Lack of Energy

I was just thinking about how I have very little energy at this point. I snoozed for an hour this morning, got to work a bit later than normal, and am having a hard time concentrating.

And then I received these helpful tips from Real Simple Magazine!

14 Quick Energy Boosters

1. Get enough sleep. If you never wake up before the alarm blasts, you need to go to bed earlier. People become accustomed to the feeling of being sleep deprived, but they don’t really adapt to it. Make getting enough sleep a top priority. My problem is that I do wake up before the alarm clock, but don't get out of bed, and then snooze for an hour!

2. Go for a brisk walk. One study found that even a 10-minute walk was enough to supply a feeling of energy and decreased tension.

3. Listen to your favorite upbeat song. Hearing stimulating music gives an instant lift. Along the same lines…This often helps me, especially when on top of feeling lack of energy, I'm feeling sad. Usually my choice of music is reagatton or anything Latin.

4. Sing out loud. It’s hard to feel grouchy when you’re singing — and the goofier the song, the better. This is very unlikely to be implemented by moi :)

5. Take a short nap, if you’re the napping type. Many people find them very energizing. My father has been known to take three naps in one day. I wonder how my supervisor would feel about me taking a nap in the middle of the day.

6. Act energetic. Research shows that when people move faster, their metabolism speeds up. Acting energetic will make you feel more energetic. Does typing count?

7. Along the same lines, spend time with energetic people. People catch the moods of other people, and energy (or lack of energy) is highly contagious.

8. Talk to friends. I’ve noticed that if I’m feeling low, and I run into a friend on the street, I walk away feeling much more energetic. Reach out if you need a boost.

9. Cross a nagging chore off your to-do list to get a big rush of energy. Unfinished tasks drag us down, so force yourself to tackle one thing that’s nagging you to get a huge rush of energy.

10. Make your bed. It doesn’t take much time or thought, and it provides a feeling of serenity and control when you come home at night. I'm so tired, I can't even remember if I made my bed this morning.

11. Make something right. Apologize, confess, repair, replace, or return something you borrowed.

12. Go outside into the sunlight. Light deprivation is one reason why people feel tired. Research suggests that light stimulates brain chemicals that improve mood. I was outside today, but it's so hot and muggy, that if anything, it made me even more tired.

13. Clean up. I’m not sure why tidying makes such a huge difference, but when I feel like I can’t face the day, I just tidy up my desk, and I perk right up. This really does work, once I talk myself into doing it.

14. Drink some coffee! Coffee gets a bad rap, but the fact is, it really does boost alertness, energy, and ability to focus. (Plus, it’s a great source of antioxidants and it contains a high level of soluble dietary fiber.) Waiting for my Diet Pepsi to kick in.

Gretchen Rubin blogs about happiness, among other topics, for Real Simple’s Simply Stated. Her book The Happiness Project (Harper Collins) is due out in 2009.
Written by Gretchen Rubin