Do you have enough energy to be strong in difficult circumstances? Your energy underpins your ability to be physically, mentally and emotionally resilient. How much energy you have influences the way you think, your overall health, how you feel – your mood – and your sense of happiness. Being able to maintain and renew your physical energy gives you a greater capacity to keep going during more challenging times. Low energy is bad news and affects every part of your life.

“A woman is like a tea bag — you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.”

Eleanor Roosevelt

Increasing your overall energy levels will give you a firm foundation for growing your resilience. Being more resilient means being more able to cope in the face of everyday challenges and tricky situations, and also reducing your risk of the detrimental effects of stress. With more energy you can enjoy every part of your life – no matter what it throws at you!

There are four elements of energy to consider:

• Physical activity – how much physical exercise and movement you can do and how much you can keep doing
• Sleep – how much good quality sleep you get, on a regular basis
• Boundaries – the breaks you take and the boundaries you set around you, your energy and your time
• Nutrition and healthy consumption – how often you eat and drink healthily, without relying on processed food and stimulants such as alcohol

Sounds simple, doesn’t it?! Until life gets in the way. Read on for some practical tips on how to bring a focus to your energy on a regular basis.

Positive Practice – Your New Energy Plan: Changing One Small Thing

Let’s take a quick tour of each of these 4 elements so you can choose one small thing to do differently. Make a note of your answers, put them somewhere you can see them, commit with time in your diary, – or, even better, make your new energy plan with a buddy or your partner!

Physical Activity

The NHS recommend you do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week spread evenly across the week. Also, reduce time spent sitting or lying down and break up long periods of not moving with some activity. Every step you take each day above 2,500 reduces your risk of dying prematurely from all causes.

Are you moving enough? How could you move more? Could you walk or cycle to work or to the shops? Can you use the stairs rather than the lift, get off the bus one stop earlier, park further away? Could you move more at home maybe by tidying, DIYing, gardening or even dancing to the radio? Can you join in the kid’s activities or those of your friends? Even if you are doing very little maybe you could join parkrun and simply walk the route.

Think about and plan:

1. What physical activity can you do today?
2. How can you get 10 extra minutes of activity tomorrow?

Sleep

Sleep enhances recovery so lack of sleep can affect your immune system, concentration and ability to learn as well as your energy levels all day. Adults need between 7-9 hours of sleep and each person has very individual requirements and preferences.

Are you getting enough good quality sleep? What affects your ability to sleep? Is your sleeping area too hot, too noisy, too bright, too cluttered? Can you establish a bedtime routine that works for you? Can you get an early night a couple of times a week? Can you have a day without the alarm clock? Do you need different pillows or duvet or blankets? What helps you to get back to sleep when you wake up during the night? Trade sleep tips with friends and family and try out different approaches.

Make sleep choices:

1. How will enhance your bedtime routine this week?
2. What can you do to reduce your screen time this month?

Image credit: David Clode on Unsplash

Boundaries

One of the biggest challenges to energy management can be the constant demands on our time – both at work and at home, meaning you can end up tired and drained of energy. One way to handle this is to set up some healthy boundaries, to make sure you give yourself time for ‘you’ – to rest and recover.

Rest and recovery are individual. You know what works best for you and what you enjoy doing most. When you plan to do things that you enjoy you are more likely to make them happen

Are you building regular breaks into your day? Can you take microbreaks of 10 minutes or less even when you are powering through your to-do list? Do you leave work or switch off your computer when you say you will? Do you get fresh air and sunlight during the day to reset your body clock? What types of activities do you use to switch off and relax? What new activities can you try? Are you taking time for yourself, with friends and with family? Do you have a mix of activities which require creativity, mindfulness, being outdoors/indoors or using a skill? What time off will you book into your calendar this week?

For you to think about:

1. What are your favourite relaxation activities?
2. How can you build more of these into your week and month?

Nutrition and Healthy Consumption

We all need the best fuel to operate well. Eating regularly, choosing healthy options, keeping properly hydrated and avoiding ultra-processed foods will all contribute positively to maintaining our energy levels throughout the day. We all know that we should eat more fruit and veg, avoid too many high sugar, high-fat foods, get enough protein and aim for slow-release energy foods.

Are you drinking enough non-caffeinated drinks? Can you choose fruit instead of cake? Can you steam instead of frying? Are you getting your 30 plant types per week? What can you do to make a healthy packed lunch? How can you make healthy choices if you are eating out? Are you getting a good breakfast each day? Have you had your last meal of the day by 7.30pm?

Switching up your nutrition:

1. What small switch can you make today to choose a healthier option?
2. What plan can you make over the next week/month to fuel yourself in a healthy way?

These are some simple options to give you more energy for life’s challenges by changing small things. Keep it manageable, don’t change everything at once, see what works best for you and make tweaks.

If you need any help with pacing yourself and improving your energy, don’t struggle. Call me on +44 07977 072 760 or email me and we can arrange a coaching call.