How To Regain Energy As You Age
Oh, the boundless energy of a child. They jump and play, laugh and run, explore and bounce around, and sleep well. Everything is exciting, fresh, and vibrant. Joy is found in the simplest of things; sunshine, climbing a tree, and spending time with friends. In the mornings, they jump out of bed early, ready to start the day all over again.
As we age, our energy levels drop and the body can feel stressed, fatigued and sluggish. The older we get, it seems we have not enough energy to get the necessary things done during their day. We work, take care of others, and barely have time to refresh and relax. We feel fatigued, and go to bed exhausted, tired and worn out. When we awake, we can't rouse into activity, for we don't feel well-rested enough to begin a new day.
Is it possible to have that child-like energy again? We may not be able to turn back time, but there are a few things we can do to get ourselves energized and become more excited about life. These simple tips can help boost your energy levels, balance your mood, and improve your productivity.
Stay Active!
The more you lay around and do nothing, the more tired and worn out you will feel. So get up and be active. Even if your legs aren't up for a major mountain climb, a neighborhood trail or an indoor track is a wonderful way to make you feel energized and focused. For best results, take a walk outside to enjoy the a boost of Vitamin D. If walking isn't your thing, consider doing simple activities like climbing stairs, cycling, squats, set-ups, push-ups, or back extensions.
Any brisk activity that doesn't wear you out will work wonders on your energy levels. Research has shown that exercise increases energy and reduces fatigue, boosts the efficiency of your cardiovascular system, and improves neurotransmitters associated with energy production, like dopamine!
So get out there and get active!
Avoid Sleeping Too Late
Sure, we want to hit that snooze button in the morning, but when we do, it becomes a habit, and becomes harder and harder to get out of bed. Going to sleep and waking up at the same time each day helps the body create a natural sleep rhythm. It is important to have a consistent sleep routine so you can sleep soundly and deeply and feel more rested and refreshed the next morning. If you can't break the habit, get and alarm clock that actually forces you to stand up to turn it off, yes, they are out there.
The more you get into a routine of going to be earlier, and waking up the same time every morning, the better you will feel throughout your day.
Laugh - Great Big Belly Laughs
Yes, it's true, laughter is the best medicine. When was the last time you had a good, hard belly laugh, one that brought tears to your eyes? Do you have days when you don't laugh or smile at all? Do you spend a lot of your time whining and complaining? It is not good for your health when you live life unhappy. What would it take to make you laugh? Maybe a good tickle, comedy show, or time with an old friend to bring back the giggles. Laughter has many known benefits, it has that power to lift up your spirits, to release tension and stress and boost the immune system. The more you laugh, the healthier you will be.
Make sure you get a large doze of this medicine everyday; it will re-energize you.
Take Time To Play
Play for adults is critical in our stressful go-go-go-lives. Play is important to develop socially, emotionally, cognitively and imaginatively. It helps us enjoy the world around us. Play releases endorphins, improves brain function, and stimulates creativity.
Play adds joy to life, relieve stress, supercharge learning, and connect you to others. Play can also make work more productive and pleasurable. Play stimulates the imagination and helps us adapt to new situations, and solve problems. Play allows for a healthier way of expressing ones feelings and opinions.
Play is healthy and fun, so it benefits us to figuratively, or literally, roll the dice and allow play back into our lives. What are some of your best memories from childhood? Maybe it was playing baseball, tag, hide-n-seek, dolls or building a snowman with friends. Those were the days, right? We had enough energy to keep playing until dark.
As adults we rarely take time to play or have fun, we're to busy thinking about what needs to get done next. Think of something you can do with your family or friends that is fun to play. Board games, team sports, and swimming are fun activities that gets you out of the drudgery of every day life. Do a bubbles-blowing competition, go bowling, hiking or go on a scavenger hunt. Ride the roller coaster at a carnival, have a snow fight.
Take a day off and have a play day.
When you're alone, turn on some music and dance while cleaning your house.Go for a run. Hit the gym, or take a brisk walk. It will increase in your motivation and productivity, rather than wanting to take a nap.
There are many other ways that we can play. Experiment to find what works for you, as we all can use more play in our responsible, adult lives.
Put Fun on your schedule. If you don't schedule something, it's unlikely to happen. Therefore, if you want to play more and have more fun, you have to schedule it.
The side effects are, but not limited to: improved perception, insight, and learning, dealing with stress with greater ease, creative thinking, youthful exuberance, and laughing more often.
Get Creative
Creativity can stimulate energy and motivation. When we do something creative, we are focused on the present moment and use our imaginations, which is needed in our excessive hurried filled lives. It's a myth that some people are born creative and some not. When you were a child, didn't you love to draw, paint, make things, bake, write stories, or build things?
Experience something completely new: Go to a new place (like an art gallery), speak to someone new. Write a song. Go crazy. Write a short story. Draw a picture. Write a poem. Walk around your neighborhood taking pictures. Capture something interesting. Go to a nearby park or an intriguing place.
Make up a dance. Build a website, create a Facebook page. Paint a room or pottery. Produce a video, put it on YouTube. Make candles or soaps. Decorate a plain picture frame. Make jewelry. Try stenciling, stamping or etching. Put together a model plane, car or boat. Design a shirt, bag, sneakers or other clothes. Create a unique garden in your back yard. Do something for someone in need.
Make time every week to do something creative, even if it's only for a few minutes, you will feel a boost of creative energy afterwards.
Spend Time in Nature
Nature helps us relax and stress less. It relaxes the mind with its beautiful colors, sounds, fresh air and the sun's Vitamin D. Even a five minute break out in the sunshine gives the body and mind a chance to stop doing and start rejuvenating. Nature presents scenes that gently capture your attention and calms your nerves.
When was the last time you got up early to watch the sunrise, or ventured to the nearest hilltop to watch it set? The scenery will motivate you and prepare you for the morning or help you de-stress after a busy day.
If you have studying to do, study in the light of the blue sky overhead. Nature can enhance cognitive abilities, like memory and problem solving. Load a basket with your favorite goodies and have lunch among the plant and animal life.
Nature helps reduce anxiety, depression, anger, fear, and stress, and increases enjoyable feelings, even more-so than going to a gym? Nature makes you feel better emotionally and physically and contributes to your well being. It reduces heart rate, blood pressure, heart rate, the production of stress hormones, and muscle tension.
Take a break from the hustle and bustle of life. Disconnect entirely for a couple of days and make nature your home? Go camping, and leave your cell phone behind. If roughing it isn't your style, consider glamping, where you can maintain some of the creature comforts you love but, still be away from it all.
Nature provides trees that were hundreds of years old before you were even born, mountain peaks that seem to touch the highest clouds, a moon that hangs in a crescent, beautiful oceans, and a sky full of uncountable stars. When it comes to awe-inspiring magnificence, nature leaves our jaws dropping, spines tingling, minds illuminated, and reminds us that we're a tiny part of this extraordinary universe.
Now, get out in nature so you can be healthy, happy, and refreshed.
Be Grateful
It's easy to feel bad when you're going through a difficult times. But no matter how bad things may seem, there are countless things to be grateful for. Being grateful can be a stress buster. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said that in order to achieve contentment, one should cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. The bible says, "In everything give thanks."
Research has shown that writing down what you're thankful for can lead to a multitude of wellness benefits. Keeping a gratitude journal can reinforce profitable and favorable thoughts, because the brain tends to focus on the bad. Think on things that are pleasing, peaceful, lovable, admirable, right and true. Think on things that are of good repute, and calming for you.
Gratitude helps us connect to other people, It strengthens relationships and relationships are the strongest connectors of happiness and for coping with stress.
Be grateful for little things in the small, ordinary moments, like catching the subway before the doors close or your pet greeting your happily when you get home.
Take time each day to be grateful for life experiences. The comfort of a bed, the aroma of coffee, and fresh air are some of the blessings in life. Write a gratitude list at the end of each day, listing 10 things you were grateful for that day.
Appreciation keeps us focused on what is already good in our lives, and opens up the doorway to more goodness to flow into our lives. Gratitude also equips us to handle setbacks, failures and hardships in a more resilient way.
Enjoy Life
Live life to the fullest, enjoy every moment and cherish every day as if it were your last.. Cherish your yesterdays, dream your tomorrows and live your today's. Embrace each moment with happiness, joy and fulfillment. Look upon life as an adventure, taste experiences to the utmost, and look forward, that's where your future is. Strive to enjoy each day to the fullest, make every moment count.
Whenever you notice your energy decreasing, take a few deep breaths and Smile. Smiling has a positive effect on mood and energy levels. Smiling can improve a bad attitude in a matter of seconds. Try it the next time you're in a bad mood. Smiles project happiness and confidence by softening other facial features. When you smile the joys of life come to greet you.
Conclusion
No one likes to feel tired and sluggish. Luckily, you Can ward off fatigue and sluggish and participate in your life actively once again! Incorporate these tips into your daily life to feel better, gain energy, live longer and spread joy to others.
