Beating fatigue will improve many areas of your life.
Most people spend the majority of their lives fighting through their days.
Instead of enjoying precious moments and being present, they hope to get through the week and have a few lazy hours on the weekend.
Our to-do lists are long our, days are too short, and we end up feeling exhausted and lacking energy. Unfortunately, that’s no rarity but the daily reality for many people.
Yet, life is certainly more fun if we feel energized and full of power. And the good news is that we all can increase our daily energy levels through little adjustments which don’t even take much time or effort.
I know exactly how it feels to lack energy. I spent many months with almost no power and feeling drained all the time. I was not only uninspired, but I could hardly get out of bed on most mornings.
And the worst part was that I was already an online entrepreneur, so nobody forced me to get up and get to work. I was working from home, so sleeping many hours or staying in bed had no consequences. Of course, despite harming my motivation and my productive outcome.
Yet, whenever I started my day with a low energy level, I couldn’t raise my vibration throughout the rest of my day.
However, after a few months of lazy mornings and days, I had enough of feeling sorry for myself and wasting my time. I decided to take some measures to get my life back on track. I knew I would enjoy life much more if I managed to increase my energy levels and find more power and joy in my daily life, so I was ready to make a massive transformation.
Admittedly, it wasn’t easy.
Personal growth and change are never simple. They come with resistance.
Humans, in general, don’t like change. We prefer staying in well-known patterns. That’s why building new habits and changing our lives is so hard, but trust me: Investing time and effort into energy-boosting habits is more than worth it.
Life is so much more fun if you feel energized and empowered.
During my idle times, I tried out many strategies to gain back my daily excitement. Here are the six strategies that most helped me in increasing my energy and improving my daily focus:
1. Avoid the snooze button
Easier said than done, I know. I’ve been a major snoozer for half of 2019.
On some days, I had five to ten alarm clocks (shame on me, I know), and I snoozed all my way through the morning.
Sometimes, I snoozed for 90 minutes until I finally got up.
So, I guess you can imagine how hard it was to give up my snooze button, but here’s the thing: It works wonders.
Once I quit snoozing, I realized how much more energy I had.
You never feel more energized or awake after snoozing. Getting up after the first alarm clock is always a better decision.
Every time you snooze, you lose willpower, which you’d need throughout the rest of your day.
So, when I snoozed ten times, I already wasted most of the willpower for my entire day!
I tried many strategies until I finally beat my snoozing addiction. And I believe everybody has different preferences, but here are the two approaches that worked best for me:
A daylight alarm clock
These alarm clocks wake you up with the help of light. You can get one of the cheaper versions for around $30, and they are definitely worth the money.
Instead of a sudden alarm clock that pulls you out of your dreams, those clocks simulate the sunrise and wake you up softly. Usually, you can even adjust how long your pretended sunrise should last. In my case, the light gets brighter for 15 minutes.
“There is too much life to be lived for you to hit the snooze button. In fact, I believe it is ‘seize the day’, not ‘snooze the day!” – Hal Elrod
Putting your phone away from your bed
This is one of the most known and praised strategies because it works. Once you get up physically and move, the odds that you will stay awake are higher.
On some days, I hate myself for putting my phone across the room because I’d love to hit the snooze button and keep sleeping. However, I know that getting up is the better, more productive decision.
2. Build an energizing morning routine
Your morning makes or breaks your day.
After getting up without snoozing, it’s essential to keep your energy high, and the best way to do so is an empowering morning routine.
Staring your day in a focused and energized way will ensure the rest of your day is also productive.
“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive — to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” – Marcus Aurelius
Several small habits, like a cold shower or exercising yoga, can help you start your days in a more energized way.
Also, having a clear routine will help you to save willpower and thus enable you to make quick decisions throughout the rest of your day.
Instead of losing valuable time and energy on your mornings, create a routine that nourishes your soul, body, and mind for your upcoming day.
3. Improve your diet
What we eat has a significant impact on how we feel and how much energy we have.
If your diet mainly consists of processed, fried, or carb-loaded meals, you will feel sluggish and lack energy on most of your days. It is also proven that a meat-based diet leads to less energy in the long run.
If you, however, focus on nurturing your body with essential ingredients, fresh, organic vegetables, and follow a plant-based diet, you’ll soon realize how your energy levels will increase.
“You are what you eat so don’t be fast, cheap, easy or fake.”
Despite what most people think, changing your diet doesn’t need to be hard or challenging. Tiny improvements can have a significant effect on your overall wellbeing.
Here are some of the energy-boosting groceries you can easily start consuming:
- Bananas are a great source of carbohydrates, potassium, and vitamin B6, which all help boost your energy levels.
- Sweet potatoes are a great source of energy supply due to their high fiber content and complex carbs. In comparison with regular potatoes, sweet potatoes are digested much slower and provide a steady amount of energy.
- Apples can be found almost anywhere, are cheap and easy to consume. They have high antioxidant content and thus help to release energy over a longer time.
- Dark chocolate is not my favorite, but it’s excellent at reducing fatigue and improving the mood.
- Oatmeal is cheap, easy, and a reliable source of long-lasting energy. Additionally, oats contain essential vitamins and minerals which help our energy production process.
- Beans are not only a great source of protein but also contain high levels of fiber, which help to slow down our digestion. Plus, they are rich in magnesium, which allows our cells to generate energy.
- Nuts are rich in healthy oils, and even though they are high in calories, they can be an excellent source for quick energy throughout the day.
Last but not least: a high level of hydration is crucial to stay energized and focused throughout your days. Instead of drinking water only when you are thirsty, hydrate your body throughout the whole day.
4. Move your body
In times of less energy, we often try to avoid movement and prefer sitting on the couch. The truth, however, is that we feel more energized if we move our bodies instead of standing still.
Using energy creates energy, and even a short walk can improve your vitality if you feel lazy and dull.
According to the World Health Organization, adults should practice at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity throughout a week. Considering that our week has 168 hours, 150 minutes is not much and doable for anyone.
Even leisure time activities like walking, dancing, or gardening can improve your health and energy levels, so there’s no reason not to move your body.
Of course, being in motion comes with additional health benefits such as lower rates of heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, or even depression.
Plus, moving your body will make it easier to achieve weight maintenance and have a healthier body, which will definitely allow you to live a happier life in general.
“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.” — Jim Rohn
5. Avoid too much caffeine
When feeling sluggish, most people grab a cup of coffee or even caffeinated energy drinks.
Even if those boost your energy level quickly, in the long term, they harm your body and your energy level.
Once your body gets used to excessive amounts of caffeine, they won’t energize you anymore. Instead, you will get addicted and want to drink more of them. So, you will keep consuming lots of sugar or processed drinks, without any increase in your performance.
Instead of consuming processed, caffeinated drinks (or too much coffee), focus on hydrating your body with water or natural, herbal teas that boost your energy.
For example, green or white tea can help to maintain a steady energy level throughout your day.
6. Visualize your success
While most of the advice I presented in this post is about increasing your physical energy level, this one is a mental technique.
Throughout my journey of increasing my energy level, I found out that my mindset plays a huge role. How I think and feel is at least as important as the physical energy level in my body.
If I surround myself with negativity, I feel pessimistic and not energized at all.
If I, however, remind myself of my goals and my ideal future, I instantly feel a rush of power.
I figured out a visualization exercise is the best weapon against a bad mood and low energy levels. Having a clear picture of your life-vision will help you to stay intrinsically motivated and perform well even on bad days.
A vision board is one of the easiest and most effective ways to visualize your ideal future. Another way is through guided meditations. While both methods are powerful, I personally prefer visualizing with the help of my vision board.
Bottom Line
Life is much more fun if we have a high energy level and perform at our best. While vitality and a consistent level of power are not always given, it’s achievable through some easy measures.
Win your mornings: By beating your snooze button and creating a sustainable morning routine, you can tremendously boost your energy.
Take care of your body: On busy days, grabbing a sandwich might seem like a practical choice, yet, the truth is the contrary. Nourishing your body with high-quality and nutritious foods will not only increase your energy levels but also improve your health in the long run. Instead of grabbing the fifth cup of coffee, choose fresh fruits and vegetables or a cup of nuts. Additionally, make sure to move your body every day. Even a few minutes can help to stay energized and healthy. And don’t forget to stay hydrated!
Use the power of your mind: Visualizing your ideal future, and the life of your dreams can be the quickest energy-booster for your mind. If you focus on your desired outcomes, you will feel a rush of intrinsic motivation, and you’ll prefer getting things done instead of sitting on the couch.
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