A long list of emotions can affect your health and, subsequently, energy levels. The million-dollar question is how do you regulate these emotions?
It's no secret that your mood is a reflection of both your physical and psychological state. If you're happy, you have boundless energy, whereas bad moods are commonly characterised by low energy. So the key to long-lasting energy is your mood. Keep that in check and you'll soon be enjoying emotional stability, improved health and wellbeing, improved mental clarity and a super boost of energy.
Improving your mood
Emotions such as anger, fear, guilt, grief and frustration, which are likely to be associated with energy slumps and bad moods, have a knock-on effect, in many cases causing work performance, social relationships and family life all to suffer.
So how do we avoid these negative, energy-zapping thoughts and feelings? Well, first of all, let's look at the events and circumstances that can spur them on: how much sleep we've had; how healthy we are; when and what we last ate; how much exercise we do and how regularly we do it.
Side-stepping a bad mood
Now that we know the bad mood catalysts, how do we go about avoiding them? According to Robert E Thayer, author of
Calm Energy, exercise is the most effective way to boost your mood by increasing energy and decreasing tension.
Music is rated as the second most effective way, and social interaction also gets a mention for turning frowns upside down and getting rid of tension and stress — although it's not quite as good at boosting those all important energy stores.
Exercise
It's no surprise exercise is ranked as the number-one energy booster. Pounding the pavement or hitting the gym can improve your mood, energy levels and sleep and stress levels. But even with that superstar wrap, according to Thayer, only one-third of us take advantage of this mood-booster — a figure that is surprising considering it doesn't take much heart-pumping work to give you a boost.
Music
Just as music can be used to soothe and calm, it can also be used to activate. Upbeat tunes help rid listeners of lethargic moods and get them moving again. Feel-good tunes also have an uplifting effect, making them great re-energising choices.
Social interaction
As well as offering up an energy boost, socialising also requires energy output. Being attentive, smiling and making conversation all demands and uses energy. Putting ourselves in social situations therefore mobilises our energy stores and, once mobilised, this energy improves our mood. Think about it: how many times have you not wanted to go to a party or get-together, only to get there and have a good time?
Can you really eat your way to a happier, more energised you?
While food is a great way to regulate mood — no surprises here, after all, eating tasty treats is always an instant pick-me-up — its benefits are often short-lived. A high-sugar snack might give us an instant high, but the flipside is that shortly after scoffing it down, our mood will once again take a dive.
Why is this the case? Well, sugar offers an immediate solution for low energy, instantly relieving tension and giving that much-needed energy boost and therefore mood boost, but those blood sugar levels begin to drop just as quickly as they sky-rocket, once again leaving you feeling lethargic and lacking energy.
So avoid this roller-coaster energy ride by eating a healthy, well-balanced diet, enjoying moderate exercise (preferably, while listening to some feel-good tunes!) and getting out and about with friends. All simple steps to a healthier, happier and more energised you!
Home