9 Small Changes To Help Beat Sluggishness And Boost Energy
By Chris Freytag
If you're feeling sluggish or your energy seems lower than it should be, there are small changes you can make to get your energy back. You can have more productive and enjoyable days by following these tips.
1. Remember, junk in equals junk out.
Have you ever noticed that when you eat fast food, you feel like you're dragging afterward? High-calorie, high-fat food typically found in fast food items are artery-clogging saturated and hydrogenated fats that aren’t healthy, which quickly affects how you feel.
Instead of consuming bad fats, most people could stand to add omega-3s to their diets. Omega-3s promote brain and heart health, so work them into your menu planning. Have salmon for dinner, add some chia or flaxseeds to your salad or yogurt, snack on some walnuts, work in shrimp or scallops to your meals and try some sardines, soybeans or tofu.
2. Stretch.
Stretching increases circulation of blood and oxygen to your muscles, which can help improve energy levels, increase your sense of vitality, encourage waste removal from your tissues and help your overall well-being.
3. Take 10.
If you are tight on time, just go for a brisk 10-minute walk. You can get your heart rate up, get your blood circulating and boost your energy level. You might be surprised by how much just 10 minutes of exercise can increase your energy.
4. Laugh.
When we laugh, we change physiologically. Laughing boosts your energy, bolsters your immunity, burns calories and improves your mood. Muscles in your face and body are stretched and you breathe faster, sending more oxygen to your tissues.
5. Get your sweat on and your heart rate up.
They call it 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. Moving more gives you energy to move more, especially when you really get your heart rate up!
6. Sleep.
Rest is your recharger. Without sleep or with too little, your body won’t work right. Your temperature goes up along with your appetite and stress hormones. Aim for at least seven hours of sleep a night and you'll be amazed at what you can do with your days.
7. Go positive.
Replace negative thoughts with empowering, energy-creating and supportive thoughts. Transition your thoughts to: “I can do this. I feel strong. I am full of energy,” and other positive words to keep your mental energy up.
8. Buddy up.
Relationships with people can bolster your energy and give you support to make you feel like you can conquer the world. Spending time with friends can be a mental and emotional recharge. So if you haven’t spent time with any friends in a while, work in some friendship time to connect and share and you may be surprised at how spending time with people you care about can increase your energy.
9. Lose the fear.
Energize your life by letting go of fear. Whether you fear success or failure or something else entirely, fear can be debilitating. Fear can stop you in your tracks, and it’s usually fed with irrational thoughts. When you lose the fear, you will gain energy.
Your outlook on life improves and you approach your days differently when you amp up your energy level. Live your life full out with these tips.
Published March 31, 2013 at 7:09 AM
If you're feeling sluggish or your energy seems lower than it should be, there are small changes you can make to get your energy back. You can have more productive and enjoyable days by following these tips.
1. Remember, junk in equals junk out.
Have you ever noticed that when you eat fast food, you feel like you're dragging afterward? High-calorie, high-fat food typically found in fast food items are artery-clogging saturated and hydrogenated fats that aren’t healthy, which quickly affects how you feel.
Instead of consuming bad fats, most people could stand to add omega-3s to their diets. Omega-3s promote brain and heart health, so work them into your menu planning. Have salmon for dinner, add some chia or flaxseeds to your salad or yogurt, snack on some walnuts, work in shrimp or scallops to your meals and try some sardines, soybeans or tofu.
2. Stretch.
Stretching increases circulation of blood and oxygen to your muscles, which can help improve energy levels, increase your sense of vitality, encourage waste removal from your tissues and help your overall well-being.
3. Take 10.
If you are tight on time, just go for a brisk 10-minute walk. You can get your heart rate up, get your blood circulating and boost your energy level. You might be surprised by how much just 10 minutes of exercise can increase your energy.
4. Laugh.
When we laugh, we change physiologically. Laughing boosts your energy, bolsters your immunity, burns calories and improves your mood. Muscles in your face and body are stretched and you breathe faster, sending more oxygen to your tissues.
5. Get your sweat on and your heart rate up.
They call it 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. Moving more gives you energy to move more, especially when you really get your heart rate up!
6. Sleep.
Rest is your recharger. Without sleep or with too little, your body won’t work right. Your temperature goes up along with your appetite and stress hormones. Aim for at least seven hours of sleep a night and you'll be amazed at what you can do with your days.
7. Go positive.
Replace negative thoughts with empowering, energy-creating and supportive thoughts. Transition your thoughts to: “I can do this. I feel strong. I am full of energy,” and other positive words to keep your mental energy up.
8. Buddy up.
Relationships with people can bolster your energy and give you support to make you feel like you can conquer the world. Spending time with friends can be a mental and emotional recharge. So if you haven’t spent time with any friends in a while, work in some friendship time to connect and share and you may be surprised at how spending time with people you care about can increase your energy.
9. Lose the fear.
Energize your life by letting go of fear. Whether you fear success or failure or something else entirely, fear can be debilitating. Fear can stop you in your tracks, and it’s usually fed with irrational thoughts. When you lose the fear, you will gain energy.
Your outlook on life improves and you approach your days differently when you amp up your energy level. Live your life full out with these tips.
Published March 31, 2013 at 7:09 AM
source: MindBodyGreen.com
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