Fatigue FightersBring vibrancy and energy back into your life. Find your boost in simple, natural ways.
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Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?
—Mary Oliver 
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10 Simple Ways to Boost Energy
 Coffee may not help.
Here are 10 simple things you can do to boost energy and help fight off fatigue. Some things help with an instant energy boost. Other strategies need to be practiced in the long term. Long-term remedies need a bit more time and patience, but hopefully it will pay off in the long run.
Photo: Shanghai Killer Whale 10. Eat more often, not less often.
You may find that by eating smaller meals, more frequently during the day, your blood sugar level is steadier. Go for whole grains, nuts, complex carbohydrates, and proteins. Whole foods take longer than refined foods to digest. This minimizes fluctuations in blood sugar and provides more energy for longer periods. However, when you eat more often, watch your portion sizes to avoid weight gain. So enjoy your food, just eat small amounts. 9. Schedule Short Breaks, Often
Pace yourself! Taking more frequent breaks fights fatigue and increases productivity. Plan regular times for short breaks, doing absolutely nothing. Perhaps include a little soothing music. You may find that you actually accomplish more and can sustain your energy better. One research study showed that workers who took four 30-second breaks each hour, with a 14-minute break after two hours of working worked faster and better. Source Facts: Computers and Industrial Engineering 8. Set small goals
Overwhelming deadlines are stressful and contribute to fatigue. Try breaking tasks down into small, manageable chunks of time. Then tell yourself to do, “Just the first step.” Set SMART goals—Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-Limited. It might be something small, like just sorting the inbox for later. Set the small goals, and commit to them. 7. Get Yourself Moving
Eat a candy bar? or take a walk? It’s your choice, both will give you an instant energy boost, but 10 minutes of brisk walking, even just around the office, will boost your energy and keep it high longer. A sugar snack will cause a peak and then an energy drop. Physical activity improves the efficiency of your heart, lungs, and muscles. Exercise or do yoga for the long term. Or simply begin your day with morning stretches. 6. Tune Into Your Body Rhythm
Are you a morning person, or a night person? Do you seem to always need that nap around 3:00? Everyone has differences in their daily energy patterns. Become aware of your own body rhythm. Then try to do your most demanding tasks when your energy level is highest for the day. 5. Visual Meditation: Send in the Clouds
Meditate and feel more alert and focused as well as energized. It's also a great way to relieve stress. Try this visual meditation. Close your eyes and take a few slow, relaxing breaths. Visualize a positive place, like watching a sunset at the beach, or walking through an aspen grove. Look up at the sky and as thoughts intrude, picture them as clouds passing through and fading away. Try practicing short mini-meditations like this throughout the day. 4. Right Foods, Right Time
It should go without saying—eat healthy foods at all times. The connection is clear between energy levels, the foods that you choose, AND the time in your day that you eat.
3. Drink Water, and Plenty of It
Dehydration actually causes fatigue. It zaps energy and decreases both alertness and concentration. Drink plenty of water throughout the course of the day. Carry a water bottle with you and set yourself to finish it within a time frame, such as one bottle every two hours. Drink enough so that your urine is pale yellow or wheat color. If its darker than that, drink more water. 2. Herbal Rejuvenators
Coffee may give you a quick energy boost, but for long-term energy improvement other herbal rejuvenators may be a better choice. Try “green” drinks, such as green algae juices. They provide nourishing, high-octane charges of phytonutrients, antioxidants, and digestive enzymes. Ginseng and rhodiola drinks have rejuvenating effects. Fish oil has specific omega-3 oils that help to boost your alertness and make you feel more vigorous. 1. Practice Ubuntu
Cultivate a positive attitude. IT IS a long-term life choice and an energy boost. When you can chose to think good or bad, choose that positive attitude. AND try to surround yourself with people who also have a positive attitude. A negative person may bring down your energy levels and make you suddenly feel like you want to take a nap! Try practicing Ubuntu, an African term that roughly translates to mean that what makes us human is the humanity we show to each other. In ubuntu, each person is open and available, affirming of others, and has a self-assurance that comes with feeling that he or she belongs to a greater whole. So in any situation, when in doubt of how to behave, always choose the kindest thing. |
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Bring vibrancy and energy back into your life. Live a little smarter and make the best healthy choices every day. Fatigue can be beat and bring a boost to your metabolism, as well. Note that fatigue is a common symptom of many illnesses, for example heart disease, diabetes, thyroid disease, anemia, arthritis, and sleep apnea. Talk to your doctor if you feel your fatigue is extreme. If you enjoyed this list, read more articles like this at Well-Being. |
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Posted 10/12/13
I'm too tired for words.... Shekelli2 |
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