Life is fast paced and everyone seems to want a chunk of your time…. ten minutes here, ten minutes there… pretty soon you don’t have ten minutes left in the day and you’re overwhelmed by all the things you still have to do. The Families and Work Institute reports that 54% of employees in this country have felt overwhelmed at some point in the month by how much they had to do. And, the CDC’s survey on quality of life indicates that the typical American adult only feels “healthy and full of energy” 19 days a month. To me, this is tragic. No wonder we’re all grumpy and have bad attitudes. Life is too short to be stressed out, time pressed and exhausted.
Your attitude determines how you react to situations. If you are having trouble keeping your cool at work, being nice to your family and friends, sticking to your fitness plan or any other life goal, it may be time to check your attitude. It might be time to adopt some positive thinking habits. Positive thinking is a very powerful tool for dealing with stress and boosting motivation. Have you stopped to give yourself an attitude check lately?
When you look in the mirror to see Grumpy Goss staring back at you and feel the need for a good re-charging, take ten minutes for yourself. Here are some energy boosting, mood elevating activities that will refresh your mind and help you live a more positive life. No one likes a sour-puss.
1. Eat Breakfast. Skipping breakfast causes your body to go into energy conservation mode. You need energy to produce energy, so don’t cheat yourself. Choose a clean, healthy breakfast with a mixture of protein, crabs, and healthy fat to kick-start your day.
2. Start your day with words of affirmation. Post love notes to yourself on your frig, on your mirror, at your office, in your car… anywhere you can interject a positive vibe. Post your favorite scripture or something as simple as “I Love Life”.
3. Become a source of love. If you want to attract positive energy and love then you need to be a source of positive energy and love. It all starts with you. Treat yourself with love and respect and other will begin to respect you as well. Try this exercise… look in the mirror and say, out loud, “I LOVE YOU. I AM BEAUTIFUL. I CAN DO IT. I AM STRONG”… yes, you may feel goofy, but it works. It’s important to give yourself respect. Say “I love you” to yourself not out of conceitedness, but out of a belief that love is the essence of who you are and that your beauty comes from within.
4. Control your email… don’t let it control you. Do you have the urge to check your messages every time the little reminder pops up… you’ve got mail? Checking email 30 times a day is a real productivity killer. Schedule what time each day you are going to check your email and see how much more focused and productive you can be without that unnecessary distraction.
5. Breathe. People tend to hold their breath or breathe shallow when they are intensely involved in something. When you do that, you rob your body of one of its essential life forces…oxygen. Take a few minutes and indulge in 10 deep breaths. I guarantee you’ll feel refreshed and get a burst of energy.
6. Spend a little time with a good friend. Choose someone that will lift you up and not bring you down. In fact, I would totally avoid people who drag you down…
7. Have a snack. A mid-afternoon snack such as fruit and nuts is a great pick-me-up. Almonds and walnuts, which contain omega-3’s, are a great choice in combination with raisins or an apple which are packed with fiber and antioxidents.
8. Learn to listen. It takes a lot of energy to be the only one talking. Well, let me put that a little better, it takes a lot of your energy to talk that much and it sucks all the energy out of the person you’re talking too. Learn to ask questions and really listen to what others have to say in stead of trying to press your opinion all the time. I think you’ll find that when you show a genuine interest in others, they enjoy being around you much more.
9. Have a quiet commute. Try turning your cell phone off during your drive home from work. Use that as your quiet time to unwind and make a peaceful transition from work to home.
10. Take 10 for yourself. Take a ten minute walk and reflect on today’s accomplishments. What are you proud of? What are you a success at? What did you accomplish today? Sometimes we go through life just checking things off our to-do list and not stopping to give ourselves a pat on the back and saying “good job”. Talking about your accomplishments each day is a great exercise and will boost your confidence.
11. Play. Try something new and fun. Play ball with your kids, jump on a trampoline, go skating… Do something that will make you laugh and smile. Laughter is great therapy.
12. Get your sleep. Research has shown that sleep deprivation negatively affects all aspect of your life. It’s recommended that you get between 6-9 hours per night with most people requiring around 8. Try going to bed thirty minutes earlier every night for a week and see how much better you feel in the morning. You might just weak up ready to conquer the world.
13. Take some time to reflect and give thanks. We often get so busy that we begin to take for granted all the things we’re blessed with. Take a few minutes and reflect on all that you have, everyone that you love, and everyone that loves you. This exercise will certainly lift your spirits on a gloomy day.
14. Eat dark chocolate. I can hear all the ladies saying, “YES”!!! Dark chocolate has many health benefits and it’s good for your mood. It’s packed with antioxidents and flavonoids that improve heart health as well as compounds that release serotonin and endorphins in the brain which result in mood elevation.
15. Listen to music. Music is a powerful motivater, relaxer and inspirer. If you need an energy boost, throw on something that makes you want to jump and shout. If you need to relax, play something soothing that will help you unwind.
16. Last but not least… EXERCISE!!! Exercise is a great way to boost energy levels and confidence. It’s also a great stress reliever… not to mention one the most important components of living a healthy lifestyle!
You must be logged in to post a comment.