Asking yourself a question like “How can I increase my energy and motivation?” is a good sign in itself. It means you’re not just accepting that your energy levels have dipped and your “get up and go” seems to have got up and gone.
There are lots of simple things you can do that will help get you motivated again and, in turn, boost your energy levels.
Stop procrastinating as much
Procrastination saps our motivation because although it often feels good to put stuff off until “later” (because we can do something less productive like watch another YouTube video), it saps our enthusiasm and can easily turn into a downward spiral. Which, in turn, can drain our energy levels.
There’s actually a very nice feel-good feeling when you do something and complete it.
One way I’ve found that works well with procrastination is to just do something before your “what can’t I do this later” mechanism kicks in.
But if you’re a chronic procrastinator, there are other ways such as playing yourself an anti-procrastination MP3 to shift your mind’s attitude.
Get some exercise
Exercise boosts our energy levels – it helps by pumping endorphins around our body. Which is why you get that “feel good” factor after you’ve worked out.
Getting more exercise doesn’t necessarily have to involve a gym session. There are lots of other ways – take the stairs, park further from the entrance to the store, walk briskly, walk if the journey is short (might even be quicker by the time you find somewhere to park), all of these help increase your energy levels.
And monitoring helps because we think other people are paying attention even if it’s just an app on our phone (OK, if you’re a conspiracy theorist, maybe they are paying attention).
Adjust your body language
Salesmen are taught to clench their fists and stand up when they’re on the phone and hoping to close a deal or even just make an appointment.
Our posture has a remarkable effect on our energy levels and motivation – way more than we initially credit it for.
So sit up or stand up straight. Lift your head up. Maybe do what top copywriter Ted Nicholas does before writing sales letters – raise your head and hands in the air and (literally) yell out “Yes! Yes! Yes!”
Catch your self-talk and tune it
We all talk to ourselves, most of us inside our heads although a few of us vocalise their self-talk.
The problem with self-talk is that it can so often turn negative which saps our energy and squashes any motivation we may have had. After all, if you’re telling yourself that you’re not going to succeed at something, there’s a good chance you’ll believe what you’re saying in your head.
Sorting out your self-talk isn’t a quick fix – you’ve been doing it for most of your life – but it’s well worth damping it down.
You can be rude to your self-talk if you want to, telling it (preferably inside your head) exactly where it can go.
There are quite a few more ideas in this post if you want to explore further.
Eat something
Certain foods release the feel good chemical dopamine.
You’ll be glad to know that chocolate is one of them (but don’t binge on it! and dark chocolate is best), so are things like blueberries and oily fish that are high in Omega-3 fats. Or you could go into Bugs Bunny mode and nibble a raw carrot. You’ll figure out which of these you can carry with you and use to boost your energy and motivation levels when you need to.
Eat more healthily
Fast food isn’t the best option to eat.
Take a bit more time to eat more healthy options – you don’t have to turn vegan or vegetarian but it’s likely worth cutting down on red meats and finding out what those green decorations on your plate taste like. Surprisingly, some of them are quite tasty (or can be made that way without too much hassle).
Coffee and other caffeinated drinks are also worth cutting down as is alcohol. They’re probably OK in moderation but if you’re using them as a crutch, that’s a bad sign. One warning with caffeine – if your daily dose is currently high, reduce it gradually unless you want the mother of all headaches.
Take a power nap
Power naps are short, focused naps.
Some of the greates minds in history have used them.
There’s no substitute for a good chat with a friend.
It doesn’t have to be a long conversation – sometimes just hearing the other person’s voice is enough,
Or you could make it a video call with WhatsApp or FaceTime or Skype.
Again, the act of seeing a friendly face can help lift your mood.
Hypnotize yourself
Or, more correctly, listen to an MP3 that will hypnotize you.
These are at least as good as a face-to-face session with a hypnotist with the added advantages that they’re a small one-time payment and you don’t need to book and travel. They’re literally “on demand” whenever you need to lift your energy levels and get your motivation back.
Procrastination saps our motivation because although it often feels good to put stuff off until “later” (because we can do something less productive like watch another YouTube video), it saps our enthusiasm and can easily turn into a downward spiral. Which, in turn, can drain our energy levels.
