7 Ways To Boost Your Energy Naturally

When people ask, "How are you doing?" Do you find yourself answering "Great, energized, on top of the world." or is it more like a muffled "I'm fine" or "Doing ok" and inside you are really thinking, I'm tired, stressed, and just need another cup of coffee.

Well, if you are feeling a little more groggy, than bright eyed and bushy tailed, you aren't alone. I had a new client say to me last week, "I'm so tired of feeling tired. It's spring and beautiful outside, I just want to feel great."

Well the good news is there are solutions. With some small, daily changes, you can feel vibrant, healthy and "great". And better yet, you can do that naturally. 

To find out how, check out these  7 Ways to Boost your Energy Naturally. (My favorite is #2, my least favorite, even though it really works  is #6;-))

1. Monitor Your Thoughts and Feelings: We all have heard the saying, “You are what you eat.” Well, it turns out you are also a reflection of what you think and feel. These days there is no shortage of stressors but if you can reframe or shift your thoughts to see the possibilities, it will result in less stress, lower risk of heart disease, more resilience and greater energy and vitality.

I often say, “you feel what you focus on.” Many of us wake up tired from too little sleep and feel overwhelmed by the thoughts of all we have to do. Add to that, the common negative feeling of not being good enough, smart enough, attractive, talented or whatever enough. Not exactly energy producing thoughts or feelings. Instead, it makes you want to jump back in bed, cover up your head and go soundly to sleep.  

Tips to turn those negative thoughts around:

• Benefit Finding- evening the worst situations, one can find something good. Instead of focusing on what’s bad or difficult, seek out the benefits, learning, or possibilities that may now exist.
• Examine things from at least 5 different perspectives…the first 3 are usually easy, after that you may need to stretch. Then choose the perspective you want to live in (note: you have a choice!) and from there choose an action. It will be more energized and truer to your authentic self.
• Watch your negative self-talk- your body reacts to that as a threat and activates the stress response. We can’t control others, but we can control ourselves. Try for one week to consciously treat yourself like you would treat your best friend. Notice how much better that feels.
• Consistently course correct- this is not a one and done situation. I guarantee you have had many negative thoughts…. prepare to consistently match or top that with positive thoughts. It’s a muscle and it takes practice, but you can do it and you are worth it.

When we think more positively, we feel better and when we feel better we have exponentially more energy….and that is something we can do “naturally”

2. Get Moving- While it may seem counterproductive, exercise is one of the most effective means of increasing your energy naturally. And studies show as little as 10 minutes can improve your energy for up to 2 hours.

Why? Very simply, physical exertion produces more mitochondria within our cells. These little powerhouses generate energy from the food we eat. Hence the greater the number of mitochondria, the more energy we have.

Exercise also increases our oxygen flow, produces more of the good feeling hormones like dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins. Plus, as a bonus, it improves focus, creativity and activates the motivation center.

So head out for a walk, lift some weights, dance in your living room or play soccer with your child. Whatever gets you moving and remember a little bit goes a long way!

3. Eat for Energy: While there is a mind-boggling amount of nutrition information out in the world, most of us have heard that eating more greens, lean protein, and healthy fats and having less sugar and simple carbohydrates (anything with white flour) will improve our energy and immune system naturally. The key is actually doing that consistently.

Here are a few pro tips to help:

• Eat vegetables at every meal…. including breakfast. Add spinach to a protein shake, vegetables to an omelet or go French with eggs and a side salad
• For a quick pick me up, try a green juice. While it does not have the healthy fiber of whole vegetables, it is loaded with vitamins and antioxidants and personally, gives me a bigger boost than coffee (although I still love my cup of joe ) It’s a great alternative in the afternoon to eliminate caffeine late in the day.
• Reduce or preferably eliminate added sugar. Sugar lowers your immune system by 50% for up to 4 hours after consuming it. Plus, it creates sugar “crashes” which makes you crave more or feel tired.
• Create 2 vision boards. The first one includes healthy foods, water, exercise, and pics of things that bring you lots of fun, joy and fulfillment. The second one is smaller but consists of unhealthy food, soda, alcohol or cigarettes, someone slumped at the computer or watching TV and other negative images such as sickness, medicine, or hospitals. Place them side by side where you can see them to help reinforce the positive images and choices and help you steer clear of the negative ones.

4. Drink More Water- 60% of our body weight is made up of water and it is essential for our overall health. However, many of us don’t drink the proper daily dose of water and become dehydrated. This results in feeling tired, moody, foggy and can impair physical performance as well as memory and decision making.

It is recommended that we drink half of our body weight in ounces of water. For example, if you are 120lbs, you should drink 60 ounces of water.

However, I have a found a recurring theme with clients is when they feel sluggish, they reach for sugary or salty snack food or more coffee. This may give a temporary boost but then will cause an energy crash. So, the next time you are feeling tired grab a bottle of water instead!

5. Activating Aromatherapy- This alternative medicine practice uses plant extracts or essential oils for relaxation, healing, focus, memory, and energy! Essential oils can be used in massage, a room diffuser or placing drops into the palms of your hands, rubbing them together and inhaling the scent.

Aromatherapy can bring out the skeptic but scientific studies back the following 5 essential oils for improving energy, mood, and focus.

These stimulating oils and oil combinations are: Peppermint, Sweet orange and Spearmint, Spearmint and Rosemary, Rosemary oil, and Lemon essential oils.

Some others that are notable and I personally have found to be effective are: Bergamot, Eucalyptus, Lemongrass and Thyme.

6. Take the Cold-Water Plunge- Personally, I love hot showers, but studies show that people who regularly embark on a cold-water plunge or shower have more energy and alertness than those who don’t. Scientists believe the cold stressors cause your body to release noradrenaline, an energizing hormone.

If you want to ease your way into this immune and energy boosting habit, you can also alternate hot and cold water for 30-60 seconds respectively, splash your face or wrists with cold water or place a cold compress around your neck.

The key is cold but it will wake up your body and focus your mind.

7. Sweet Dreams- Studies indicate that there are 2 major types of sleep: REM or deep dreaming sleep and non-REM or quiet sleep. Each are responsible for different aspects of healing and recovery, but they are quite different.

Scientists have determined that the third stage of non-REM sleep is the most significant in healing the body, creating energy, and activating the immune response. When this stage is shortened it can take a toll on a person’s energy, physical performance, and their ability to fight off sickness

On the other hand, REM sleep primarily refreshes the mind. It helps sort through the immense amount of information that we take in during the day and aids in learning and memory. When this dream state is interrupted, it can lead to difficulty in thinking, remembering facts or making decisions.

So if you want to improve your energy, effectiveness and long term cognitive health get 7-9 hours of sleep- your brain and body will thank you!

Go tap into your natural side, get energized and SHINE!