With so much that needs to be done each day, it’s hard to find energy to get it all done, let alone to get it done right. When we lack energy, the day can seem to just drag on and on, without anything productive getting done. It’s a dangerous and difficult problem, but not one without a solution - or rather, a number of solutions! Here are some tips to get yourself energized each and every day.
1. Optimize your sleep patterns: It’s tempting to just hit that snooze button and catch a few more Z’s, especially on a weekend. But in reality, those extra few minutes (or hours!) can actually do a lot of harm to your energy levels. You see, it takes your body some time to enter the truly restful portion of sleep. If you hit the snooze button to catch 15 more minutes, while it may feel good now, you’ll pay for it later. Those 15 minutes are nothing more than light rest, never reaching the rejuvenating part of sleep…and they’re playing havoc on your body clock - the main engine of your energy levels.
2. When you wake up, look directly at the sky: Just don’t look directly at the sun! 
For 30 seconds, look up to the sky and let the bright light of the day enter your eyes. This has the amazing effect of giving you an immediate energy boost AND signals your body clock that you are waking up now. This helps your body clock to set itself and prepare your body for the day ahead of you. Try this tomorrow morning - I’ve found that it can have the same effect of a cup of coffee!
3. Exercise: It sounds cliche’ because it is. But it’s just as important! Our bodies have to move…they have to exert energy in order to produce energy. I’ve found that this one tip has been the most helpful in keeping me energized. Whenever I “slip” on my exercise routine, I feel it in my energy levels. I promise you - just try it for one week…you’ll find yourself with more energy than you can believe. It seems that it should be the other way around; exercise should make you more tired. While this may be the case initially, it will have the opposite effect over time. Just stick with it, and you’ll feel the difference.
4. Eat a good breakfast: This is another cliche’, but for good reason. A proper breakfast not only provides you with fuel for the rest of the day, it also keeps your appetite in check throughout the rest of the day, preventing you from “snacking” too often. In fact, if you’re trying to lose weight, this is one of the least used “tricks” for weight loss - a big, healthy breakfast! Just like your car, you need to fuel up before you can expect peak performance. And of course, the better your fuel in the morning, the better your engine will run throughout the day!
5. Become a “healthy optimist”: I’m not sure if this phrase has been coined before, but it’s what I call a person who is optimistic for the right reasons. You need to learn how to become an optimistic person, and surround yourself with optimism throughout the day. Nothing can drain your energy like pessimism, or a pessimistic person. Believe in your abilities, and prepare for any tasks that you may encounter today. It goes a long way to keeping your energy levels up there when you find yourself succeeding throughout the day.
6. Use caffeine with caution: A quick helping of caffeine every now and then is fine, but when your morning coffee becomes a necessity, you’re addicted. And you’re now relying on outside influences to give you energy, instead of creating energy from within. This teaches your system that you don’t need it to work for you, because you have something else that does its job. And as with anything else in life, if you don’t use it, you lose it. Create your own energy as the rule - and every now and then, give it a boost with some coffee or chocolate. Just be careful not to let it interfere with your sleep!
If you follow these simple tips, you’ll find yourself with more energy than you’ve had in a LONG time, and you’ll be able to get more done, and get more done PROPERLY. It’s incredible to feel the benefits of creating your own energy. You’ll never want to go back to any other way!
Further reading:
http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/a-3-step-routine-for-creating-energy-that-lasts-all-day/
http://sheknows.com/about/look/1374.htm
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2002/Jul/03/il/il03a.html
