Remember when you were a kid and your energy was boundless? Days seemed long and you could run around all day—literally! As an adult, you have probably experienced a time when you have lacked energy. If you have lost the pep you used to possess, you can refuel with these tips.
1. Remember, junk in. Junk out.
If you eat lousy, you will feel lousy. When you eat healthy lean meats, fruits, vegetables and legumes, you will look leaner and feel like a million bucks. If you eat natural, whole foods, you will feel natural and whole. Ever notice when you eat fast food that you feel kind of sick afterward or you are dragging? That’s because the typical high-calorie, high-fat fast foods contain artery-clogging saturated and hydrogenated fats that aren’t healthy—and unhealthy translates into how you feel.
2. Move more.
They call it a runner’s high for a reason, but it applies to all intense cardiovascular activities. When you give your heart a big workout, endorphins are released and you feel a sense of euphoria. You become energized. Put more simply, moving gives you energy to move more.
3. Rest is your recharger.
View sleep just as you do charging your iPhone. Without sleep, or with too little, your systems won’t work right. Your temperature goes up and so does your appetite. Your focus will be off, and in your haze you make bad decisions for your waistline.
4. Bad thoughts = Bad mood. Good thoughts = Good mood.
If you don’t believe me, the next time you are in a bad mood, ask yourself what you have been thinking about. I guarantee you that your thoughts will match your mood. If you are in a foul mood, your thoughts are likely to be negative, stressful or critical. You are in control of your thoughts. Slow down a bit to recognize your thoughts and stop or reject thoughts that pop in your head that aren’t good for you. Replace negative thoughts with empowering and energy-creating positive thoughts.
5. Write down your to-do list.
Untouched items on your to-do list can be extraordinarily stressful. First, make sure you capture all of your to-dos, so they don’t rattle around your head and amp up your stress level. Next, decide what matters most. For everyone, it will be different. Maybe you have 50 little things to do that are driving you crazy because you just don’t have the time. Choose a realistic number to tackle each day, and make slow, steady progress.
6. Call someone you haven’t talked to in a long time.
Relationships with people can bolster your energy and give you support to make you feel like you can conquer the world.
7. Let go of fear.
Whether you fear success or failure, fear can be debilitating. Fear can stop you dead in your tracks and it’s usually fed by irrational thoughts, so go back and re-read the tip about controlling your thoughts. This is your one life. You can decide to drop the fear and just go for it. When you lose the fear, I guarantee you will gain the energy!
If you incorporate these tips into your life, you will have increased energy, a greater capacity for vigorous activity, and abundant potential to live more fully. Who knows? You may even feel like a kid again.
