Do you feel like you run out of energy too quickly? You may notice that one important element for being productive is actually energy and not time. Even if you have the whole week free, it won't help much if you don't have the energy or get exhausted easily.
Our daily habits can actually impact our energy levels, so developing and maintaining good habits can do wonders in increasing your energy levels both physically and mentally. Here are seven habits you can try working on to help boost your energy levels and get more done throughout your day.
Sounds like a no-brainer and yet many of us fall into the category of "night owl". Without adequate amounts of sleep you will lack energy. According to research on sleep, getting at least seven to eight hours is pretty much mandatory if you want to be on top of your game. Tip: Try to go to bed by 10 pm for next two weeks and see how your energy levels feel. If you're finding it hard to drift off into sleep, perhaps you are magnesium deficient! You can try taking supplements like FarmHaven's Magnesium to help offset those deficiencies and improve your sleep health.
Sounds kind of counter-productive as one might assume that exercising decreases your energy levels. However, you'll be surprised to know that it can actually help increase your energy levels and your ability to concentrate throughout the day! If you think heading to the gym is too difficult, start with baby steps such as working out from home for about 15 minutes a day. There are tons of short workout videos that pack in a punch on the web which you can easily follow along at home.
Taking short naps can help boost your energy for the afternoon. Instead of dozing off constantly throughout your food coma phase, taking a short 15-20 minute nap during your lunch break can help you feel more rejuvenated and ready to take on rest of your day. The key is taking short naps. When you take naps that are too long, you go into deeper phases of sleep which can cause you feel even more sleepy or groggy when you wake up. So set an alarm and avoid pushing the snooze button!
Start with your hard tasks within the first four hours of your work day. For many, our mood can also impact our energy levels. When you get a lot done during the first half of your day, you feel a great sense of accomplishment and it can positively impact your mood. This in turn can positively affect your energy levels throughout the second half of your day.
Don't waste your energy on things that aren't productive. One way to avoid that is to write down the night before what you exactly intend to do the next day. When you visualize and write down your schedule, you can avoid wasting energy and conserve it for what really matters.
To who? Well to yourself! The best way to get someone to do something is to give them a good motive for doing the task. The same goes for us. If we frame our goals as something tedious, boring, but must do, then it becomes harder to motivate ourselves to get on with the task when the time comes around to do it. So try to repackage how your view your goals. Instead of thinking that it is "something you have to get done or else... ", could you perhaps view it as a "new and exciting challenge" to better yourself? Picture your end result. Take time to refresh your memory and remind yourself of why you started and how you will feel once you've accomplished your goal. When you do that, it can help spur you on and give you the energy to achieve your goals.
This is not going to be a one-time process, but rather an ongoing one. Most of the time we feel exhausted because we squander our energy. It could be some of the friends or family members you have that don't motivate or encourage you or it could be your own negative feelings that stress you out and keep you from taking baby steps forward. So take time and jot down the different conflicts in your life and cut them loose. It may take time and courage to figure out what toxic environments, social circles, or beliefs are holding you back from achieving your goals. So take time to brainstorm those issues and think of decisive actions you can take to resolve them.
