Five Ways to Increase Your Energy! Stephen Frueh, PhD

Five Ways to Increase Your Energy!

I’m an energy junkie. I’ve tried all sorts of things to ramp up my mid-day energy including candy bars, more coffee, energy drinks and naps. Naps are good but they have to be short, focused and purposeful.  Listening to my body is a fairly recent idea for me. I think the culture I’m part of has misled me with its emphasis on the quick fix – various drugs (coffee, sugar, prescriptive solutions) and none of them work as a long term sustainable solution.  Your body is an often silent partner in your intention to live a full and energized life. Here are five reminders to help you change the way you relate to your body by giving it a “voice”:

1) Energy intake – eliminate fatty foods, gluten (for some of you), sugar and caffeine. Replace the second cup of coffee with a glass of cool water. We all know the importance of fruit and vegetables but we may cheat on red meat. Cut the red meat to once or twice a week, replace with fish and chicken.

2) Oxygen – stretching will increase oxygen flow to your muscles. Quick frequent aerobics (jumping jacks, brisk walks, and utilizing stairs) will energize you far more effectively than energy drinks

3) Stop! Look! Listen! – to the signals your body is giving. A headache, for example, can alert you to a need to back off a stressful situation. Lower back pain can simply be a reminder to get up and walk. Don’t sit for more than an hour with getting some movement.

4) An old eastern idea – wash your face with cool water, dip your little finger in cool water and moisturize both nostrils and each ear, roll your head around your shoulders, and…. stretch.

5) Breathe deeply and often – High performance demands tend to shallow breathing. Try this: take two minutes to breathe – in through your nose out through your mouth. Attend to your diaphragm. If it isn’t moving when you’re breathing, you are not breathing deeply enough. And this: your body is like a young child that you are responsible for. Treat with great respect, attend to its needs, love it.  And each day you practice this, your available energy will increase.

Stephen W Frueh PhD is a personal coach for individuals who seek excellence in
living.
You can contact him at: stephen@stephenfrueh.com ; or 805 338 4286