5 Daily Practices That Will Boost Your Energy

Feel sluggish, reach for a cup off coffee. Guilty as charged. And while a great cup of coffee has it’s own short-lived happiness and alertness perks, there are better ways to boost your energy and happiness that don’t involve a stimulant. The following actions have the very real, very positive ability to give you a boost long-term, especially when practiced daily.

5 DAILY PRACTICES THAT WILL BOOST YOUR ENERGY AND HAPPINESS

Movement

Daily movement and exercise boosts overall health and well-being for numerous reasons.

Exercise triggers your body to release endorphins, a naturally occurring “feel-good” hormone that diminishes pain and triggers positive feelings. This is the hormone that is responsible for a runner’s high – that post run euphoria that some people feel after a long run. Research suggests that it takes about 30 minutes of continuous exercise to feel that boost and that moderate-intensity movement might be best. It stands to reason that creating a habit of consistent, daily movement is a great way to guarantee yourself a boost of energy and happiness.

Consistent bouts of exercise also give you a boost in cardiovascular health. Increased cardiovascular health makes everyday activities – such as walking up the stairs, cleaning the house and playing with the dogs – more enjoyable because it stops feeling like work and starts feeling easier.

Finally and possibly most importantly, daily exercise improves your sleep quality. Better sleep leaves you feel more alert, focused and energized throughout the day. The energy you build over a full night’s sleep is far more robust than whatever a cup of coffee can give you!

Set a goal to exercise at least 30 minutes every day. Aim to at least elevate your heart rate so that you are breathing a bit harder and challenging your muscles and cardiovascular system to adapt and get stronger. For a bigger benefit incorporate strength training into your weekly routine as well.

Self-Empathy

Have you ever noticed that when you are in a bad mood and/or feeling particularly down about yourself, you’re quick to believe that the whole world is out to get you? I’m raising my hand over here…

Practicing self-care and self-empathy can completely alter the way you see the world by altering the way you think the world sees you. It involves learning to navigate negative emotions with understanding and patience – much like you’d help a friend or loved one through a tough time. We tend to be much more critical of ourselves – leaving us feeling frustrated, tired and emotionally drained.

Instead of beating yourself over imperfections, try these tactics:

• Imagine that you are helping a friend through your tough moment or self-criticism. Imagine the words of encouragement, compassion and empathy that you would use for them and turn them inwards, believing them of yourself as well.
  
• Slow down and zoom out. If you can take a step back from the situation and the emotions that feel too big to deal with, you can reframe the situation and gain perspective.
  
• Imagine a You who handles every situation with self-empathy. How does she react? What does her mental script sound like? If you can bring her to life in your imagination you can start to live by her guidance in the immediate moment.

Take 5-10 minutes every day to prioritize your own sanity and wellness. You can schedule this time in the morning, to prepare yourself for the day. Imagine yourself navigating stressful situations with grace instead of self-criticism. Alternatively, stay consciously aware of your state of mind as you move through your day and pause for a time out when you feel yourself becoming over whelmed or negative.

Gratitude

Gratefulness…not just thankfulness but deep seeded gratitude for the big things, the small things and everything in between. Think about the times of the year that giving thanks and being grateful are built in pieces of the time period. Thanksgiving, for example. You can feel that kind of joy in your heart. You sit around the table with friends and family, feasting and laughing, staying warm and playing games. That’s a kind of energy that comes from within.

Practicing daily gratitude helps your to be more aware and open to the good experiences and positive emotions of every day life. It helps you to find a reason to smile even on the most frustrating of days. Gratitude helps you feel connected to other people, events, and phenomena outside of yourself.

I keep a gratitude journal in my home office. Every morning before I start my day I write down 3 things that I am grateful for. Sometimes I’m grateful for the small, everyday things like morning snuggles with my dog, a hot cup of coffee or the fact that my puppy slept through the night. Other days my gratitude feels bigger and I am deeply thankful for things that are much larger than I am: the sunlight filtering through my windows, my husbands happiness or my parents’ health.

Set a goal to write down 2-3 things that you are grateful for on a daily basis. I have clients who write their gratitudes in a Passion Planner and still others who spread their gratefulness on social media. Choose a method that feels right to you and then get in the habit of reflecting with contentment.

Connection

Extrovert or introvert we all need to feel connected with others. This past year has made that particularly difficult in some respects. We’ve had to adapt to a new way of communicating and connecting with others. And while that’s a connection that’s often not in person, I’ve found that I’m super grateful and energized by the contact I do have with my family and friends and clients.

It doesn’t take much to feel connected with another person (just as it doesn’t take much time to feel isolated). But it does take conscious effort.

Good conversation and laughter release the same feel good endorphins that exercise does, as well as serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin. Did you know that oxytocin promotes bonding and trust? Your body reacts to situations like touching another human being or even eye contact, by releasing oxytocin into the blood stream. When hat happens *boom*…you have a natural boost in energy and happiness.

Set a daily goal to reach out to one person who you haven’t spoken to in a while, or who you know would be thankful for your call. Think about someone who brings a smile to your face and make a it a point to send them a text or a message on Facebook.

Change Your Focus

In the world of fitness we talk about results. A lot. What isn’t mentioned quite as often – but absolutely should be – is that if all you focus on is results, you lose sight of what needs to change. If instead you focus on change, the results will come.

Results, by definition, are the outcome. They occur (or not), somewhere in the future. You do not have control over results. Which is frustrating and draining.

Change, on the other hand, is immediate. It’s a behavior. And it’s completely under your control. What an exciting, uplifting and energizing thought!

Think about it this way:

Losing 50 pounds is the goal. It’s valid and motivating, but it’s not going to happen tomorrow. That’s frustrating and feels exhausting.

Walking 10,000 steps a day. Lifting weights 4 times a week. Eating protein at every meal. These are changes – ACTIONS – that you can take every.single.day. That’s an incredibly uplifting and powerful feeling!

It is far more powerful to act than it is to react. Take charge. Focus on changing what you can every single day and the results will come.

Boost your energy and motivation by adding a couple of intentional focuses to your day. They should be directly connected to your long term goals but small enough, and actionable enough, to achieve on a daily basis.