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What's Zapping Your Energy?

Sometime during the day, you are bound to hear someone complain about being tired. That someone could even be you. You may start the day off energetically enough only to find yourself flagging by early afternoon. How, why, and where have your energy levels gone to?

Well, you are not alone. About 21% of Australians are racking low on work energy, according to the Randstad Workmonitor survey. Barring any major health issues or psychological problems, some of the fault lies in people’s nutritionally deficient diets and lack of exercise. A number of businesses now recognize the impact of their workers’ low energy on productivity and several have encouraged programs that support awareness and implementation of healthy eating and exercise.

You are running on fumes because you may not be fueling up right. Consider that your low energy levels may be chalked up to these habitual errors:

Heavy reliance on or too much intake of caffeine

By 3 pm, you can hardly keep your head from dropping on the keyboard. First thing you reach for is your third java jolt for the day. Tsk, tsk. Although caffeine does give you a kick, too much of the stuff can send you off to another crash soon. Tread the moderate line on this one.

Caffeine can also cause you some trouble getting an early bird’s sleep time, particularly if you are sensitive to it. Substitute teas, sodas, and sports drinks with water or fresh juices towards the late afternoon to evening time frame. If you can’t get the proper amount of sleeping time, you won’t wake up refreshed and energized the next day.

You skip breakfast

Many people don’t put much stock on starting the day right with a good breakfast. Often, it’s a meal relegated to the back burner in favour of just a convenient cup of coffee to get one up and going. As mentioned, caffeine’s wake up powers wanes all too rapidly to be of much help to keep energy levels up. By lunch, you’re starving and likely to gravitate to poor food choices. A power breakfast, supported by a nutritious lunch is what it takes to get your zing constant through the day.

Pack your breakfast with a good nutrient punch of protein, complex carbohydrates, and antioxidants. Eggs, oats, berries, and sweet potatoes make good examples of healthy breakfast items.

Eating/drinking too much sugar

Sugar can give you quick energy boost but it makes you pay for the rush, big time. The perkiness you get from sugar-laden confections is extremely short-lived and temporary, not to mention unhealthy. When large amounts of sugar are ingested, the body responds by pumping lots of insulin which quickly tamps down your glucose level and triggers that sugar crash. This is why soda, choco bars, and cake can get you quickly out of a slump but can, just as quickly, trigger a snuff-out in no time.

You need to keep your blood sugar levels constant to balance your vigour with a diet including fibre-rich vegetables, whole grains, and fruit.

The absence of a consistent exercise regimen in your lifestyle

Modern conveniences have spoiled us to the point of rotten laziness. Keeping our muscular, skeletal, cardiovascular, and neurological systems well honed by a good amount of movement everyday has become quite a chore for most. Bad news is, the body was designed to move; otherwise, it deteriorates gradually like a can left out to rust.

One of the offshoots of living the couch potato life is sluggishness and low energy levels. We need to have a consistent exercise program to keep our body “well oiled” and our energy sustained throughout the day. The right amount of exercise per day gives us an energy boost with the consequential increase of endorphins. In addition, it helps us get better sleep quality which puts us in a perky state the next day. Aim for at least 30 minutes of cardiovascular activity and workout at least four times a week.

Ignorance of your dehydrated state

We feel tired because we may not be drinking enough water to keep our body hydrated. Dehydration leads to reduced blood circulation, causing less oxygenated blood from reaching your muscles. Lethargy then sets in. So, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate with the best beverage: water.

Habitual irregular sleeping schedules

You wake up early for work during the workweek; but sleep in during the weekends. Your inconsistent sleeping schedule disrupts your circadian rhythm and confuses your body. This impacts your energy during the day as your body craves some shut-eye at the wrong time.

Sleep deprivation not only reduces your vitality but it also negatively affects your cognitive functions, libido, emotional balance, and a host of other health-related factors.

Sitting too much

Although your job may require you to sit at your desk or computer table all day for hours on end, you can work around this situation so you don’t need to be nailed to your chair. Sitting for prolonged periods is unhealthy and is a major energy zapper. Change positions every hour. Stand; hand a memo over to your staff instead of emailing it; take the stairs to the next department...just move. Of course doing some jumping jacks or stretches every other hour is even a better idea. The thing here is to get those muscles working and your energy level maintained throughout the day.

To reduce the instances where you run out of steam, be aware of these habitual pitfalls. Start today to gradually work them out of your ways. Pay close attention to your nutrition and the amount of exercise and sleep you get. Most of the time, it all boils down to getting these three health pillars down pat.

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Five Things Mentally Strong People Avoid

What do Michael Jordan and J.K. Rowling have in common? Success of course and the mental tenacity of an ox to get there.

When Michael Jordan was rejected in his sophomore year by his school’s basketball varsity team because he was only 5’9” at that time, he didn’t hang up his shoes, convinced he wasn’t good enough. Instead, he practiced daily without fail. By next year’s tryouts, Jordan at 6’3” made varsity and… the rest is history.

J.K. Rowling, famous author of the Harry Potter series, has had her share of abysmal failures. Pre-Harry Potter success, Rowling was a single mom on welfare. This did not stop her from being one of the most successful authors of our time. In fact, it was this very situation that helped her focus on her talent.

Both Jordan and Rowling have that bull-headed mental strength that defined their despite-the-odds success stories.

It’s so easy to be mired in life’s disappointments. When life knocks us down with a Pacquiao punch, we tend to wallow in its pity soup of what-ifs, my faults, I’m a loser, and can’t do’s. Getting up and trying again just takes a lot out from us. Much like exercise, it’s way too painful to go for an hour of CrossFit torment, three times a week than it is to gratify one’s self for the short run by simply vegging out, scarfing down Tim Tams and Twisties, and gaining twenty pounds in the process. But while the scrumptious, easy road ends up in more self-pity and a barrel figure, the arduous fitness track leads to the reward of self-achievement and a six pack.

So what should you choose? The Tim Tams! Okay, okay...the CrossFit sessions, geez! That’s right. Oh yeah, and you better have the mental grit for it. Tough mental cookies, Jordan and Rowling, have mental tenacity down pat. Observe those whom you think are mentally strong and take note of what they avoid.

A Mental Toughie’s No-No’s

The Self-Pity Party

Mentally tough people do revel in self-pity; but, believe me it’s timed to ten seconds, max. People who don’t crack under pressure easily recognize that life isn’t always fair but there are ways to get around or work with the cards you’ve been dealt with. Hence, the trite “if there’s a will, there’s a way” cliché.

Failure is not seen as an inadequacy; rather, it is perceived as a learning opportunity. The truly strong beat their mental chests, bellow a Tarzan call, and then focus on the problem. They look at the issue at different angles and analyze their past mistakes to come up with new and different solutions. The more creative usually think out of the box, and this, my friends, is when great ideas are sometimes born.

The Worry Wart’s Bash

The mentally strong also do not waste time and energy on things beyond their control. If they can’t beat the tide, they may join in and spot opportunities. Mental Herculeans recognize that although you can’t control everything, you can control yourself --- your attitudes, perceptions, and reactions to situations.

Change is not shunned; rather, it is viewed as a window of opportunity. When the new competition around the corner is selling bigger and better, the entrepreneur who knows his marbles will use this threat as an opportunity to improve his product or business strategies.

When life gives them lemons, mental toughies just don’t make lemonade. They make kick-ass lemonade margaritas. That's because strong minds embrace change as the spice of life.

The Green Clutches of Envy

Mentally tough people avoid being envious or feeling cheated of other people’s success. They genuinely appreciate other people’s rewards earned from hard work. They do not compare their worth to that of others as they recognize that one reaps his trophies if one is willing to fully take the challenge. For them, success is at the end of the road, as long as one is committed to run the extra mile for it.

The Fear of Being Alone

Mental wimps are afraid or uncomfortable being alone with themselves and their thoughts. Mental juggernauts, on the other hand, do not fear solitude. They are not hermits; but these people can enjoy their own company. They do not need constant social interaction to feel validated, entertained, or inspired. Instead, they value their alone time to be productive, meditative, or to simply just “be.”

Missing the Big Leaps...and the Little Hops as Well

Mental toughies are calculated risk takers. They don’t shy away from making hard decisions; but these choices are often carefully weighed and considered. Mentally strong people usually look at the pros and cons of a situation, from best-to-worst case scenarios before making the leaps and even the tiny hops to take their chances. They possess a realistic perception of the consequences and benefits of their decisions.

Well balanced individuals tend to be optimistic about reaching their goals; but, they also possess enough pessimism to be realistically aware of the current validity and worthiness of their strategies and aspirations. Things are seen as they really are, not always through blind optimism and intemperate persistence.

Being mentally tough is itself a huge decision. Mental toughness is not achieved by simply deciding to be mentally strong; but, making such a decision to be so is a very good start. Unless you were born with it, you need to build that strength in layers, through trial and commitment. After all, a winner is never an instant production but a result of hard work and dedication. You have the power in you to achieve what you want. It is up to you to seize and hold on to it. Remember, the ball’s always in your court.

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