to healthy energy levels. Studies show that engaging in healthy sexual activities can provide us with physical, emotional, and psychological benefits. It is a great mood booster and it allows us an outlet for alleviating stress. It is also linked to improvements in our immune system and cardiovascular health.
Integrated in our lives responsibly, healthy sex can yield us the same benefit of exercise. With an added bonus of giving us a good self-image and esteem.
11. Be out in nature
One of the defining feature of the 21st century work environment is that we do most of our work indoors.
While more and more of our work environments are designed to be conducive to our mental health, -through efforts like putting plant decors, allowing for wide-spaces, and the use of vibrant colors to elevate worker's moods-nothing beats the rejuvenating feeling that we can only get from immersing ourselves in open nature.
It has been proven that being out in nature elevates our moods. Being outdoors allow us to breath fresh air and bask ourselves in sunlight which can help in alleviating feelings of confinement and boredom.
Our jobs may require us to be remote but we can always choose to make time for going outdoors. This could be a simple practice but it can improve our energy levels greatly.
Psychological
12. Manage stress
While Cortisol in itself is not entirely harmful for us, prolonged exposure to stress can still be disruptive to our energy levels.
If we don't manage our stressors, whether it'd be at work or at home, we will find ourselves always in fight or flight response. Constant exposure to this state impairs our cognitive functions, and if we're not emotionally developed enough, it can also lead us to feel exhaustion and burnouts.
Our brain even though it only represents 2% of our body mass uses 20% percent of our total energy reserves. We can make sure that it is using this energy efficiently by taking responsibility for our response and exposure to stressful situations.
13. Time management
Effective time management can allow us an efficient use of our energy. This habit ties in with our ability to manage stress. Being able to identify how we spend our time can allow us conscious control of our energy levels.
In our modern work lives, its is easy to get caught in many tasks without realizing if they are worth our time in the first place. The key then for effective time management is being able to draw boundaries between important and non-essential tasks.
This requires cognizance, and at times, courage in our part. Cognizance because a lot of tasks masquerade themselves as important but aren't really so. Courage is necessary on the one hand because we have to say no to such unimportant engagements.
A general rule that would be helpful for us is to work when we work and rest when we are resting. Again, its all about boundaries. By making sure that we are spending energy on the right things, and at the right time, we could save more energy that we can use on other important pursuits, rather than wasting them on unnecessary things that only leaves us exhausted and unproductive.
14. Keep track of your goals
It would also be helpful for us to be clear of the goals that we want to accomplish. This way, we can avoid wasting energy by having clarity on the actions that we will take.
This habit puts us in the right mindset which our bodies will simply follow. Our bodies will respond by giving us enough energy to handle what our goals requires, whether it'd be through physical effort or mental strain.
Tracking goals also allow us to have a trajectory mindset. Each progress that we make towards our goals will fill us with more and more energy. Contrast this instead with having scattered priorities and we will clearly see a huge difference in our energy levels.
15. Declutter
Having a messy work desk could also be a subtle underminer of our energy reserves. A cluttered work station adds up to the stress that we feel from the work itself. So, it is best to keep our work space organized. This makes our work efficient, and can save us a lot of effort, time, and attention.
By being tidy, we will be able to focus more on the things that should be done. We can have more headspace that will allows for more energy and happiness at work, and in our personal lives.
16. Boost your self-esteem
Elevated self-esteem correlates to increased energy levels. A healthy self-esteem gives us a feeling that we can accomplish the things we want to achieve.
This state of mind is reflected by our bodies by giving us confidence and energy. This makes us wired to take action on our personal goals, and it can bring improvements to our relationships, career, and emotional health.
Some actions we can take to raise our self-esteem includes giving ourselves respect, patience, and being around things that we love. Or practically, anything that makes us feel that our lives are important and worth living.
17. Develop emotional intelligence
Developing our emotional intelligence can allow us to handle challenging situations without costing us much of our energies.
It's like having a psychic umbrella that protects us from emotional downpours. Or like doing Aikido, where we can let our emotions come and go without them incurring damage to our well-being.
Emotional intelligence is essentially about self-regulation. It's choosing when and how to appropriately react to our environments. It is acknowledging that we have control over what we feel and how we act.
Having this attitude on our emotions allows us to steer our ardors to our advantage. We can be invigorated instead of drained by our passions, and we can save huge amounts of energy that would otherwise be wasted if we don't have the capacity to keep our emotions in check.
18. Ease anxiety and depression
Anxiety and depression are huge contributors to our energy problems that we can treat healing them as a topic of their own. These two saps our energy in subtle ways and puts us in a spiral of energy issues that can be tricky to solve without proper understanding of their root causes.
Anxiety is simply a fear of the future. It is a resistance to pain brought about by scenarios of failure in our minds. Depression on the other hand is a denial of the past. It is refusing to let go of things that hurt us, and clinging to the idea that we can change what happened to us.
It would help us to realize that most of the thoughts on which these two problems are based are imaginary. Many of them are images in our minds that are often irrational, exaggerated, and downright impossible. The mistake that we make is treating these thoughts as reality, and this is the root cause of our anxieties and depression.
The key solution then, at least in relation to our energy levels, is to develop our emotional intelligence. To be wise observer of our thoughts and emotions, and allow ourselves to resolve our psychological issues, like traumas and low esteem, with courage and self-acceptance. This then can open us up to more stable energy levels. It will remove us of large energy leeches that are our anxieties and depressions.
19. Cut time on social media
Social media and the internet in general, if not used responsibly, can rob us a lot of our time and energies.
We treat social media right now as no longer a form of entertainment nor expression, but as a need. Something that we wouldn't do without; something that we feel forced to engage in because of a fear of missing out.
But just like everything else, it would be helpful for us to engage with it in moderation. Studies show that compulsive use of social media can cause increase in stress levels, difficulties in concentration, and low self-esteem. Its addictive tendencies can also make us depart focus on our priorities.
It is helpful to remember that social media is a tool for us to use; it is not something that should use us. While it isn't entirely a bad thing in itself, managing our time spent on it can contribute well to our energy levels.
Some actions that we can take to supervise our social media use includes taking a break or what is called detox on social media activities, or halting our use whenever we find ourselves scrolling mindlessly.
20. Be Social
Being social proves to be beneficial to our energy reserves. Interacting and having healthy relationships with other people can boost our moods, self-image, and esteem. It contributes to positive thinking and satisfies our psychological need to belong.
Our social lives are something that we must not neglect if we want to have abundant energy levels. Engagement in healthy relationships can be a helpful key to turn us into a more positive, and energetic driving force of our society, and of our personal lives.
21. Practice gratitude
Speaking of positive thinking, another habit that we can employ to increase our energy levels is practicing gratitude.
Being mindful and thankful of the things that we have, whether they'd be material wealth, relationships, or career opportunities, can further our esteem and lessen our tendencies for depression. This attitude keeps us mindful, it moves us away from pursuing unworthy goals that only wastes our energies.
22. Engage in leisure activities
Leisure activities are not something that should instill guilt in us. Instead, it must be something that is a regular part of our wellness routines.
Giving ourselves time to immerse in hobbies like reading, watching movies, or playing instruments can prove valuable in restoring our energy levels. These activities instill play in our lives; they shake off the rigidity that we feel when we are working.
Turning off work mode and going into play mode allows our minds to be flexible and free. Our moods become lifted which in turn allows our energy to be reinvigorated.
23. Listen to music
Listening to music can also fall into the category of leisure activities, but I think its influence on our energy levels is worth emphasizing on its own.
Music is proven to be a great mood booster. It can stimulate in us, feelings that we can use to our advantage, especially if we want more energy. It has the ability to put us in an active mood, which is perfect when we are exercising, or doing work that requires us to be focused. It can also be therapeutic as it can serve as an outlet for our relaxation. It can rid us of stress and can also help in alleviating anxiety.
We can get all these benefits from music without incurring much cost or health damages. It is something that we should leverage if we want to increase our energy levels.
24. Take vacations
Sometimes, relaxation alone may not be enough to restore our energy levels. If we find ourselves in a rut, taking a vacation could just be what we need.
Taking vacations allows us to unwind not only from our tasks but from our daily environment. Going to another city or country allows us to have a big picture of our world's society. It can make us reconnect with our life visions, and give us inspiration for our careers.
A good vacation can allow us to go back to our daily lives with a renewed sense of clarity, focus, and abundance of energy. This is why it is considered good practice to have it at least once per quarter.
25. Do visualizations
Another thing that we can use to improve our energy levels is our thoughts. Or more specifically, our imaginations.
It has been stated that "As a man thinketh, so is he." This is not just some adage that has no useful purpose-our thoughts literally shape our feelings, esteem, and energy levels. Engage in depressing thoughts, and you will be depressed. Engage in empowering thoughts and you will be empowered. It's really that simple though we tend to make it complicated by taking our thoughts for granted.
Thoughts are simply the seeds to which our life begins. By constantly imagining our best life, we can set ourselves up to have the energy, confidence, and esteem that will allow us to translate our thoughts into reality.
26. Be engaged in your life's work
Our passion for our careers could be a well of energy for us.
Why did we choose to work in our current job? Is it just to pay the bills? To have something that occupies our time? I think most of us have deeper motivations than these things. By remembering and connecting with our deeper motivations like passion, love, and a desire to contribute to the world, we can be empowered to take on our careers with vigor.
Getting on the path of mastery is a great way help us connect with our work's deeper purposes. Constant practice can instill in us the mental strength, focus, and passion needed to accomplish our duties. These raises our self-esteem, which then gives us energy to take on more and more of the inevitable challenges that our work, and life itself, brings.
Spiritual
27. Act upon your life's advocacy
The highest domain where we can get energy from is in our spirituality. This is where we can find our deepest values, or the things that we hold most important.
There is power in having something larger than ourselves to live for. It gives us the strength to face challenges that would otherwise be insurmountable if we don't have a deep sense of purpose.
Do you feel compelled to care for the environment? Do you think that people should have more access to education? Whatever our personal advocacies might be, acting upon them can give us huge amounts of motivation and energy.
28. Connect with your muse
Energy problems can also stem from lack of inspiration. This is why we must regularly connect with our muse.
Surrounding ourselves with things that brings inspiration like our loved ones, beautiful artworks or even scenes from nature can fill our dreariness. It can restore our creativity and zest for life.
By feeding our muse with inspiration, it will be more prevalent in our lives. It can give us energy that we can use to live in full expression.
29. Use death as motivation
Our ultimate fear could also be our greatest inspiration. We can use death as a motivation.
Thinking about the finality of death helps us put our lives into context. We can ask ourselves questions like: Have I achieved what you I to achieve? Have I experienced all that I want to experience? If we feel that we aren't living our lives enough, the thought of death can help end our procrastinations.
It is counter-intuitive, yes, but there's wisdom that we can put to use, and energy for us to have, in using our greatest fear to live our life to the fullest.
30. Meditate
Lastly, it would greatly help our energy levels if we practice meditation.
Meditation is a way for us to connect with being. It can ground us in our experience and allows us to have a coherent spirit, a clear mind, and a humble heart. It can bring us spiritual empowerment by making us acknowledge the transience of each moment, and how much we should be grateful just from the fact that we are alive.
Having this gratitude for reality can bring us the energy, passion, and inspiration that we'll need in each of our life journeys.
* * *
Conclusion
Energy is essential in order to live our best life. As we have enumerated, many of the ways we can use to manage it are simple, but nevertheless, powerful in their possibilities to not only increase our energies, but to transform our lives into one that is full of vigor, vitality, and zest.
.jpg)
Treat this list as an energy management catalogue. Identify the habits that will be most helpful for you, then act to instill them in your life.
Doing so, you'll soon realize that having low energy is something that can be changed. You won't feel like a victim. Instead, you will become an active shaper of your happiness, your health, and your life's success.
References:
Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz
https://www.health.harvard.edu/energy-and-fatigue/9-tips-to-boost-your-energy-naturally
https://sunwarrior.com/blogs/health-hub/music-energy-and-mood
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-to-boost-energy
https://www.webmd.com/women/features/10-energy-boosters
https://zoe.com/learn/how-to-boost-your-energy
https://www.menshealth.com/uk/health/g29773081/get-more-energy/?slide=7
https://vitalityrx.com/men-increase-their-energy-levels/
https://www.whitecloudelectroniccigarettes.com/blogs/wc/nicotine-vs-caffeine
https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/news/story/study-sheds-new-light-on-brains-source-of-power#:~:text=The%20brain%20requires%20a%20tremendous,percent%20of%20body's%20energy%20supply
https://unsplash.com/
Better Ideas on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=js2vfr96iAQ
Thomas Frank on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmZs6_CJ_u8
Cajun Koi Academy on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkUBtINnP5c
AbrahamThePharmacist on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8l56Im-xMs
Comments
Post a Comment