6 Energy Lifters!
Here are 6 easy ways to Lift your Energy. (Pick 1 or dabble in all 6...making some progress can increase your mood, health, confidence and generally make life more enjoyable and more fun!)
1. Adopt a Growth Mindset, rather than a fixed mindset. Scientists are learning that people have more capacity for lifelong learning and brain development than they ever thought. In a growth mdset, the hand you're dealt is just the starting point for development. It's based on the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts, your strategies, and help from others.
Everyone can change and grow through application and experience. It can help you convert life's setbacks into future successes. I highly recommend "Mindset, the New Psychology of Success", Dr. Carol Dweck, Ph.D, Stanford University Psychologist. (Boswell's on Downer can order for you.)
2. Eat well. Follow the 80/20 Rule: Eat real, live food 80% of the time. Limit processed foods, sugar, alcohol, caffeine and other "non-foods" to 20% of your total choices. Packaged goods generally have very little nutrition remaining after the manufacturing process, therefore possess little life force, literally clog your brain, and make your organs work overtime to detoxify them. Pay attention to how much protein/carbohydrates/fat your body loves, each of us is unique. Some of my favorite brain & body foods are wild salmon, kale, spinach, brussels sprouts, eggs, grass-fed beef, organic chicken..."Food is the most widely abused anti-anxiety drug in America" - Bill Philips
3. Drink Water. Drink at least 1/2 your bodyweight (in lbs), in oz. daily. So if you weight 150 lbs, you need at least 75 oz. of water. Drink 8-16 oz first thing in am. Water is critical for cleansing your organs, brain, and cells. In fact, your body is 70% water, which is about 10-11 gallons!
Water is critical for every single physiological occurrence in the body...From blinking your eye to lifting your arm, to thinking. Helps detoxify your body, maintain a healthy body weight, digest food, absorb nutrients, have healthy, glowing skin, decrease muscle and joint inflammation, and improve circulation.
4. Rejuvenate with Deep Long Sleep: Sleep at least 7-8 hours every night. As mammals, we are tied to the sun, so aiming for 10pm-6am is ideal. Our bio rhythms shift a bit during adolescence, but often stay stuck, (1am to 8am, for example).
Sleep deprivation (less than 7-8 hrs) increases your cortisol, which decreases serotonin and all your growth hormones. Lack of sleep can make you gain weight. If you go to sleep at midnight, you have cheated yourself out of one-quarter of your physical repair time!
5. Move your body in a big way every day. Your brain, spinal cord, organs, and muscular-skeletal systems need a minimum of 30-60 minutes of exercise every day. Don't get me wrong, although this might excite some people, the sound of running for an hour may be daunting. Find something you love to do.
No need to train for a marathon but try to break a sweat, if possible. Walking is a fantastic way to pump the body! So is yoga, tennis, golf, basketball, raking leaves, jumping jacks, bodyweight workouts, spinning, biking, paddle tennis, hiking, swimming, skateboarding, ice skating... "Exercise is the most potent, yet underutilized anti-depressant". - Bill Phillips
6. Practice 1 ,2, 3 diaphragmatic breathing: Practice deep belly breathing by sitting comfortably, with your back supported. 1st step) Place your hands on your belly and breathe into them. Feel your front and back body expand in all directions. 2nd step) Feel your ribs expanding. 3rd step) Feel your upper chest lift.
Many of us develop INVERTED breathing patterns, lifting the chest & shoulders before the belly expansion, which strains the upper traps and causes a cascade of other changes in the musculoskeletal, nervous, hormonal systems. Basically all the systems can be impacted with good, belly breathing - including the spinal cord and brain function. #lifehacks