A major challenge that society is facing is that they don’t have the energy to achieve their goals. For most people, it’s a struggle to get out of bed in the morning, they’re sluggish throughout the day, and they seem to be tired ALL the time. Once you learn to consistently have high-levels of energy, you’ll be on the right path to becoming the best-version-of-yourself.
Being able to maintain a high-level of energy will enable you to wake up with enthusiasm, be focused throughout the day, and accomplish more than ever. If you pay attention to successful people who seem to thrive in every area of their life, they’re most often the ones who have high-levels of energy!
Entrepreneur, author and business coach Peter Voogd says “In order to take your life to the next level, it’s crucial to make a commitment to living a more energized and healthy life.” Having a high level of energy allows you to push through adversity with optimism. Peter also mentions “You can’t truly be a leader in your community, company or family without having high levels of energy.”
To give you an example, Dr. Oz performs 250 open heart surgeries per year, is a professor at Columbia University, a Chairman of Surgery, a Medical Program Writer, an author, a devoted husband & father of 4, and a TV host. He was asked what the secret of managing his time was. He said: “it’s not about time management, it’s about ENERGY management”. (Note: we don’t 100% support Dr. Oz’s endorsements and methods, however we respect his ability to create and manage his energy!) Increase your level of energy and increase your level of achievement in every area of life!
Here are 5 Ways to Increase Your Energy:
Proper nutrition
It just makes sense. What we put into our bodies has EVERYTHING to do with our energy levels. Here are some nutrition tips that will immediately increase your energy levels:
- Log what you eat! By writing your daily food intake into a food journal (or even on a simple scrap of paper), you’re being more cognizant of what is going into your body. At KW Fitness, this is one of the main reasons that our clients get results.
- By NOT writing down what you’re eating daily, you’re not focusing on the quality or quantity of food you’re consuming. Putting junk into your body is the easiest way to destroy your energy levels and be sluggish throughout the day.
- Pay attention to the QUALITY of food you’re eating. Try to avoid eating processed foods altogether. Processed foods decrease your energy level because of all the JUNK that’s in them! If it’s not natural, your body rejects it.
- Don’t overeat! Digestion is the most energy-consuming process that our body has. If you eat until you’re full, you’re automatically going to decrease your level of energy. I once heard a quote that said something along the lines of “The food that you eat should GIVE you energy, not make you want to take a nap!!” Let that sink in.
- To find out more information on KW Fitness’s nutrition program, go here.
Exercise Consistently
Our bodies were made to THRIVE!!! We were built to MOVE, so if you’re constantly feeling lethargic, you need to move more! Exercise not only increases our physical energy, but it increases your mental capacity as well. According to the May 2013 issue of the Harvard Men’s Health Watch, exercise is THE best way to prevent “brain fog” and it’s proven to protect and enhance brain health. Do you have a demanding career? Do you aspire to be better, to achieve more and to become more focused in your professional and/or personal life?! EXERCISE is KEY!
- Do something active EVERY DAY! Even on the days that I’m not “scheduled” to exercise, I still make sure to do some sort of movement before I get started for the day. 10 minutes of stretching or yoga, some jumping jacks and pushups, or even walking the dog around the neighborhood first thing in the morning are simple ways to jump start your day.
- If you’re not currently doing any form of exercise, it’s important to start somewhere! Start with 2-3 days per week of consistent exercise for 3o minutes, then increase your number of days. Exercise and include lifting as part of your program. Make sure to consult a professional for a proper workout regiment. At KW Fitness, we have programs for all different fitness levels. Go here for more information.
- If you keep your body healthy, your mind will follow. Your energy level will increase and you will THRIVE.
Get a proper amount of sleep
The most energized people also sleep regularly. Everyone is different and for some, 8 hours can be too much or too little. Only you really know the amount of sleep that helps you feel the most focused and energized the next day, however, according to the National Sleep Association, healthy adults need anywhere from 7-9 hours of sleep. We wrote a blog with this information before, but here are some simple tips for getting a decent amount of sleep:
- Avoid eating 2-3 hours before you go to bed
- Avoid caffeine later in the day
- Turn off the electronics when it’s later at night
- Go to bed earlier!
Proper hydration
Most people are NOT drinking enough water! The general rule of thumb is to drink half your body weight in ounces of water per day.
- Buy a water bottle and measure out exactly how much you should drink per day
- Track your progress
- YES, you will use the bathroom a lot more and I understand for some jobs it’s challenging (as a person who does sales for a living, I GET IT! I have to stop often at different businesses to pee but I’d rather be properly hydrated than not), but your body needs and craves more water!!
- Soda, coffee with creamers and sugar, etc. are the WORST ways to hydrate your body!! Be good to your body, you only get one!
Surround yourself with Positivity
Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify and manage your emotions in a positive way. Emotional intelligence is a necessary skill in our world today, however it’s highly underrated and utilized! In order to perform at our best in our professional and personal lives, we need to be able access our positive emotions. Running on negative emotional energy is a constant energy drain and leads to being tired, sluggish, lethargic, unmotivated and unproductive.
- Surround yourself with positive people! Have you ever been around people that drain your energy? Even if you’re the most positive person in the world, negative people can still bring your energy down. We’ve all heard the quote “misery loves company”. Sometimes we can’t avoid negative people in our lives, however it’s highly recommended to expand your circle of influence with POSITIVE people! Positivity and high energy tend to rub off on us!
- Ask yourself “who, when I’m around them, increases my energy levels”? Be around them as often as possible!!
- Come to KW Fitness!! Obviously we’re biased, however we pride ourselves in having highly energetic, positive people on our team. It’s almost impossible to be here and not leave more energized than when you got here!
- Unfollow negative people on social media! Better yet, decrease the amount of time you spend on social media altogether or watching the news. Negative news and opinions kill our positive energy levels! Peter Voogd said in one of his bestselling books: “Be careful what you let enter your mind daily because what you think about starts everything.”
If you’re reading this thinking, “this is all good and stuff, but when am I going to make the time to make these changes in my life?!”, we HIGHLY recommend checking out the book The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod. This life-changing book is about starting your day off on the right foot and being a lot more productive, energized and focused.
Whether you’re a busy professional, you’re retired, a stay at home parent, or an entrepreneur, being more energized, productive & focused can be life changing. We can’t control how much time we have in a day, we all get the same amount of it. Don’t focus on trying to create more time, focus on increasing your level of energy! It tremendously impacts the influence you have on others, it improves productivity and performance, it improves relationships, happiness and overall fulfillment.
– Mandy Webb, KW Fitness