THINGS THAT ZAP YOUR ENERGY!
1. CLUTTER! - You may be used to living with tons of stuff, counter tops loaded with mail and a desk with lots of files and your refrigerator with lots of artwork but all of this can make us anxious. Our brain senses that anxiety. De clutter your home. Only hang current artwork that the kids make for you, make sure you clean off the counter each night before you go to bed so when you get up in the morning and look around, your eyes can rest instead of dart around from mess to mess.
2. POOR POSTURE - We already know that not sitting up straight or standing tall is bad for our bodies. All of that hunching over your computer screen or cradling a phone on your shoulder plays havoc with your energy levels. If you sit for a long period of time, you tend to slump forward, leading to rounded shoulders and a tilted lower spine. Your muscles contract and blood flow is impaired which limits the amount of oxygen to your brain. Try sitting up straight with your legs at right angles to the floor, your arms at right angles to your keyboard. Keep your shoulders down, not up near your ears and adjust your computer screen so your eyes gaze at the middle of it. Even if you have to set a time, get up at least once an hour, stretch and get a drink of water. When you get back to your desk remember to keep your shoulders down.
3. BEING BORED - Do you ever sit around not tackling a chore because it is just so monotonous? Mental boredom and lack of motivation are draining. We have been programed to see results and getting things done gives us a mental energy boost. Try avoiding tasks that deprive you of that boost.
4. INDOOR AIR - Lots of things in your office may be contributing to the load of toxins you breathe each day because all of them release chemicals into the air. Think about the humming copy machines, cleaning products, dry cleaning chemicals, even synthetic carpeting. We don't know for sure how much harm all these things cause to our bodies, but they can build up over time and drain our energy by potentially interfering with thyroid function and overloading the body's detox system. Get outside! If you are feeling tired, go outside for ten minutes and breathe fresh air. Keep a plant in your office or several in your house. They are good at absorbing toxins. Also it's a good idea to leave your shoes outside the house. They drag in dirt from the outside and also pesticides and other harmful chemicals.
5. EATING TOO MUCH AT ONE SITTING - Eating a big meal will always cause a dip in energy later, but that effect is most noticeable in the afternoon because of slump happens around 3 or 4 when you reach for the candy bar or cup of coffee. You load up on carbs and calories at lunch and as the nutrients are absorbed by your body, excess glucose is dumped into your bloodstream and your body releases insulin to process all that sugar. A better way to keep your energy levels steady is to eat every four hours instead of the usual six. To help with lunch, try to bring your lunch more often than eating out. Four hours after lunch, have a small snack, yogurt or a half turkey sandwich. Drink liquids all day - water and tea are good choices. Dehydration can make you tired too. If you usually have coffee with lunch or right after, try it a little later in the afternoon and have a latte. The caffeine is a pick me but the little bit of fat and protein in the milk gives you a better boost.
6. LIVING WITH ARTIFICIAL LIGHT. Our natural body rhythms are keyed to the rising and setting of the sun. When you open your eyes in the morning and get your first glimpse of the sun, your brain receives a signal that helps it set its sleep-wake clock for the day. Also, seeing sunlight during the day gives your brain a boost. So if you wake up before sunrise and/or don't see much of the sun all day, your body is experiencing something like jet lag.
Instead of grabbing that cup of coffee when your running on empty, take a short walk. The combination of physical exercise and a shot of sunlight will energize you. You only need 10 to 20 minutes of walking in the sunshine to give you that boost.
7. LISTENING TO NEGATIVE PEOPLE. As upbeat as you may be, it can be absolutely exhausting to listen to complainers all day long whether it's the next door neighbor, a coworker who never has a good word to say or a fellow mom. It's true that people forced to listen to high maintenance colleagues became frustrated and unfocused and suffered a decline in the quality of their work. Insulate yourself as best you can. If a coworker loves to enumerate her complaints, cut her off with a firm but polite "I really have to get this work finished", then smile and get to work. If your own negative thoughts are dragging you down, train yourself to banish them by listing each day, the things you are grateful for so you can pull out that list when the negative stuff intrudes.
8. HOLDING A GRUDGE. You would be amazed at the amount of energy it takes to remember whom you have a grudge against and to continually update the faults, missteps and things you're mad about. Resentment is a tremendous drain physically as well as mentally. Anger, resentment, grudges - all of these emotions are toxic and we hang onto them in our bodies especially in tense, tired muscles. You may have to practice, but try and forgive old mistakes. An easy way to start is to simply be aware of the time negative thoughts about others creep into your mind. Think of others as flawed humans, which we all are, which can make it easier to forgive and keep your positive energy flowing.
Top
1. CLUTTER! - You may be used to living with tons of stuff, counter tops loaded with mail and a desk with lots of files and your refrigerator with lots of artwork but all of this can make us anxious. Our brain senses that anxiety. De clutter your home. Only hang current artwork that the kids make for you, make sure you clean off the counter each night before you go to bed so when you get up in the morning and look around, your eyes can rest instead of dart around from mess to mess.
2. POOR POSTURE - We already know that not sitting up straight or standing tall is bad for our bodies. All of that hunching over your computer screen or cradling a phone on your shoulder plays havoc with your energy levels. If you sit for a long period of time, you tend to slump forward, leading to rounded shoulders and a tilted lower spine. Your muscles contract and blood flow is impaired which limits the amount of oxygen to your brain. Try sitting up straight with your legs at right angles to the floor, your arms at right angles to your keyboard. Keep your shoulders down, not up near your ears and adjust your computer screen so your eyes gaze at the middle of it. Even if you have to set a time, get up at least once an hour, stretch and get a drink of water. When you get back to your desk remember to keep your shoulders down.
3. BEING BORED - Do you ever sit around not tackling a chore because it is just so monotonous? Mental boredom and lack of motivation are draining. We have been programed to see results and getting things done gives us a mental energy boost. Try avoiding tasks that deprive you of that boost.
4. INDOOR AIR - Lots of things in your office may be contributing to the load of toxins you breathe each day because all of them release chemicals into the air. Think about the humming copy machines, cleaning products, dry cleaning chemicals, even synthetic carpeting. We don't know for sure how much harm all these things cause to our bodies, but they can build up over time and drain our energy by potentially interfering with thyroid function and overloading the body's detox system. Get outside! If you are feeling tired, go outside for ten minutes and breathe fresh air. Keep a plant in your office or several in your house. They are good at absorbing toxins. Also it's a good idea to leave your shoes outside the house. They drag in dirt from the outside and also pesticides and other harmful chemicals.
5. EATING TOO MUCH AT ONE SITTING - Eating a big meal will always cause a dip in energy later, but that effect is most noticeable in the afternoon because of slump happens around 3 or 4 when you reach for the candy bar or cup of coffee. You load up on carbs and calories at lunch and as the nutrients are absorbed by your body, excess glucose is dumped into your bloodstream and your body releases insulin to process all that sugar. A better way to keep your energy levels steady is to eat every four hours instead of the usual six. To help with lunch, try to bring your lunch more often than eating out. Four hours after lunch, have a small snack, yogurt or a half turkey sandwich. Drink liquids all day - water and tea are good choices. Dehydration can make you tired too. If you usually have coffee with lunch or right after, try it a little later in the afternoon and have a latte. The caffeine is a pick me but the little bit of fat and protein in the milk gives you a better boost.
6. LIVING WITH ARTIFICIAL LIGHT. Our natural body rhythms are keyed to the rising and setting of the sun. When you open your eyes in the morning and get your first glimpse of the sun, your brain receives a signal that helps it set its sleep-wake clock for the day. Also, seeing sunlight during the day gives your brain a boost. So if you wake up before sunrise and/or don't see much of the sun all day, your body is experiencing something like jet lag.
Instead of grabbing that cup of coffee when your running on empty, take a short walk. The combination of physical exercise and a shot of sunlight will energize you. You only need 10 to 20 minutes of walking in the sunshine to give you that boost.
7. LISTENING TO NEGATIVE PEOPLE. As upbeat as you may be, it can be absolutely exhausting to listen to complainers all day long whether it's the next door neighbor, a coworker who never has a good word to say or a fellow mom. It's true that people forced to listen to high maintenance colleagues became frustrated and unfocused and suffered a decline in the quality of their work. Insulate yourself as best you can. If a coworker loves to enumerate her complaints, cut her off with a firm but polite "I really have to get this work finished", then smile and get to work. If your own negative thoughts are dragging you down, train yourself to banish them by listing each day, the things you are grateful for so you can pull out that list when the negative stuff intrudes.
8. HOLDING A GRUDGE. You would be amazed at the amount of energy it takes to remember whom you have a grudge against and to continually update the faults, missteps and things you're mad about. Resentment is a tremendous drain physically as well as mentally. Anger, resentment, grudges - all of these emotions are toxic and we hang onto them in our bodies especially in tense, tired muscles. You may have to practice, but try and forgive old mistakes. An easy way to start is to simply be aware of the time negative thoughts about others creep into your mind. Think of others as flawed humans, which we all are, which can make it easier to forgive and keep your positive energy flowing.
3D Spine Simulator
Launch 3D Spine Simulator