Having trouble keeping your energy level up throughout the day?  Do you struggle to keep up with your family when it's time to loosen the tie to have some fun during the weekends?  Here are our top tips in keeping your energy level up naturally.

1. The most important meal of the day...

Yes, it seems that one of the oldest adages of the modern world was right: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Many people skip breakfast, thinking that they can recuperate the lost energy expended until lunchtime by eating a bigger lunch or drinking more soda (or more coffee!).

Unfortunately, this approach has never worked and eventually, the body loses its capacity to compensate for the missing meal and its energy level lags after lunch time (even if you had a very nice meal).

So make an important note and stick it on your fridge: eat some breakfast! But   we are not talking about what people generally eat during the morning.  Avoid anything that is loaded with sugar, salt, empty calories and too much carbohydrates.  Anything loaded with these ingredients will produce a short “energy boost” that would last for maybe 1 to 2 hours.  After this period, your energy level will take a steep dive and you will feel drowsy again.

Instead of eating cereals or croissants in the morning, go for a heavier, healthier meal with the right amount of carbohydrates, heart, bone & joint-friendly fats and of course, some muscle-building protein.

It might be a bit difficult to prepare this type of meal in the beginning, but all it takes is practice.  For example, instead of eating granola bars, you can just prepare a tasty sandwich.  It takes five minutes to put together chicken breast strips, light mayo (low salt), tomatoes and coleslaw.  But the benefits of this healthy meal will help you throughout the day.

You can also improve long-time favorites.  For example, if you like pouring strawberry cream over your oatmeal, why not just go for light milk and some chopped almonds?  The taste will be unbelievably wonderful and you will be getting the awesome benefits of oatmeal and almonds.  Do not be afraid to experiment with different healthy ingredients in the kitchen – have fun.

2. Positive projection matters

Feeling lousy?  Never mind that for now: just smile!  According to Dr. Jonny Bowden in his work book on energy-boosting, the brain and body responds to the emotions that we try to project to the world.  So if you are projecting that you are happy and energetic, the body and brain takes that as a cue and responds accordingly.  It might take some time, but eventually, you will feel the energy streaming in.

3. Zero in on bad thoughts & replace them

The simplest things can wreak havoc on our moods – and energy level. If you feel lousy and sapped of energy because of work, try to focus on what's causing your foul mood.  Once you identify that one thing that is making you feel really bad at the moment, replace that thought with something that would really make you happy – like buying a new gadget or spending time with a special someone.

4. Shuffle your boring routines

Routines can make work efficient but it can be incredibly bad for your energy. So what is the solution?  Simple: shuffle things a bit. The body needs challenges so it can work well.  The brain produces a chemical called dopamine, a “happy chemical” that rewards the body for hard work.

Apart from making you feel good, dopamine also prepares the body for even more challenges ahead.  The 'shuffle' does not have to be complicated.  Here is a classic example (which is also a brain exercise): if you have been using Route A in going to work for 15 years, find an alternate route, or make one.  The novelty of the experience will challenge your brain and improve your mood for work as well.

5. Cold drinks for an alert mind

The biggest energy killer in the office is the hours-long staff meeting.  Whether your group is brainstorming or just reporting to the higher-ups, let's face it – these meetings are deadly boring.  So what do you do? Drink something cold. And if it is available, drink iced tea.  Iced tea is packed with antioxidants, caffeine and the chemical theanine.  These chemicals are good for the body and  also increase the brain's natural alertness – no matter how boring the topic is in the meeting.

6. Too little sleep? Get caffeine shots!

Bleary-eyed people around the world are thankful for quality coffee that picks them up in the morning and puts them in a relaxed state at night (weird huh?).  But did you know that there is a more effective way of utilizing the power of caffeine?  Forget the large mug.  Forget 2 to 3 cups a day.  Instead of 3 cups a day, make it eight cups a day.  Six to eight half cups of coffee is more effective in keeping people awake and alert than larger doses.

7. Say what's on your mind – directly

Instead of making white lies to spare the feelings of others (like in the office), it would be much better if you just said what is on your mind.  If someone's idea is not worth pursuing at the moment, simply state the truth and move on.  This is much better than making a longer story why idea will not be used.

8. Energy-boosting breathing method

“It's all in the breathing...” said one of the masters of Buddhism in ancient China.  And what was said some two thousand years ago couldn't have been truer.  Proper breathing promotes health and also improves our energy levels.  If you feel stressed or sapped, try this: breath in through your nose for four counts (1...2...3...4...) and hold your breath again for seven counts.  Then slowly exhale through your mouth once again (1...2...3...4...).

9. Visualize to eliminate clutter

Clutter causes a lot of stress at home and at work, but few people manage to de-clutter their personal and working spaces because they feel the task is far too large for them to take care of in one day.  To fight off this common problem, use creative visualization to give yourself an instant boost for the task at hand.  Visualize that your room looks like those gorgeous rooms on Lifestyle Channel.  If you feel like repainting afterward, then do it.  The important thing here is that you are rewarding yourself with the potential results of your efforts.

10. Get your MP3 player and start exercising

One of the top reasons why people don't like exercising is that exercise is generally monotonous.  But it doesn't have to be! Almost every cell phone is pre-installed with a media player, so choose your favorite (and most energetic) songs and put them in your music player.  Put on a pair of earphones and listen to your new playlist to get  a good exercise rhythm.

11. Beat the after-lunch slump

Having trouble staying awake and alert after lunch?  Get moving.  Take a short walk outside your office building to get your blood moving.  Better circulation also improves oxygen and nutrient distribution throughout your body, which will directly translate to more energy.  Avoid soda and too much caffeine too: these two cause very short bursts of energy, and nothing more.

12. Reward yourself with dark chocolate

Instead of buying a regular chocolate bar (with sprinkles on top), go for dark chocolate that is at least sixty percent cocoa.  What we are trying to avoid here is the sharp spike and crash associated with candies and chocolates. To avoid this, you need a bit of healthy protein.  Some butter (organic and made from nuts) can help you avoid the energy crash.  Add the butter to the chocolate before eating the snack.

13. More water, please

A person that lacks water will lose a lot of energy trying to compensate for the dehydration.  So keep yourself well-hydrated. Drink eight glasses of water per day (or more, if you want).  Also food that is loaded with potassium like bananas and avocado are important for your energy and alertness, too.

14. Quality, power naps

Power naps are important for people who cannot get more than five or six hours of sleep everyday.  Lack of sleep can cause a lot of stress on the body and you may not be able to work as much as you want because you have low energy.  If you can sleep for 20-30 minutes in the afternoon, that would be enough to boost your energy and improve your mood throughout the day.

Sources
edition.cnn.com
stress.about.com