When I was working a regular office job, I noticed that nearly everyone started their day with a cup of coffee. It was the norm in these corporate offices. Throughout the day, employees would make endless trips to the kitchen to make more and more cups of coffee. I actually recall a team member going through 6 cups on a day where he felt completely slumped. I’m not a coffee (or tea) drinker myself so I avoided this habit quite fine, but even on some days when I felt like I needed a lift, I would buy a caffeinated drink such as Mountain Dew Energy. Sure this drink picked me up most of the time, but it was far from a healthy option. The temporary energy it provided wasn’t exactly that youthful sort of energy – you know where you have plenty to spare!
This was a period of time where I didn’t meditate or do any kind of yoga – two practices that are highly recommended to increase your energy throughout the day. If I be honest, I was never really interested in doing yoga, yet meditation always seemed to be on my “to-learn,” and then my “to-do” lists. Yet I quickly concluded that I just didn’t have the time to do anything in the morning before work, mainly because I didn’t want to wake up any earlier than I already was. So I set about on a quest to find a few simple things I could do, which weren’t very time consuming, and that would give me more energy throughout the day. I wanted these things to be natural and inexpensive. After Googling search terms such as “how to have more energy” and a bit of experimenting, I found these 5 simple & natural ways the most effective for feeling more energised throughout the day:
1. Drink more water
There’s a post which outlines 5 benefits of drinking water first thing in the morning – if you haven’t read this post then I definitely suggest that you read it and consider adopting the daily practice that’s mentioned in it. I noticed that since I’ve been doing it, I feel much more alert throughout the day. On the days I don’t do it, I don’t always feel as revived.
Whether you start your day drinking lots of water or not, you still need to ensure that you drink plenty throughout, to stay hydrated. Water is essential to our body; 72% of our body is water after all! We often cannot focus or perform physically at the level we’d like to, due to dehydration. A good way to tell if you need more water is if your mouth feels dry, or if your urine is dark.
2. Take a cold shower
A cold shower might seem like a bad idea. Especially because a nice hot shower, or a warm bath is so soothing and relaxing! Well that’s exactly why it’s a good idea – you don’t want to feel even more relaxed or else you’ll fall asleep! You want to shock your system…
When we’re exposed to cold water, we usually react with heavy breathing. This is our body’s way of helping us keep warm by increasing our overall oxygen intake. As a result, our heart rate also increases, sending out a rush of blood throughout our body. This then makes us more alert and gives us a natural dose of energy for the day.
3. Turn up the jams
There’s some music which makes us feel good, but can be quite chilled out and slow. This music will put us in a very relaxed state; it may even put us to sleep. Whereas music at a higher tempo, or with clearly more energy, can actually lift our physical energy too.
There have been various studies with athletes where certain music has shown to enhance their performance, providing them with more energy and drive to keep going. So listen to some songs that really get you amped up. If the songs make you feel like dancing then that’s good! Contrary to popular belief, moving around actually increases our energy as our body becomes stronger. This is also a reason why exercising often makes us feel more awake afterwards, even though we felt lethargic before it.
4. Get some nuts
I always knew that nuts were high in protein – but I didn’t know that they contained proteins that were good for energy generation in your body. I tried an experiment once (as you do) where I ate 14 almonds every other day as a snack before lunch, for approximately 14 days. I realised that on the days that I ate the almonds, I felt much more energetic in the gym, when I went later on during the evening. This is because nuts contain a coenzyme called Q10 which helps our body’s cells to produce more energy. They’re rich in Omega3 fatty acids which also help produce energy.
Unlike sweets and the general sugary snacks that are out there, nuts won’t give you that instant zap of temporary energy. It will however, help you stay energised throughout the day.
5. Go outside
A breath of fresh air is always a good idea! Till this day, I like stepping outside when I’m working. I don’t smoke, so it would never be for a cigarette, it would simply be because it makes me feel refreshed! According to a series of studies published in the June 2010 issue of the Journal of Environmental Psychology, being outside in nature makes people feel more alive – that will explain why I feel recharged when I take a step outside.
“Often when we feel depleted we reach for a cup of coffee, but research suggests a better way to get energized is to connect with nature,” – Richard Ryan
I really hope that these tips help you, especially if you’ve been looking for additional ways to naturally increase your energy! I’m sure that there’s also many other simple ways to feel more energetic throughout the day. If there’s any that you can think of, which aren’t so common, please let us know in the comments section below. Our team would love to hear about them!
Author: Vex King
I am the founder and owner of the Bon Vita lifestyle brand. I could give myself a title and call myself a lifestyle entrepreneur, personal mentor, writer, designer, innovator, CEO, or anything else I see as fitting. However no title can define me as an individual. I’m just an optimist, a visionary, a philanthropist and jack of many trades. I’m using my positive influence to redefine the creative industries using Good Vibes Only #GVO so that people can fulfil their dreams, purposefully, and enjoy The Good Life #TGL. My daily words of intent are to make people… Think, look & feel GOOD!
Follow my social sites:
