Ways to Feel More Energetic Every Day
Words: Nathan Fabiano
It’s been a big few years.
However, despite this i’m guessing work or study life has been more intense than normal and events happening almost every weekend or couple weeks to make up for the two previous years. It’s normal to feel drained, tired or lethargic.
Don’t stress, as we head into the new year there are a variety of ways to be better prepared for the year ahead and make it a proactive one!
Here are a few lifestyle habits that can be implemented to feel more engaged and energetic every day.
1. Cardio
Doing exercise and particularly cardio based training can provide you with the following psychological benefits:
- Improved body image
- Increased feelings of energy
- Decreased symptoms associated with depression
- Enhanced mood
- Overall satisfaction with oneself
- Pride in physical accomplishments
Even doing cardio training 3 times a week for 30-40 minutes at moderate intensity can go a long way in achieving the above results. Physically, it can help with sustaining a stronger and more efficient heart putting your blood pressure levels into the normal range and gaining a healthy resting heart rate can only benefit your mental state of mind and reduce overall feelings of tiredness.
Cardio exercise can come in many formats such as walking, jogging, team sports - and yes, surfing!
If you struggle to do any cardio on your own its best practice to join a group or find a workout partner to join in with.
2. Read daily
The more your brain is mentally stimulated the more likely you’ll have energy to stay engaged and informed. By reading you are learning new skills, looking into new topics and discussions but most importantly becoming an improved person and individual. The more you can self-educate and learn topics and subjects of your personal interest, it will only make you take action and implement learnings taken from reading, thus becoming a more proactive and energetic person. If you have a passion for fitness and health, reading content daily will only make you take action and put into place strategies, theories and training routines as you want to trial and error what you’ve learned.
3. Connect with like-minded people
Despite your personality and personal interests, humans need to be connected to stay vibrant and full of life. Being around people that share similar hobbies, interests, studies and work allows you to stay motivated and energetic and not feel alone. You can also share your thoughts and ideas about certain situations, scenarios, topics of debate and interest which as a result sparks deep and meaningful and insightful conversations which can only energise and motivate oneself.
Being engaged within the community is so vastly underrated and learning and becoming a better person is a by-product of someone putting themselves out there.
4. Eat well
You are what you eat. It’s the truth.
If you have an eating plan which is well balanced with macro and micro-nutrients it helps with hormone regulation and overall efficiency of your bodily systems. An eating plan that is high in excess of trans fats, carbohydrates and low protein with very little micro-nutrient dense foods can and will cause problems with you physically and mentally. Imagine your body like a mechanical machine, if it’s being overworked and not maintained properly with the right oil, water, rest and recovery then the functionality of it will still work but not the longevity or overall effectiveness of how it should operate both in the short and long-term.
5. Take up a creative hobby
For me, I enjoy writing articles, blogs and short-term content to help express my thoughts and knowledge but also to understand myself. Others might prefer to draw, paint or sketch images and thoughts to express themselves and also have a deeper understanding of how they view themselves, opinions and knowledge.
The art of expression through creation in many ways, will and can energise you to become a happier and productive person. It will spark conversation when speaking to people and make you feel proud through your self-esteem of your work and creation.
6. Sleep and recover well
Your body needs to reset and recover itself from the strains you put it through both mentally and physically. Rest and recovery can come in many formats.
Maybe if you're feeling mental burnout from your workplace, home and family life, participating in a WOW program or event might be a great start for you. If you’re not sleeping well enough it’s vital to create a relaxing environment that enables you to have deeper and more efficient sleeping patterns.
Forms of meditation can also assist with recovery due to mental mindfulness aspects of reflection and breathing work.
There is no on-size fits all approach when it comes to rest and recovery, however, it’s vital to acknowledge that the better your resting routine is the more likely you’ll have energy when you need it most.