Ever wished you could bounce from work to play with the vitality of a teenage athlete? Here are 11 instant energisers to help keep you on-the-ball.
Listen to your body clock
A 24-hour internal clock controls our circadian rhythms, which govern our emotions, mental agility, muscle strength and energy. Chronobiologists recommend timing tasks accordingly.
Tips
- exercise at 9am (morning exercisers receive a bigger mood boost)
- tackle tough tasks at 10am (when concentration peaks)
- eat lunch at 1pm (when liver enzymes cause hunger pangs)
- go to the dentist at 2pm (when your pain threshold peaks)
- drink wine at 7pm (when the liver can metabolise alcohol faster)
- have sex at 10pm (when your libido peaks)
- go to bed at 11pm (when you experience a surge of melatonin)
Limit caffeine
While a cappuccino may boost alertness initially, the body builds a tolerance to the stimulant over time. "Withdrawal symptoms include headaches, fatigue and irritability," says dietician Susie Burrell. Keep your energy levels up by drinking plenty of water, and opt for caffeine-free tea or coffee when you feel a craving coming on.
Diarise down-time
Take a proactive approach by scheduling down-time first and thinking of it as an appointment you can't miss.
Get moving
In his new book,
Are You Ready?, celebrity trainer, Bob Harper of
Biggest Loser fame, says "regular exercise helps keep our bones solid and our muscles and joints strong and flexible, and has the power to offset anxiety and depression." The federal government's 2007 Physical Activity Guidelines for Adults recommends 30-minute sessions of moderate-intensity physical activity on most (preferably all) days of the week.
Grab a (balanced) afternoon snack
Reaching for a sugary treat "can trigger a drop in energy, a worsened mood and an increased appetite," says dietician Melanie Marino, who suggests reaching for "complex" carbohydrates, such as whole grains and legumes instead because the body digests them slowly, preventing cravings. Tip: thirst is often disguised as hunger — always drink water first.
Meditate
The benefits of this exercise include relief from insomnia, improved memory and relief from depression. Visit
www.meditation.org.au to discover tips and tricks, and find a practitioner near you.
Work smarter, not harder
A 2005 study by US research firm Basex found office distractions ate up 2.1 hours of an average office worker's day, while reports from the University of London's Institute of Psychiatry indicate a person's IQ falls 10 points when multitasking. Free up time by organising your office life. Clean up your workspace, make lists, designate a time to action emails, let voicemail pick up non-urgent calls, and save social catch-ups for lunch time.
Up your fruit intake
The 2008 National Workplace Health Index found 61.3 percent of Australian workers weren't eating the two daily servings of fruit recommended by the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating, and that almost one in two were easily influenced by their workmates when it came to eating badly. No office willpower? Have a fresh
fruit basket delivered in lieu of replenishing the biscuit jar.
Get more sleep
Nothing has more healing properties than sleep, with seven to eight hours each night recommended by the University of South Australia's Centre for Sleep Research.
Enlist an energetic healer
This holistic practice provides a natural way of restoring balance and harmony to the body's complex array of energy systems. Practitioners facilitate a healing response through a variety of gentle, non-invasive techniques and modalities. See www.energetichealing.org.au for more info.
Tie up loose ends
Anxious about something? If it's a task you can deal with quickly (for example, calling a friend to apologise for missing her birthday), do it, and forget about it. Unfinished business can be an enormous energy sapper.
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