On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your overall energy levels? Are you a 7 or 8 and generally walking around with some pep in your step, or are you more of a 2 or 3 that literally drags one foot in front of the other as you tackle your never ending to-do list and try to keep up with your jam packed schedule? If you lethargically answered the latter, then prepare to get an energy infusion via one or more of the following 12 different invigorating options.
#1: Plan Something Fun
When I was transporting prisoners for a living, it often meant long periods of time behind the wheel, which I found to be extremely tiring. So, every time I started to feel drowsy, I would think about an upcoming vacation or event I was looking forward to and it was if I had been given a shot of caffeine. Plan something fun and exciting and you will also have something to think about to energize you when you need it.
#2: Drink More Water
One study conducted on 26 men found that dehydration increased the participants’ levels of fatigue (as well as their feelings of anxiety and tension). Therefore, drinking adequate amounts of water all throughout the day can help limit this effect.
#3: Get Outdoors During Daytime Hours
There is something about getting a dose of fresh air that can help invigorate your spirit and, if the sun is shining, it is that much better. Make a point to get outside at various points throughout the day and you’ll likely notice that you feel more lively.
#4: Spend Time with Someone who Energizes You
The great thing about energy is that it is contagious. This makes finding someone who is energetic beneficial to you as you will be able to take all of his or her energy that they are exuding into the world around them and use it to help inspire the growth of your own.
#5: Make Sleep a Priority
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has labeled our nation’s lack of sufficient sleep a “public epidemic” with a high percentage of people in all age ranges reportedly inadvertently falling asleep one or more times in the last 30 days. If you are a victim of this apparently widespread problem, one way to increase your energy during the day is to make sleep a priority at night. This means getting to bed earlier and turning your mind off so that it can relax. Speaking of sleep…
#6: Take a Power Nap
No one says you can’t also catch up on your slumber throughout the day, as some entire countries promote afternoon naps (think Spanish siesta) as a way to improve late day productivity. To take your own energy promoting break, turn off your office lights, close your door, set your smartphone alarm for 20-30 minutes, and drift off just long enough to recharge your batteries.
#7: Delegate Tasks you Don’t Like to Do
When you stand face-to-face with a task that you despise doing, it is as if it sucks the energy from you. However, when you delegate those tasks to someone else, like hiring someone to do your marketing or having an accountant keep your books, then you won’t be worn down by the thought of these things, leaving you enough energy for the things you do like to do.
#8: Modify Your Diet
High carbohydrate meals tend to increase your sleepiness, so it only makes sense that eating less bread and pasta, and fewer desserts and snacks will boost your energy levels. Instead, choose foods that make you feel livelier, such as proteins, fruits, and veggies.
#9: Learn Something New
Sometimes lack of energy comes from boredom in doing the same things over and over again day after day. On the other hand, learning something new helps break this pattern and gives you something to look forward to. Check out classes that are available in your area and pick one to try. Who knows? You just might like it.
#10: Go for a Walk
A study conducted by the University of Georgia found that engaging in low intensity exercise can reduce your feelings of fatigue by as much as 65 percent. Even moderate exercisers had a 49 percent reduction in their levels of tiredness. Go for a walk. Ride a bike. Join the gym. It doesn’t matter so much what you do, just that you do it.
#11: Change Your Medications
If you are on medications for anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol, it is possible that your prescription is to blame for your lack of drive. Therefore, you may want to talk to you doctor about other alternatives that won’t have this type of effect.
#12: Focus on the Positives
Always focusing on the negatives in life can suck energy from you faster than a dry sponge soaking up a cup of water. Concentrate on the positives then and you’ll feel better, making it easier to get through your day with more than enough energy to spare.
The next time you feel tired, try one of these energy boosting options. And if you have any others to share, please feel free to comment below. I’m always on the lookout for more ways to help me make it through my day.
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