The relationship between energy and the mind is an intricate one thing is for certain: the way we think and act in life has an impact on our energy levels and vice versa. Boosting energy levels is not as simple as eating an energy bar or buying a talisman. Luckily, we offer you 19 ways scientists agree you can significantly increase your energy levels.

Socializing is good for you

“No man is an island;” once proclaimed John Donne. Humans are social by nature, as we would lose our minds if left without any social contact. In fact, the society we live in is so important that it is connected with our energy levels.

Meeting a person you like (perhaps a celebrity) or spending a pleasant afternoon playing with your child has the power to reinvigorate you. In the office, having someone to chat with will help you stay alert throughout the day.

Tasting lemons

You are probably aware of all the benefits of aromatherapy but did you know that lemons are among the most aromatic fruit out there? Yes, the scent of lemon has the power to calm your nerves, allowing you to rest better; waking up energized.

Apart from the lemon scent that you should disperse around the house, you can use lemons to make lemonade and another healthy concoction. Namely, thousands of people worldwide swear by a glass of warm water in the morning sprinkled with lemon juice for better taste.

Sing your heart out

In order to feel energized, your brain must get plenty of oxygen. There are exercises to stimulate deep breathing but what if we told you can have fun while pumping oxygen into your bloodstream? Not only is singing fun but it requires breath control, which is something professional musicians practice for years.

As an amateur, you can afford to sing your heart out without worrying much about hitting the notes right. Add the adrenaline rush when you decide to climb onto the stage for the first time, and you’ve got yourself the ideal energizer.

Stretching out early in the morning

Ask any bodybuilder and he/she will tell you that starting a practice session without properly stretching out is asking to get hurt. Apart from lifting weights and doing sport, you can stretch out after you get up even if you’re not planning on heavy physical activity that day.

When we stretch out, we engage most of the muscles in our body, helping blood reach every vessel after a night of immobility. Furthermore, studies have shown that yoga-like stretches early in the morning will make you feel energized and confident. During the day, you can stretch at your desk, using the backrest of the chair as support.

Learn to love the sunlight

There would be no life on Earth were it not for our Sun but for most people, this is just a phrase, rather than a lifestyle choice. The Sun is actually a huge nuclear fusion reactor, so sunbathing literally counts as harvesting this energy.

Don’t be set off by all the articles in the press how sunlight is bad for your skin, as moderate exposure to sunlight couldn’t hurt anyone. If we get enough sunlight each day, we’ll feel alert and awake. Artificial nightlights have the same effect, although not as strong as the sun coming from the Sun.

Regulating caffeine intake

How many times have you heard your friends’ advice that drinking coffee is not good for your health? Although your friends weren’t completely wrong, a moderate amount of caffeine imbibed through coffee can actually boost your energy levels.

Researchers agree that one cup of coffee a day should be the limit but when timed accurately, this one cup might be all you need. Namely, a cup of your favorite coffee drink (cappuccino, latte, Frappuccino, espresso, etc.) taken at work is bound to get you through the day.

In fact, many business owners who thought low of coffee before, now want to rent a coffee machine and place it in the office to boost both morale and the energy levels of their employees. In addition, workers can socialize around the coffee machine, further improving their (work) mood.

Speeding up your train of thought

The number of kids worldwide who are hyperactive is rising each year. Contrary to what their parents believe, the ability to think and move faster than the rest of the folks is actually an advantage; not a handicap.

Children and adults who can read at a quicker pace, solve mathematical problems faster, and brainstorm better than their peers, have a greater energy pool. The best way to speed up your train of thought is to complete one extra task before bed or when you are tired.

When eyelids are drooping, the mind shouldn’t be stooping.

Curtains and light

We’ve mentioned the importance natural light has on improving your energy levels. However, you should be able to regulate the intensity of sunlight inside your home. Curtains and draperies are ideal for this purpose. They will prevent the sun from waking you up too early and they will ensure you get enough natural light during cloudy days.

Never stop taking in water

The importance of rehydration is something we are taught about in elementary school. As we grow older, we start forgetting how important it is to drink at least 8 glasses of water (at least 2 liters in total) per day. These 8 glasses should be as evenly distributed during the day as possible.

The lemon drink mentioned at the beginning counts as one glass mind you. Also, if you are physically active, then you need to hydrate more often, mostly, before, during, and after a training session. Drinking enough water daily will keep you sharp-minded and rested, preventing drowsiness from setting in.

Practice power naps

Sleep is intrinsically connected with high energy levels; in fact, it is the sole contributor to feeling energized. Besides the mandatory 8 hours of sleep per night, you should practice power naps in the afternoon.

These naps shouldn’t be long, as they range in tens of minutes, rather than hours. The ideal time for a power nap is midday through afternoon. Avoid napping after 6 PM, as these naps are counterproductive, disturbing your sleep cycle for the night ahead.

Color therapy

Different colors affect people in different ways. You probably already know that the color green is used to rest your eyes but did you know the exact effect other colors have on our psyche? The color of fire, red, is the color of energy and assertiveness, stimulating everything from our nervous system to our appetite.

The aforementioned green is the color of the harmony of nature. It provides us with the inner peace necessary to rest and charge our mental batteries. Yellow is also connected with mental health, providing our muscles with enough energy to withstand the strain.

A cold shower from time to time

A bathroom equipped with underfloor heating and a towel warmer is ideal for a hot, steamy shower. However, you don’t have to always shower using hot water. Recent studies show a cold shower as short as 3 minutes can help you instantly get rid of fatigue. Moreover, regularly applying this “polar bear“ shower routine will help you eliminate chronic fatigue, common among business people today.

The sound of laughter

When your children are small, you have your hands full taking care of them. However, what you fail to notice is the constant of laughter echoing through the house. Only when your children leave the family home to go to college for example, you start to “hear” a huge void now filled with an eerie silence.

You should try to laugh out every problem because laughter is an age-old cure for stress. In ancient Greece, laughter was linked to emotional honesty and the situation is not much different nowadays. People who laugh honesty and often benefit from increased energy levels. Think about this the next time you decide the movie genre you plan to watch. 

Crank up the volume

As we have seen at the beginning, singing will help you regulate your breathing but simply listening to music is a huge energizer. Chilling out to the sound of your favorite song will help you relax but it won’t boost your energy level. In order to raise your alertness levels, you’ll need an uplifting beat that should be cranked up.

This is not related to your taste in music, as both hard rock and folk music can be turned up to the max. Of course, make sure loud music won’t disturb anyone around you. Also, you shouldn’t increase the volume while behind the steering wheel of a cart because you need to focus on the road ahead; not the lyrics.

Don’t skip meals

Apart from sleeping enough and well, you shouldn’t allow yourself to go hungry for a long time during the day. Think of food as the body’s fuel and just like a car runs out of diesel, so will your body shut down if you starve.

Simply eating three full meals every day will keep your energy levels high, improve your memory, and help keep you motivated after the workday is offered. The meals should be healthy and rich in nutrients. Try your best not to substitute cooked meals with snacks or fruit; you will never feel full snacking like that.

Bubblegum to keep you awake

When we discussed powered naps, perhaps we forgot to point out that they should be taken at home, after work. If you ever feel drowsy during a business meeting, napping is definitely not a good idea.

In these instances, you can pop a piece of bubblegum to keep you awake. The fact you have to use the jaw to chew it and its richness in sugar, make the bubblegum the perfect “drug” to keep you awake when needed the most.

The desk is for work; the bed for sleeping

How many times did you take the laptop inside the bed and used it to get some work done before bed? We have all made this move but that doesn’t mean that working from the bed is a good idea. Namely, your brain associates this area with rest so bringing work into the sanctuary of sleep will make you wake up tired, with ever lower energy levels.

The same principle goes for the office as well. Your work desk should be used for work and nothing else. The 3 full daily meals we discussed above should be eaten in the restaurant, the office kitchen, or the canteen, not at the work desk! Every time you want to take a break and stretch your legs, walk away from the desk and take the break somewhere else.

A short walks counts as physical activity

Science has long ago established a correlation between stress and physical activity. The more active you are, the lower your stress levels will be, resulting in higher energy levels and psychological benefits. However, people are still reluctant to exercise more because they falsely believe that the intensity of their training session has to be high.

In reality, a short walk around the block counts as physical activity. For example, a stroll after lunch will actually raise your energy levels, instead of decreasing them. Digesting food is much quicker during light physical activity than it would be if you lied down the living room sofa and took a nap.

For this reason, adopt a brisk 10-minute walk routine every day and see how you feel invigorated every time you step out into the street.

Anger management

Are you tired of constantly getting angry at other people? If you are, then know that getting into arguments and constantly bickering with others drains your energy like a whole in a fuel tank. You need to learn to control your anger and chill out before you decide to raise your voice.

Boosting your energy levels is not something that comes naturally for the modern man. You need to make a real effort to wake up invigorated every day but luckily, there are tips based on science that help you achieve exactly that. From socializing more to controlling your temper, boosting your energy levels will help you achieve every goal in life.

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