10 Simple Tricks To Re Energize Yourself
10 Energizing Tricks
Limit your options for less indecision
Most people feel as if they don’t have enough time in the day. They end up working into the late evening hours either at work or at the “second shift” at home. Often, this means they are missing out on a lot of time that should be used resting, sleeping, and re-energizing.
Schedule Everything
The way that you can prevent this problem is through scheduling and limiting your options. Use an online calendar or a paper calendar – either is fine. First, write down and schedule everything that you are already committed to, such as work, doctor’s appointments, eight hours of sleep at night, and so forth. Don’t forget to add in lunch dates, dinnertime with the family, and sports events and so forth that you really cannot (and maybe don’t want to) skip.
Now you have a real idea of how much time you really have left to do other things. Probably not much, right? When you really know how busy you are, it can help you make better decisions. Now when someone else asks you to put something else on your plate, you can look at your calendar and decide if it’s possible. Then you can say no when you need and want to more easily.
Cut Down on Choices
The next thing to do is to cut down on other types of choices. For example, if you plan your meals better, you won’t have to stand there for 20 minutes trying to figure out what’s for dinner. Instead, you simply look at the meal plan on the fridge each morning, take out what needs to thaw, prepare anything in advance that you can, and dinner will be on the table much faster.
Another thing that can take a lot of time is figuring out what to wear. If you lay out your clothing the night before, throw out things you never wear, and only have one black dress pant and one black boot, it will take a lot less time – not only getting ready but also cleaning your home. Most of us have far too many things, and duplicates at that, which causes us to take too much time choosing, cleaning, and organizing.
When you know what you have, and everything has a place, it’s easier to tell what you need more of and what you don’t need more of. You’ll save not only money but also time. When you save time, that gives you something very precious that you cannot get more of and is truly priceless. When you save money, you save having to be stressed out because of lack of money. It’s a win-win all the way around.
Next time, we’re going to talk about the one thing that will help you get more sleep at night and give you more energy every day.
Power off your electronics and give yourself a break
Due to the advent of electronics like mobile devices, tablets, and computers (not to mention streaming TV), insomnia seems to be at epidemic proportions.
People honestly do believe they’re getting more done because they think they’re multitasking. They’re watching TV, talking to people on social media, checking their work email, and shopping all at once, instead of relaxing as they should be.
This isn’t helping you at all. The truth is, all you’re doing is destroying your circadian rhythm. Humans need light and dark at certain times in order to feel well rested and energetic throughout the day.
The Circadian Rhythm
A circadian rhythm is an internal 24-hour clock that all humans have. It’s always running and is always aware. It can get out of whack due to artificial lighting in your home, in addition to the electronics we use such as mobile devices, televisions, and computer screens.
Essentially, all screens can interfere with your cycle if you aren’t careful. Some people are more susceptible to problems than others. But everyone is affected one way or another – even if it’s just having your mind being stimulated 24/7 without a break.
It’s important to remember, in terms of energy, that peaks and valleys throughout the day are normal. Almost everyone experiences the 3 pm slump and almost everyone experiences that time before the slump that happens several hours after waking for the day, when they are at peak performance getting work done very fast. Ideally, you want to learn and understand your circadian rhythm and how it works so you can be most energetic during the time you need to be.
The Benefit of Turning Off Electronics
One way to avoid affecting your natural 24-hour rhythm is to start turning off electronics at least an hour or two before bedtime. If you want to go to bed at 10 pm, then you’ll want to shut your electronics and television down by 8 to 9 pm each evening.
This can be difficult for some people because those are prime TV watching hours. But, it’s okay because today you can record everything or watch it at a different time using streaming services. Your sleep cycle is more important, and you can watch those things any time you want to.
Not only will shutting down pay off in terms of your family relationships, it will also help you find time to take care of yourself and get more sleep. The following day when you get up, you’re going to feel a lot more rested and therefore more energized.
If you want to improve your life in a big way, this is one thing that will make a huge difference. Besides, wouldn’t it be nice to be able to give each thing you do 100 percent attention rather than always having an ear out for the signal that you got another social media post or email? Try it for at least 14 days to see how you feel.
Next time, learn about the perfect temperatures for sleeping, learning, and staying awake and invigorated.
Cool your body to invigorate your mind
It’s amazing what a difference temperature can make when you’re trying to be mentally productive. It may seem strange to cool down to get more mental clarity and energize your mind, but it’s all scientific. Think about this. Your brain uses glucose to run and cooling down tends to release the glucose, thus waking up your brain. Plus, you tend to burn more fat if you stay cooler than if you’re hot and sluggish.
If you’re feeling sluggish, try any of these cool-down methods to invigorate your mind and get back on track.
* Yawning – One reason your body is often triggered to yawn is due to the need for an extra kick of oxygen. But at the same time it cools your body down, thus enabling you to think more clearly. You can make yourself yawn by looking at a video of someone yawning, or by simply opening your mouth as if you’re going to yawn until it happens.
* Yoga – There is a form of breathing in yoga called Sitali breath. This is simply breathing in through your mouth using your tongue as a type of filter. Just stick your tongue out and curl it into “U” shape. Then sitting comfortably with good posture breathe in through your mouth and out through your nose with a long inhale and a slow exhale. Do this about ten times to cool down. Great desk activity to do when you’re experiencing the 3 pm slump.
* Turn Down the Thermostat – If possible, make your room cooler at night for sleeping. The ideal sleeping temperature is between 60 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit. If you can manage to cool your room down like that, you’ll sleep much better and wake up more invigorated.
* Eat Fruit – An ideal daytime snack about 30 minutes before your normal slump time is to eat some form of berry. Strawberries, raspberries, and cherries are all good choices to eat. Alternatively, you can eat any type of fruit you want that is low in fat and high in moisture to cool down, including melons. If you want to avoid too much sugar, try cucumbers.
* Stay Hydrated – One of your best weapons against brain fog is water. Try to keep water with you throughout the day. The best temperature for water is really room temperature. You don’t need to make it super-cold because then your body has to work harder to get it to the right temperature, which could make you hotter. Shoot for half your body weight in ounces. For example, a 150-pound woman should drink 75 ounces throughout the day. Don’t guzzle the water; you want to work toward a slow drip to stay cool.
* Use Face Mist – You can use filtered water, but you can also buy face mist with essential oils that are energizing and safe. When you feel as if you cannot focus or concentrate, simply mist your face with the solution. Take the time to also breathe in deeply between sprays to give your body a little extra oxygen kick, which will also cool you down.
* Change Your Socks – Anytime you get hot and sweaty, even if you cool off later, your feet will often stay hot if you have the same socks. The best way to give yourself a fast pick-up is to bring extra socks anytime you know you’re going to work physically to a sweat, then change them so that you can cool off faster.
If you want to increase your productivity or anyone’s productivity, turn down the AC (or open the window if it’s cool outside) to get the temperature down. A perfect daytime non-sleeping temperature is no hotter than 72 degrees F. Someplace between 68 and 72 degrees is best for keeping your brain energized.
Don’t miss out on the next email where we’ll look at why you should follow cat law to be more energetic, invigorated, and awake every single day.
Stretch your muscles
Have you ever watched a cat get up from their spot and stretch? They do it every single time they change positions. Believe it or not, if you copy your cat and start stretching gently any time you change positions, feel tired, or need energy, you’ll invigorate your brain and feel better throughout the day.
The Benefits of Stretching
Aside from getting more energy, stretching provides many benefits, such as more flexibility, better posture, helps prevent injury, and helps get blood to your muscles which helps reduce soreness.
In terms of your mind, obviously less pain is going to be uplifting, but stretching also calms you down, releases tension, and increases good energy so that you can be more productive.
Think Like a Cat
If you want to add stretching to your day, think like a cat and do it every time you change positions or get tired. Especially stretch before and after exercises.
Be careful stretching too much when your muscles aren’t warm, though, and likewise be careful stretching too far just because you are warmed up. Stretching should never cause pain; it should feel good. Therefore, don’t bounce a stretch and only move as far as feels natural to you.
If you want to learn more about stretching, consider signing up for yoga or a Pilates class. There you can learn about keeping your form proper so that you don’t injure yourself. Some gyms now offer stretching classes, which is also a good way to learn the proper techniques.
You can also learn online via streaming classes through Lastics.com
They use stretching techniques that dancers use to be flexible, elongate their muscles, and experience less pain.
Stretching in Your Chair
You can also stretch in your chair at the office.
Occasionally, anytime you feel tired or strained, simply stand up, stand with your feet shoulders’ width apart, put your hands on the small of your back, lean back slowly to arch your back just until you feel a very slight stretch in your abdominal muscles. It should not hurt. Hold for up to 20 seconds and repeat three times.
You can try many different chair exercises that mostly involve stretching, to help get the flow of blood to your brain and to your muscles.
This will provide a tremendous boost of energy. If you need ideas, you can order a DVD from Amazon or look on Amazon for streaming choices.
For example, Sit and Be Fit: Easy Fitness for Seniors by Mary Ann Wilson is a great choice, whether you’re a senior or not. It will help you get through a sedentary day in the office. (http://amzn.to/2GAiwsj)
Next time, we’ll discuss the importance of sunlight in terms of your everyday energy levels. It’s super-important, so don’t miss it.
Boost your circadian rhythms with sunlight
Sunlight is one of our most important natural resources for boosting your energy.
But, sadly, due to how our schools, stores, and office buildings are made, many of us hardly ever see the sunlight. That can interfere with your natural circadian rhythms. If you’re having trouble sleeping at night, getting really tired during the day, can’t get up in the morning, or are lacking energy, you may want to consider sunlight therapy.
It’s super-simple; get at least 45 minutes of sunlight each morning before 10 am. But there are many other factors that can help. Let’s look at a few.
* Stick to a Schedule – Get up and go to bed at the same time each day, shooting for eight hours of sleep each evening. Even if you go to a party Friday night, try to get up at the same time on Saturday morning or try not to make that a regular part of your week. Sticking as close to possible to the same schedule is going to help you feel more energetic every day, and will boost your circadian rhythms.
* Walk in the Morning – You need to get your steps in, and the best time to do that is in the morning. A quick, brisk 20-minute walk each morning when the sun comes up is going to do more for your ability to be energetic throughout the day than almost anything else you can do.
* Turn Off Technology in the Evening – As least one to two hours before you plan to go to bed to sleep, turn off your electronics. The light from the screens can mess up your circadian rhythm and prevent your brain from wanting to go to sleep for several hours after you lie down. If you get a jump on it and turn down the lights, you’ll go to sleep at a more regular time.
If you notice that it’s hard for you to get in that walk, you can also get a “happy light” (http://amzn.to/2Cc4K18).
Set it on your desk for up to 45 minutes at least three or four times a week before 9 or 10 am, to trigger your mind to think it’s sunlight.
Want to know why your mom was right that your posture matters? Don’t miss the next email.
Practice proper posture to feel more energized
Did you know that something as simple as your posture can make you feel more energized? If you ever feel down, depressed, or just tired, think about what your posture is like. More than likely your posture is not that great. You’re probably sitting with your shoulders slumped, resting your face on your hands, and generally lacking energy with every part of your body.
If you want to feel better immediately, try to train yourself to have good posture. Sitting up or standing up tall helps you breathe better, gets more oxygen into your lungs, and improves your mood in amazing ways. It’s a lot like smiling. When you smile as you talk, it’s hard to be mad or depressed even if you started out that way.
Tips on Getting Your Posture Right
With your posture, if you’re standing tall, you can be sure that you’ll feel more energetic and more confident.
It’s amazing, but when you do this you slow down the release of cortisol into your blood and increase the number of red blood cells that get to the various parts of your body – including your brain. This will automatically give you more energy.
Try to set up a way to remind yourself to check your posture. One way to do this is to set up an alarm on your computer if you’re at your desk all day as a reminder. Another way is to pick something that you often look at in the room to help remind you to check your posture.
Try putting down the mobile devices while you’re doing other things so that you look up instead of down.
For example, when you go outside for a walk, don’t look at your phone the entire time. Walk, look around, and keep your head up high. Even if you’re exercising on your stationary bike, instead of looking at a book or your mobile device, look up, keeping your ribs open and your spine aligned, and you’ll notice you are much more energetic.
Even when you’re watching TV you can keep your posture positive by not multitasking and setting your television up in the right spot so that you can look at it comfortably straight ahead. Every little thing you can adjust to avoid slouching, avoid looking down, and avoid bending your neck down will help you get more energy into your day.
The main ingredient to more energy besides water is oxygen. To get more oxygen, you’ll want to learn more about deep breathing and why it’s so important for keeping you energized. We’ll look at that next time.
Deep breathing gets your blood pumping
It may seem strange, but most of us don’t breathe correctly.
Most of us are walking around breathing very shallowly, which can also make us very tired. It’s also why starting around age four you lose your ability to be very loud. You know how it sounds like an infant has a microphone when they cry? It’s because of the way they breathe with their diaphragm.
Watch an infant breathing. They breathe in and their tummy expands, they breathe out and their tummy contracts. An older person tends to move their chest in and out instead. So now that you know that, understand that you can practice deep diaphragmatic breathing to get your blood pumping and feel more energetic.
Follow these directions:
Sit up straight in a hard-back chair and place a hand on your stomach. Now inhale through your nose deeply, filling your stomach region with air instead of your chest area.
It might take a few tries to get it right. Keeping your hand on your stomach can help you focus. Your chest should not rise, but your stomach and lower ribs should expand. Then breathe out through your mouth, letting the air collapse your stomach and lower ribs. Do this slowly, deeply, about five to ten times.
Try to do this throughout the day so that you can train your body to mostly breathe diaphragmatically. This type of breathing will provide more oxygen to your organs – especially your digestive organs, which will improve digestion. When you have better digestion, you’ll feel a lot more energetic.
Another way to accomplish this is to exercise aerobically. One of the best ways to do this is by jumping up and down on a mini-trampoline, also known as a rebounder. Rebounding helps you avoid damage to your joints but also enables you to work out aerobically, which is a great way to get your blood pumping to get all the vital nutrients to your important organs so that you can feel more energized throughout the day.
Aside from oxygen, the other thing you need a lot of is water. Over 75 percent of the American population suffers from dehydration. Learn the signs, effects, and how to avoid it next time.
Avoid dehydration
You may be sick of people saying “drink more water”, but the truth is most people are walking around dehydrated. It’s sad, because in a developed country there is no reason for people to be dehydrated and dehydration can cause so many illnesses and lead to exhaustion. You can get very sick, all because you aren’t drinking enough water.
Know How Much to Drink
As mentioned before, most people need to drink the equivalent of half their body weight in ounces.
So, if you are a 150-pound woman, drink 75 ounces of water each day.
This is just a guide; you should also go by your thirst level. Start with this amount, and if you’re still thirsty, drink more. But, try to at least drink this much water each day.
Don’t guzzle your water. It’s not good for you to drink too much water too fast. If you’re letting yourself get so thirsty that you’re downing a 32-ounce bottle of water in five minutes, that is not a good idea. It can be dangerous to drink too much water too fast. Instead, try to give yourself water in smaller amounts all throughout the day.
Eat Hydrating Food
Lots of food is very hydrating, especially raw fruit and vegetables. While you shouldn’t drink your food, eating a juicy apple, a slice of watermelon and other fruit is very helpful for getting more hydrated. When you have a choice between something dry and something full of water, choose the thing that is full of water.
Use a Humidifier
While this is not putting water inside your body, it can still help. If you live in a dry climate, are going through a drought, or it’s just winter, consider getting a cold air humidifier to keep on at least in your bedroom while you sleep. This will help your body stay more hydrated and keep your sinus passages healthy.
Dehydration can make you very tired and sap you of energy. It can also make you sick. Not drinking enough water can cause chronic headaches, dry skin, dry eyes, and kidney problems.
It can also make you disoriented, forgetful, and sap you of energy. When something is as simple as drinking more water to boost your energy, you should do it.
What’s more, most of the time drinking water right out of the tap is safe, so there is no reason to use bottled water or any type of special water. If in doubt, water filters are a cheap addition.
It makes it one of the least expensive beauty treatments ever. Try drinking your minimum amount of water for 30 days. Take a before picture, then take an after picture. You’re going to be surprised that you look younger and have lost weight too. Plus, you will have a lot more energy to do even more each day.
One thing that helps you be more energetic during the day is a good night’s rest. But, most of us do things to make it hard to get enough sleep. You can make it better by creating a sleeping room, and we’ll talk about that next time.
Make your bedroom a fortress of comfort
Sleeping is an important part of being more energetic each day. Sadly, most of us no longer have a real bedroom. Instead, we have computers, TVs, and of course, we carry our mobile devices everywhere. We eat in bed, watch TV in bed, talk on the phone in bed, debate on social media in bed – and all that activity makes it much harder to get to sleep.
Instead, to have more energy each day and get a really good night’s sleep, consider making your bedroom into a fortress of comfort designed especially for sleeping.
* Minimize – The less clutter you have in your home, the easier it is going to be to relax and sleep. This is especially true of your bedroom. Set up your bedroom so that everything has a home, and everything is neat. You don’t want a lot of clutter on top of furniture to distract you. Keep only what you want and need in your bedroom.
* Humidify – Dry air, especially winter air, can cause disturbances during your sleep. Get a cold air humidifier to turn on each night. The ideal air humidity for sleeping should be about 45 percent. Lower risks dry sinus cavities and higher can trigger mold, bacteria, and dust mite issues.
* Keep It Cool – The ideal temperature for sleeping is between 60 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit. That might seem cold, but with the right PJs and the right sheets and blankets you should be very comfortable and fall asleep fast.
* Get a Good Mattress – Many people skimp on mattresses, but a mattress is one of the most important investments in your health that you can make. You want one that is neither too hard or too soft, made from natural fibers that support your body to help maintain spine alignment.
* Spring for the Best Sheets – Don’t be cheap about sheets. You only need two sets so that you can wash your sheets weekly and switch off. Buy at least 400 thread count and 100 percent cotton sheets. Make sure that they fit your bed correctly. Light colors like white are easier to keep clean and stay cooler.
* Get the Right Pillows – The other aspect of sleeping is your pillow. A pillow should support your head so that your spine stays in alignment and so that your head isn’t bent or raised higher than it would be naturally lying on your shoulder.
* Use Layers – To keep your temperature comfortable, use layers. Sheets, a couple blankets, and a light comforter is the best. You can then remove layers as needed or add them back if you get too cold.
* Outlaw Electronics – Don’t let any electronics cross the threshold of your room. Keep TVs out, phones out, and your mobile devices out. The only exception is if you’re on call for some type of emergency. Otherwise, understand that the best help you can offer anyone is a good night’s sleep so that you’re well rested each day.
Good sleep will make you more energized throughout the day. Go to bed and get up at the same time each night and morning.
Here we’ll talk about one of the most important things you can do to ensure that you stay healthy and energized throughout your life.
Ensure your nutrition needs are met
Out of all the energy-zapping things you can do, eating wrong and not paying attention to your nutrition needs is one of the most overlooked problems. Whether you’re exhausted, anxious, suffer from insomnia or just don’t feel great, look at your nutrition as a first step to getting your energy back.
Get a Blood Test
Ask your doctor for a complete blood work-up to test all your vitamin and hormone levels. You could be short on vitamin B12 or D. You may also have anemia, which is a shortage of iron. You may even have a thyroid condition causing you to be tired. All of these can easily be fixed if you know.
Eat Healthily
Whether you eat a high-carb, plant-based, or low-carb diet, they teach the same thing. Stop eating processed food. Get rid of anything that is processed including sugar, bread, snacks and so forth. If it’s not grown out of the ground, or organic, antibiotic free, or grass fed, don’t buy it. Then just eat half your calories in vegetables, about a fourth in fruit, and fill the rest with fat and protein. It’s that easy, regardless of which diet you’re on. If you’re eating only high nutrient food, you’ll be able to feel good fast.
Avoid Fast/Junk Food
Don’t go to a drive-through. If you do have to go to any restaurants, only eat the salad and grilled meat. At home, it’s quick to cook this type of food. A fast dinner is to bake sweet potato in the microwave, steam some veggies in the microwave, and heat up some beans. If you want meat, simply put it in the oven for about thirty minutes. Keeping it simple will work best.
Plan Ahead
The best thing to do is plan everything.
Before you walk into a grocery store, know what you’re going to buy and why. Know what nutrients you’re trying to fulfill before you buy anything or eat it. If you are eating something only due to the flavor, then you may be making a mistake. It’s okay to eat things that taste good, but know why you’re eating them. Having a plan will help.
Finally, make sure you eat at the right time. Eat something for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and if you’re still hungry, sometimes you can eat two snacks a day. Don’t let your hunger dictate to you. You plan for it. Remember, a handful of almonds is a snack. One apple is a snack. You don’t have to be stuffed every time you eat. Try to eat at least three hours before you go to bed so that you can sleep better without having to worry about digestion.