Top 10 Things to Do to Get More Energy

1. Exercise at every opportunity. Try some deep knee bends and stretching from side to side while you're brushing your teeth, for instance. Or when you get out of the shower, grab the one end of the towel with your right hand behind your head, and the other end with your left hand behind your back. Gently pull the towel downward until you feel the stretch in your shoulders and triceps. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds, then reverse hand positions.

2. Take power naps. A 15 to 20 minute nap is great for refueling. Many of the busiest high achievers are masters at taking naps in odd places in order to refuel and refresh themselves during a long day at work.

3. Get involved with your community. Often, meeting new people, especially a diverse group of people, can add new energies into your life.

4. Find hobbies and interests that are fun, that engage your mind, body, and/or spirit, and that give you something to look forward to. Having things to look forward to creates enthusiasm, which gives you more energy.

5. Get back to nature. There's nothing like a day outdoors to refresh your energy and give you a renewed outlook on life. Spend a day (or more) at the beach or hiking in the mountains by yourself or with your friends or family with no cell phones, radio, or television. If you can't do that, spend a few hours in the park. Allow the energy of nature to help you feel calmer and more capable when you return to work again.

6. Have a massage. It's great for the circulation and pushes the toxins out of your body. Go for a professional massage, or exchange body rubs with your spouse or partner.

7. Visualize the benefits of a project or exercise. Think about what will be accomplished or how good you'll feel when the job is completed. If you imagine the results of the effort you're expending, you're more likely to start the task with more energy and enthusiasm.

8. Write down your goals. Keep track of them. Check them off when they have been completed. When we start to accomplish things, we feel better about ourselves and our energy naturally increases. Success breeds success just as energy breeds energy.

9. Avoid refined sugar. Although it might give you a quick energy boost, it actually depletes energy in the long run. If you feel the need for a sweetener, replace it with a natural substance like honey.

10. Surround yourself with energy. It's contagious. Find high energy mentors and learn what they do to keep up their energy.

I Dare You...

When you're feeling stressed out or low on energy, take action using these four strategies:

1. Commit yourself to exercise at least once a day for the next 30 days. Consult your physician or trainer about what exercises are best for you. Do some stretching and toning workouts, and some cardiovascular routines to get your heart pumping. You'll be amazed at how your energy increases when you make exercise part of your daily routine.

2. Commit to eating one more fruit a day, and one extra vegetable. Replace those unnecessary carbohydrates you snack on in the evening with fruits and vegetables. Try not to eat after 8:00 p.m. so that the body has time to start digesting your food before you go to sleep.

3. Drink at least eight glasses of water a day.

4. Do breathing exercises three times a day. Take a deep breath in through your nose and hold it for five seconds. Let the oxygen fill your lungs. Then breathe out slowly through your mouth. Let your muscles relax. This is one of the best things you can do to reach your peak performance level, especially when you're stressed, nervous, or angry. Then when you come back to the situation, you'll be better able to deal with it logically rather than emotionally.

   The longer I live, the more I am certain that the great difference between the great and insignificant is energy—invincible determination—a purpose once fixed, and then death or victory.

   —Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton,
   English philanthropist

If you look at successful people, you'll find they are all energy-filled and action-oriented. They don't wait for things to happen to them, they are always the ones who start—and keep—the momentum going. They don't let inertia set in. Taking action and having high energy doesn't only lead to success in business.

Not long ago, there was a study done of approximately 40,000 people in the world who are now over 100 years old. What they have most in common is not that they stayed on a particular diet, or did any special exercise routines. The trait they all share is that they continue to be engaged in and energized by life. They interact with other high-energy people, they have hobbies, they work in their gardens, and they take an interest in the world around them. They laugh and cry often.

Even at 70, 80, and 90 years old, when you keep your mind active and energized, there is definitely an impact on your physical being. If you are excited about living life, your body will follow. You may not move with the full force and energy of your earlier years, but you will not sit back and vegetate. Instead of bemoaning the fact that you only have a short time left to live, you will enjoy the energy of every precious moment.

Life begets life. Energy creates energy. It is by spending oneself that one becomes rich.

—Sarah Bernhardt,
actress

The study of people who live to be 100 is very interesting. Another interesting study concluded that people who have pets live longer than those who don't. What do these two studies have in common? The people who live the longest are involved in strong relationships—with their loved ones, their communities, even their pets. Apparently, strong relationships keep us going. They help keep our minds intact and keep us feeling connected. We need connections to get through the tough times. But not just any connections. Your energy is strongest when you surround yourself with people with high energy. That's why it's important to pick and choose the relationships you make and the relationships you keep.