Wednesday, August 10, 2011

I R Tired - Tips For Boosting Your Energy

I don't know why, but I'm feeling extra tired today. I'm pretty sure I got plenty o' sleep, so, go figure.

I know. Not exactly what you're looking for in a blog post, right? Well, trust. There's a method to my tired old blog post madness, because I'm about to deliver you the goods on how to get some energy when you're feeling less than.

1. Get active!
Mental and physical activity helps boost energy!

Yes, I know. You're probably sitting there right now thinking the same thing I'm thinking -- I can't even move, let alone "get active," mentally, physically or otherwise! Like it's that easy!

Well, friends, I'm here to tell you that it really does work. In fact, coming in here right now to post on my blog is already helping me to feel more alive. And, I'll tell you why. I've shifted gears. I went from sitting here thinking and feeling fatigue to thinking and feeling -- I promised I'd deliver -- I better get to it!

So, the next time you're feeling that you can barely keep your eyes open let alone remain in any sort of upright position -- get active, shift gears from whatever you're doing or, in my case just a moment ago, not doing and do something different. If you're at work and your work is causing your brain to go numb -- get up, move around, step outside for a couple of minutes, switch to a different task -- anything! It really will help you get back some energy.

2. It's Friday!
That's right! Ever notice how much more alive you feel on Fridays (or whatever your last day of work might be for the week)? Get yourself into a Friday kind of mindset and I promise you'll feel like a living, breathing human being again. In fact, to help make the illusion seem more real make sure you do something after work that you usually only reserve for your days off.

That's one of the things we do, we get into routines and when we do that we tend to start losing our sense that every day is an adventure, which over time really saps our energy.

Just think how much better you're going to feel when you have something fun to look forward to after work.

3. Take a nap!
Oh, stop your whining! Nap time is great for allowing your brain and body to shift gears. You know those 10 and 15 minute power naps that you always hear about? Well, they really work. I've used them on many occasions when I felt like I could not function.

So, whenever you're in a position to lay back for 10 - 15 minutes, do so! Let your mind and body have a little of what it craves and you'll feel good as new in no time, literally!

4. Stop Clock-Watching!
If you're like me, you're always eager for that end of day bell to ring. One of my supervisors from a former job had a great tip about that. She told us to stop watching the clock and the day will go faster. I decided to try that. I covered the place on my screen where the time displayed with a piece of tape, I put my cell phone away and I simply avoided focusing on the time. Guess what I found out? You guessed it! The day seemed to be over before I knew it. Thanks Ms. S!

5. Prayer.
Seriously. It helps. I have many times felt the work week was just dragging by and I have felt I was going to just die from fatigue. But when I remember to pray for it to seem to go by quickly for me -- it does! I realize that this tip may not be for everyone. If you're not religious, you're not religious. To each his or her own. I promise I won't hold that against you. ;-)

6. Take a walk!A body in motion tends to stay in motion unless acted upon by some outside force. (Thanks Newton!)

So when you're feeling like I just was and you get up and move around, even walking around the block, you get necessary oxygen rich blood to the brain and that wakes you up.

You see, usually when we think we're tired, we really aren't -- we're oxygen deprived or, as in my last energy-boosting tip --

7. Drink some water!
Yep. You heard me. Drink water instead of coffee and you'll not only feel more awake, you won't be loading up your body with an unnecessary stimulant. I'm not telling you to stop drinking coffee altogether -- I'm just telling you that drinking too much coffee (or other caffeine loaded drinks) can actually dehydrate you, and being dehydrated -- even just a little bit, can cause you to feel fatigued.

So drink some cool, clear water and wake up your mind and body!

Try all or some of these tips and I can guarantee that you'll be feeling much better in no time -- I already am, and I really felt like death warmed over just now.

If none of these tips help and your fatigue goes on for days on end, you might want to consult with a doctor. It's not the first thing I would do, I would probably take some extra B vitamins (they boost energy) or even something like Resveratrol (also, boosts energy), but I would be remiss if I didn't give a nod to the doctors out there. After all, chronic daily fatigue is nothing to play with. It could be a sign of a hidden condition or disease.

However, I don't mean to scare you, fatigue is usually a sign that you're doing too much of the same thing, not getting enough exercise or simply not eating and drinking what you should. In fact, I can add a eighth tip to this list -- get off of the junk food! If you're getting a daily dose of simple carbohydrates (doughnuts, candy, white bread etc.), then you should, again, shift gears and start adding healthier choices back into your diet.

These are tips that I've learned through the years and they've really helped me. I sincerely hope they'll help you, too!

What do you like to do to boost your energy when you're flagging? If you have a tip you'd like to add to this list, please do so by leaving a comment.

And always remember to -- take care out there!

Hugs!

1 comment:

Anne Marie said...

All good ideas, Lesa. The only one I can add, and it's kind of cause specific, is avoid what you're sensitive to , as in allergies or other sensitivities. Try to avoid them, at any rate. I haven't yet found a way to recover quickly from the fatigue mine induces - though walking helps.