Written by: Jola Pypno-Crapanzano, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
How energetic you are is closely related to how successful you become in life. Having more vitality means being not just physically able to do more in life, but also to have the desire to take action, the drive to try new things, the mental and emotional vigor. High energy leads to purpose, surviving change, finding joy in everyday life, and being in top shape. The good news is, there are multiple ways to boost your energy. Below I am describing three of them.
Three proven ways to boost your energy
1. Increase strength and endurance:
If you haven’t started exercising yet, now is the time. Physical vitality is the foundation of everything that comes as a result. The moment you start moving your body is the moment you build momentum and thus fuel your brain. After exercising you’re more likely to take action on your goals. “Turn fitness into a daily activity and you’ll be constantly determined, motivated and moving forward” ‒ Tony Robbins
2. Think clearly:
The next best way to boost your energy is to focus on mental vitality, which is the ability to think clearly. As a result, you‘ll make better decisions, you will control what goes on in your mind, you will be able to turn negative into positive and let your creativity out. To encourage better thinking and train your brain, you can do the following: get enough sleep, learn new things, journal, brainstorm ideas, play mind games, avoid sugar, improve your memory, engage in new activities, learn a foreign language, interact with new people, get better at problem-solving, meditate, take breaks often when doing focused work, hydrate (dehydration is one of the main reasons for brain fog), weaken your bad memories, learn more about analytical thinking.
3. Raise your happiness levels:
The third aspect of vitality is emotional. So, to boost your energy and be more successful, you’ll need to feel better, be positive, and be at peace. Start by decluttering your life. Stop spending time with toxic people. Stop doing things you don’t feel like doing and which make you miserable. Get rid of possessions you aren’t using. Ditch the stress by leaving behind negative thoughts and anxiety, and the bad habits you’ve developed over the years.
Then start taking better care of your emotional health and spirituality. Welcome mindfulness in your life and do things slowly. Enjoy any activity more by being present and accepting it’s the best you could be doing right now. Such an attitude of appreciation will make you more grateful and happier as a result.
Vitality is a life force, it’s the foundation of being filled with energy and making the most of your days.
Make sure you pay attention to all 3 areas of vitality ‒ the physical, mental and emotional.
Take small actions daily to boost your energy and you will see progress in all fields.
Below I share more tips on how to increase your overall energy and vitality.
Energy generating ideas
Regardless of age, in every stage of our life, we can experience a low level of energy, fatigue, and exhaustion. If you wake up tired every day, you are not alone. Healthy habits are the key to maintaining a satisfying quality of life. A healthy day-to-day routine enables you to boost energy and handle the inevitable physical changes of aging.
Here are the 10 most critical habits you should adopt for more energy and vitality:
Be mentally active
Practice energy generating exercises
Don’t smoke
Eat high protein foods
Get plenty of sleep
Get the right vitamins and nutrients
Nourish your spirit with meaningful activities
Practice healthy stress management
Stay hydrated
Stay socially connected.
“The power plant, doesn’t have the energy, it generates it” – Brendon Burchard
Energy is a decision we must make and not something we have. Every day we can generate as much energy as we want using different ways, methods, and techniques.
It is very different for everyone, and each person must find out what works for them the best. Perhaps it is meditation, yoga, or other types of exercise or maybe it is just the conviction that energy-generating every day is a necessity.
Energy is everything
Work on increasing your energy by using proven methods.
How to increase your energy in the morning:
1. Quality sleep is one of the best ways to ensure energy the next day, enough hours of sleep will boost it quicker than you think. Go to sleep and wake at the same time, if possible, sleep a minimum of 7 hours every night (optimally 8-9 hours). And if you don’t get enough sleep during the night, try at least to take a 15-minute power nap.
2. Drinking water helps your body perform at its top potential all day long. A glass of warm lemon water first thing in the morning gives your digestive system a kick and starts energizing your whole body. It helps purify your liver which boosts your metabolism, improves your immune and cardiovascular system, helps with heartburn and constipation, freshens up your breath, and increases your energy.
3. Stretching first thing in the morning ‒ as soon as you wake up stretch out your whole body, it will shake off morning laziness, get your blood flowing, release any stiffness and kinks that may have developed during the night, and leave you limber and invigorated to tackle your day.
4. Don’t hit snooze, because it sucks away energy for the rest of the day. Hitting the snooze button makes it harder to wake up and ends up affecting your energy levels all day long. A more consistent wake-up time will help you skip the snooze button and wake up naturally with more energy.
How to increase your energy during the day:
5. Drink tons of water during the day ‒ water is essential to your health and weight management. General recommendations are ½ oz of water for every pound of your body weight, up to 100 oz. Don’t forget that standard glass is 8oz. For example, a 130 pounds person needs to drink 65 ounces (8 glasses) of water per day.
6. Exercise regularly every day or at least 3-4 times per week. Work on your strength and endurance because this will increase your energy. A morning workout triggers feel-good endorphins and lowers elevated stress hormones. Effects can last 6-8 hours.
7. Eat high-fiber, low glycemic foods. Vegetables, the number one energy-boosting food, should make up a third of your diet. They prevent you from feeling hungry too soon and prevent highs and lows in blood sugar. Fruits are great too but try not to eat too many high-sugar varieties, such as watermelon, cantaloupe, and mangoes.
8. Declutter your workspace. When your desk or inbox looks like a war zone, it’s setting you up to feel stressed out and wiped out. Take a few minutes every day to clean up and get organized, so it doesn’t feel so overwhelming later. A calmer, more Zen work environment keeps you feeling “on”, connected and productive.
9. Instead of second coffee in the afternoon, drink herbal teas full of antioxidants such as peppermint, chamomile, nettle, sage, or regular green tea. Green tea works as an antidepressant, improves blood flow and lowers cholesterol, helps prevent a range of heart-related issues, helps keep blood sugar stable, may help destroy cancer cells, helps slow down and relax.
10. You can gain energy by simply going for a half-hour walk outside, if you can’t do 30 minutes do at least a 15-minute walk, rain, or shine...especially if you work all day behind the desk. The fresh air and brisk walk will energize you and sharpen your focus on your “to do” list.
11. Laugh! Even if it’s hard! Laugh at yourself, laugh at a funny movie, remember funny times, and laugh again. Laughter releases good endorphins into your brain which make you feel good and in turn give you more energy. There is a good reason why there is a saying: “Laughter is health”.
12. Every day set aside some quiet time ‒ a key to restoring and maintaining vitality is to become conscious of your present thinking patterns and choices and how they may be affecting your health. Clear your mind of all the accumulated debris and clutter from technology and media, to-do lists, and negative thoughts. Concentrate on positive aspects of life and repeat positive self-talk mantras. Relax by listening to the music, taking a bath, or a nap (but not after 6 pm)
13. Don’t schedule too many things in one day. Some days are going to be busy, but if every single day you have too many things on your to-do list you will find yourself drained of energy before you even start your day. Check your schedule and lighten it up for a while. Focus on the important must-do tasks.
14. Stay away from energy vampires ‒ An energy vampire is a person who feeds off your emotional or psychic energy. These individuals generally lack empathy, sensitivity, and emotional maturity. As a result of the pain or insecurity they feel inside, energy vampires are addicted to preying on the vitality of others as an attempt to heal their inner suffering.
15. Work on your self-worth and self-esteem. A low level or lack of these will drain your energy, will make you feel sad, ashamed, insecure, overly self-critical, and worthless, which can lead in effect even to depression. Self-esteem is geared towards doing vs. Self-worth is more about being. They serve different purposes in life but also work beautifully together when married in their natural energies.
16. Your posture can affect your mood and energy. Walking with a slouched or despondent posture can lead to feelings of depression or decreased energy. These feelings can be reversed by walking in a more upright position, it can improve mood and energy levels. It is very similar to the principle “Fake it till you make it” ‒ you can convince your body that you have more energy.
How to increase your energy in the evening
15. Skip the night cup - After a long day, a few glasses of wine or a nice cocktail might seem like a perfect way to unwind, but alcohol can disrupt your natural sleep cycle and leave you feeling exhausted the following morning. If you are dealing with energy issues, it’s best to just say no to alcohol before bed.
16. Detox your home - All the chemicals we’re exposed to inside our own home can become a major drain on our energy. Toxic chemicals can be found in household cleaning products, cosmetics, nonstick cookware, plastic food-storage containers, and manufactured goods. Replace all these items throughout your home with healthy natural alternatives.
17. Eliminate the use of electronics before bed ‒ Turn off all the screens one or two hours before you go to sleep. Instead of TV, cell phone, computer, tablet, or electronic game wind down with an article or book instead. This change seems small but makes an enormous difference. If you keep your electronics on all night, it is affecting your demeanor the following morning.
18. Having sex. Getting your sex life up and running is essential for vital energy flow. What’s more, it creates a virtuous cycle ‒ the healthier and more energetic you feel, the stronger your libido gets. The stronger your sex drive, the more often you’ll enjoy lovemaking. Recharging your sexual energy is good for overall health.
Supplements and natural energy boosters
1. Ginseng - used for centuries to strengthen the body, it contains compounds that can help overcome stress by supporting adrenal glands hormone production. It also increases mental alertness and energy, enhances one’s sense of well-being, and boosts sex drive.
2. Rhodiola - this potent herb is used to boost physical endurance, energy, and moods and to heighten mental clarity, sexuality, and speed recovery time after exercise. It assists in adapting to stress which prevents adrenal fatigue and supports the thyroid gland.
3. Essential oils - it’s true that certain smells like Peppermint, Wild Orange, and Rosemary can give you energy. Even when applying aromatherapy massage, using one of these oils can help you increase your overall energy.
4. Reishi - contains compounds with numerous health-enhancing effects, including adrenal gland support. It has a cumulative beneficial effect on your kidneys, stimulating your sexual energy as well as an overall feeling of vitality.
5. Vitamin C - when you go through acute or chronic stress, you can lose a lot of vitamin C through your urine and may experience stress-induced adrenal fatigue. Vitamin C helps the body produce adrenal hormones.
6. Vitamin B5 - also known as Pantothenic acid plays a key role in your body’s production of adrenal hormones. Use it for adrenal fatigue due to stress. You can get it from foods including whole grains, legumes, broccoli, cauliflower, salmon, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes.
And finally, by far my favorite method of boosting energy
Vacations and other getaways - Everyone knows why vacations are great ‒ they’re fun! You don’t have to work! But there are some surprising side benefits of traveling. It also can boost your wellness, helps you be more energized and more productive:
Vacations can cut your risk for heart attack
Vacations boost your energy levels
Vacations can help you get a raise
Vacation adventures give you a natural high
Vacations make you happier with your entire life
Vacations can help the economy
Vacations help keep your mind calm
Vacation happiness is contagious
Vacation may help you live a longer and happier life
Vacations force you to improve your workflow.
“THE WORLD BELONGS TO THE ENERGETIC” – RALF WALDO EMERSON
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Jola Pypno-Crapanzano, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Jola Pypno-Crapanzano is a Certified High-Performance Coach™️, NLP and TLT®️ Practitioner, founder and CEO of Coaching Journey with Jola, two times International Bestselling Author of “One” - Your wellness guide to body, mind, and soul and “Stay home” – When you can’t go outside, what happens inside? She carries Masters Degree in Scientific-Technical Information from Silesian University in Poland. She has over 30 years of combined experience working with thousands of unique individuals and groups of people serving them in many different capacities. First, as a tour guide traveling worldwide (almost 70 countries visited so far) and translating into 4 languages, then working in the entertainment and hospitality industry as part of operational management in a large publicly traded company in NYC. Finally, coaching people initially as fitness, wellness, and lifestyle coach and most recently more holistically as Certified High-Performance Coach™️, NLP and Time Line Therapy®️ Practitioner. She also helps her clients with positive intelligence, specializing in strengthening their Mental Fitness and supporting them through various strategic interventions. Her mission is to help one million people live their lives to the fullest, reach heightened and sustained levels of clarity, energy, courage, productivity, and influence and show them that it is possible to live lives of their dreams, on their terms, without regrets, be fully engaged, joyful and confident and build an incredible lasting legacy.
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