How do you get more energy?

Having sufficient energy. The engine behind almost everything. How you function and how you feel depends on how much energy you have. How often does it happen to you that you come home tired, want to hang out in front of the tube all night and don’t feel like cooking or exercising. Or that you’re at school or work and can’t start your day without a cup (or two) of coffee.

Of course, it also varies from person to person. Some are bursting with energy and others don’t know where to get it from. This can be due to a whole host of factors. Below are some tips to help you have more energy throughout a day and keep it over.

Take breaks more often & exercise
This is one that I sometimes find difficult myself. Sometimes you get so caught up in a project or assignment that you just keep going. But precisely, when you interrupt it for a moment, by getting a cup of tea or taking a walk around the block, you put your “heart” back to work more, which keeps your circulation flowing well throughout your body, as well as in your brain. This is how you create more focus again.

The right nutrients
What do you eat in a day? Is it high in carbohydrates or not? Food that has been processed or just can still be found in its purest form? What you eat in a day can affect your energy level. When you eat foods that are high in carbohydrates, such as pasta and other grain products, you may first experience a spike and then a slump moment (read: after-dinner dip, after-lunch dip or a 4-hour dip).

This is because carbohydrates are converted to sugars, which raises your blood sugar (the spike). To make it “stable” again, your body produces insulin. This takes your body energy to make, which can result in a pent-up moment. This is the same with processed foods. Processed foods are mainly foods found in the supermarket (read: sprinkles, custard, snacks, etc.). This is food that your body does not recognize as “food” and will take extra energy to process.

Tip I: In general, you get the most energy from eating more vegetables, fruits, nuts/seeds, eggs and moved meat/fish.

Tip II: Eating raw foods like salads can also cost your body energy and is not always helpful when you are chronically tired or experiencing chronic illness. Your body is already having trouble distributing energy then, and in this you can better accommodate your body by already cooking or baking the food.

Relaxation
That may sound contradictory – taking more relaxation – but it is not. Your energy level can hardly peak all the time. Being able to switch off is also important. For example, you’ve had a stressful day, may be high on energy precisely because of that, but not in a very pleasant way. Here it is important that your body does manage to turn off these stress hormones and with that you can recharge yourself.

Tip: Magnesium can help with this. When you don’t get enough magnesium, it’s harder to switch off. You can get it through your diet, as well as through oil spreads or through a (foot) bath.

Heart makes a jump
Think about what energizes you. Grab a pen and paper or write in your notes on your phone the answers to these questions: What energizes me? What do I really enjoy doing? Who do I get energy from? Deep down, what would I really like to do? What is my dream? Try getting to the core, letting go of your thoughts about it and asking yourself these questions. There may not be an answer immediately, but it may come a few days later.

Write down your thoughts
Thinking takes an awful lot of energy. Especially the thoughts that keep swirling around. Day by day. For example, you still need to do the dishes, get groceries and send a friend that one more message. Those thoughts that you’d rather not pay too much attention to, but come back every time. These thoughts cost energy and make you less effective.

Tip: Write down these thoughts. By writing them down, they no longer have to wander around in your head. And that saves energy.

Be aware of where your energy is going!!!