There are a lot of things you can do to improve your stamina, some are the ones you’ve heard already include eating right, sleeping at least 8 to 9 hours (yeah, right!) a night and exercising as regularly as your busy life will allow.
These days it’s not always easy to find the time to do all three, and for those occasions when you can’t, here are an even dozen ideas, all easy, natural things you can do to keep yourself from dragging through your day.
1) Don’t skip breakfast (or any meal for that matter) as you’re literally starving yourself – instead eat a little something every 3 hours or so. According to Marlene Merritt, a nutritionist, practitioner of Eastern medicine and founder of the Merritt Wellness Center. “Forty percent of your blood sugar is used for brain function, so if you’re not eating enough, you can’t think clearly, never mind doing anything else.” Waiting long stretches between meals lets your blood sugar stay low for too long, which causes the body to release a hormone known as cortisol to bring the blood sugar back up. Overworking these glands brings on the endless cycle of sugar and caffeine cravings.
2) Get more protein, as women especially don’t get enough according to certified nutritionist Jonny Bowden, the author of The 150 Most Effective Ways to Boost Your Energy. Protein stabilizes your blood sugar levels and helps you stay alert by stimulating dopamine and keeping your metabolic rate elevated so your energy level stays up. Replace a serving (or two) of carbs with a food rich in protein – low fat cheese or nuts.
3) Drink lots of water so that your cells stay hydrated and functioning at their best, minus the slowdown according to Bowden. You can sip small amounts of caffeine during the day, which has been shown in a recent study to optimize the caffeine’s ability to keep you alert, without disrupting your natural sleep/wake cycle.
4) Reward yourself so it’s easier to face the things you have to do – Promising yourself a reward that you can look forward to when all is said and done. It won’t hurt to keep in mind the feeling of relief and accomplishment you’ll have when you’re done.
5) Lower your standards (so long as its not in terms of your health and welfare) and learn to let go of “perfection”. Often we set unrealistic goals (a sparkling clean home, impeccably mannered children, workplace perfection) that are not possible to reach, take all your energy and leave you with unnecessary guilt when you can’t measure up. If you start by managing your expectations in the first place, you won’t waste time and energy striving for something impossible to obtain.
6) Try simple organizing ideas as being in a less cluttered, more ordered environment saves mental energy and cuts down on stress. Your brain processes the visual stimulation of the things around you and that takes energy. Try bins for gloves and hats, low hanging hooks to encourage kids to help out and a place for everything in your home/office so that everyone knows where the keys are kept or how to re-supply the bathrooms.
7) Let Dad (or the kids) do it “wrong” by accepting the fact that your spouse doesn’t have to do things just the way you do for a task to be done right. Let him clean or take the kids to the park so you can relax, without fretting that things aren’t being done the way you want. Give up control for a short time and allow yourself to use this opportunity to recharge instead.
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12 Energy Boosters That Work Wonders Continued…
Love your lobes because according to Chinese medicine, stimulating your ears is a wake up call for the organs of the body. A gentle rubdown of the whole ear is a simple, natural thing to do that is thought to redirect your energy upward.
9) Stimulate that scalp another option that works is to gently grab a handful of your hair and pull up so your scalp lifts up, then release – Repeat in another area until you’ve done the whole head, which should take about 2 minutes. This exercise stimulates blood flow to your head, which is an instant lift.
10) Spend as much time as you can with good friends, as the stress you’ll relieve in doing this totally relaxing and enjoyable thing will bring back an amazing amount of energy. It’s fun and you deserve that. Make time to get together, maybe schedule regular lunches, night’s out, whatever works. If you can’t get together in person, calling, emailing or even a quick text can be enough.
11) Try this one minute exercise from Tanya Becker, cofounder of Physique 57 In New York City from her Full Body Workout DVD. Here’s what you do – Stand with your feet wider than hip-width apart and toes slightly turned out. Lower your butt to knee level, keeping your hands on your hips. Lift your right heel off the floor (imagine you’re wearing stilettos) and lower it, then lift and lower your left heel. As you take turns between heels, add in a pulse by bending your knees a few inches up and down. Keep your spine straight. Repeat 30 times, or until your thigh muscles are shaky.
12) Lock yourself in your car; turn off your cell phone (pager, Blackberry, etc) and the car radio for five minutes. Sit comfortably in your seat and take ten deep breaths, focusing on the emblem in the middle of your steering wheel. This is actually a form of meditation (focusing on something that’s not your own thoughts) and will have you feeling relaxed and energized in no time. You might even want to do ten more breaths.
The next time you’re dragging and without energy try any of these very simple, totally natural (and drug free) suggestions to see if you can’t get yourself energized and back in the game.
Daily Health Bulletin
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