Your energy is one of the most valuable things you own. Without it, you’re drowsy, lazy, unmotivated and often cranky. With it, you can make miracles and move mountains, while shaking your booty and looking fabulous.
You can look at energy at a very metaphysical level, especially when you take in account that certain people can either re-energize or drain you. You don’t have to, though! You can also see it as a very basis input-output process: based on the fuel you give yourself, you can expect a certain amount of energy to be used as outcome. Whatever you prefer, here’s five ways to pure, great energy that will have you fizzling and buzzing like fairylights on crack.
Every day, we deal with an endless stream of information. There are rumors this is why there has been such a rapid incline of ADHD diagnoses and Ritalin prescriptions; the constant stimuli pouring into our brain is too much, we’re overstimulated. This means that when there is not enough input, we’re understimulated, which makes us restless and antsy (ADHD symptoms). Whereas I wouldn’t go that far, you can’t deny that we’re used to everything being available to us at all times, we’re doing everything at once and we have the attention span of the average fly.
There’s a reason people meditate: the stillness is good for you. Take some time out of your day to just be still, just sit somewhere and be calm and quiet, this will do wonders. You allow yourself a moment of peace and quiet and taking that time can be extremely beneficial to your energy levels, ability to focus and your mental and emotional health.
I love the smell & taste of coffee in the morning, but I know I have much better days when I don’t drink it. Coffee may amp me up during the day, but it’s a very ‘on edge- type of energy: I jitter, I can’t focus very well and if I’ve really overdone it with 4+ cups I snap at people for so much as turning a page too loudly. Also, I may be amped up during the day, but I completely crash at night and feel tired when I wake up the next morning.
By taking yourself off coffee you allow the natural energy of your body to come back into balance: the biological processes are no longer interrupted by caffeinne, which means you will come back to what your body functions best on: its own, pure energy.
Our food intake has an amazing effect on our energy levels. Sugar creates blood sugar spikes that will wear you down eventually. Most overly processed foods are filled up with crap that would scare the average lab worker, so who knows what that might do to our bodies. 90% of the things that are labeled as ‘the healthy choice’ are quite the opposite of that.
It sounds like a boring rule, but if the food you’re about to eat has grown, it will be good for your energy levels. If it has been made, it’s likely to be less effective for increasing your energy. Plus, there is a whole variety of superfoods you can use to boost your energy in a positive way, both short and long term. There is raw cacao, carob, maca, lucuma, bee pollen, raw honey, coconut oil, chia seeds, hemp seeds. The list goes on and on. It’s worth looking into.
I originally put yoga here, because I have never had more energy than when I vigorously practiced Bikram Yoga: less sleep more focused, feeling vibrant and happy effortlessly, all the time. Nothing gives me more energy than shitloads of Bikram. But I realized that before that, I had a summer in which I was super-energetic: and in that summer I ran 5-9 KM three or four times a week. So the key here isn’t necessarily Bikram Yoga, it’s exercise in general.
Exercise helps your body get in better shape, but it also releases endorphins, speeds up detoxification and clears your mind. So whether it’s running, swimming, yoga, pilates or the most enthusiastic salsa class of your life, it’s exercise that gives you energy. You may feel tired afterwards, but in the bigger picture your energy levels will increase dramatically.
This one gets overlooked a lot, but how you behave in life has to do with your energy too. Scheming, gossiping, manipulating will tire you down, wear you out. It will poison the energy: haven’t we all been sick to our stomach because of something horrible we had done to us or had done ourselves? While when you had done something nice, or was pleasantly surprised by someone else, you felt uplifted and like you could take on the world?
So be positive, pure, clear and honest in what you do: your energy will surely benefit.
