1. Remember three axioms

Sorry, we promised new and unconventional methods, but first we have to remind you of something trivial. You already know that you need to sleep well, eat and exercise. We will not decipher it; after all, very few people follow it. Let’s say a few words about the introduction of healthy lifestyles into the daily routine.

How to recharge your batteries through training

Train at lunchtime or at least go for a walk. In 2004, researchers at the University of Leeds found that employees who attend a corporate gym perform better and are easier to cope with workouts. In addition, they enjoy their work better, they experience less stress, and they do not feel tired after noon, despite the energy they spend during training.

How to sleep more

Rearrange the alarm clock. Let it ring not in the morning when it’s time to get up, but in the evening when it’s time to go to bed.

As John Duran says in The Paleomanifesto, the technique of setting an alarm clock in the evening is very useful to remind yourself that it’s time to go to bed. The signal should sound an hour before the lights out. After the reminder, you need to finish all the work, turn off the TV and excess lights, and gradually get ready for bed.

How to switch to a healthy diet

Ask yourself, “What would Batman eat?” This advice is given by Brian Wansink, a professor at Cornell University.

When deciding whether or not to eat dessert, think about what your child idol would do. If it doesn’t help the first time, ask yourself the question three times. It will be easier to make a sound decision.

We’ve dealt with the boring and obvious. There’s no need to mock your body to get energy at the right time. It’s better to change the schedule.

2. Figure out when you’re cooler

Do you know how much jet lag affects people? When, for example, a football team crosses three time zones to play, its chances of winning are halved, even if the opponent is weaker.

But we’re not talking about athletes right now. It’s just that if you’re an obvious owl, it’s stupid to plan important tasks for 8 a.m.

Pay attention to your circadian rhythms and stay on top: athletes win and break records when they adjust the competition time to their internal clocks.

One of the studies covered in David Randall’s book “The Science of Sleep” showed that records in running, powerlifting, and swimming were more often set by athletes whose competition schedule coincided with the second period of daily activity. When jumping in the long jump, for example, athletes performed 4% better than average at their peak of energy.

Have you set up synchronization with the internal clock? It’s great. Now we are learning how to give up.

3. Set the right goals and don’t tell anyone about them

Maybe you have relative goals: “I want to be better than Sasha.” Or maybe objective ones: “I want to get the highest test score.”

But if you want to increase your energy level, you should have one goal left in your head: to become better.

Research by American psychologist Heidi Grant Halvorson shows that focusing on improvement increases the desire to work. We work with interest and passion when we think about progress, not just about the task. Interest does not make you work with the last of your strength, but fills you with energy.

It’s not that hard. Just think about how you can do everything you do better.

And now for the second part: keep quiet. Research has shown that you can’t talk about your goals if you don’t want to throw in the energy you need to achieve them. Scientists have concluded that pleasant fantasies do not come true because they do not provide energy to move towards the desired future.

So, we tuned in to the best and remembered that happiness loves silence. Where can I get energy?

4. Be optimistic

Soldiers must be fully armed to march 40 km. But some were told that the distance was 30 km. Others say that they will have to walk 60 km.

After the march was complete, the researchers measured the levels of stress hormones in the blood of both groups. What happened? It turned out that stress does not correspond to reality, but to expectations.

What conclusion do we draw? Everyone gets what they expect.

The brain doesn’t like to force the body to waste resources until it sees a real chance to win. Physical strength is not available until you believe in success, because there is no worse situation for the human body than wasting all resources and failing. The moment you become confident, a gate opens through which energy flows. Hope or despair is what we program ourselves to do, say the authors of the book Maximum Brain Power.

Optimists have more energy. Pessimists are more stressed out. Everything does not depend on objective circumstances, but on the point of view on them.

Have you been charged with positive energy? It’s good. But maybe it’s time to redo a bunch of things? What do you need for this?

5. Do what you can do

What projects are you working on at work? What household chores do you have? If you do what you’re good at, you’ll see the difference.

Research has shown that using strengths at work makes people happier. And at the same time it increases energy levels.

The longer a person works at what they can do, the more cheerful, happier they are, and the more they respect themselves. Using your strengths makes you smile and learn interesting things.

According to the Gallup Institute, positive assessments of the past day, depending on the number of hours spent doing what they love, are distributed as follows:

Number of hours0—34—67—910+

Felt happiness75899293

Felt refreshed58676973

They had self-respect87929395

Laughed or smiled66849187

We learnt something new43667072

Found energy for other things71879293

You know what to do. But what mistake kills motivation?

6. Take one thing to the end

We often work on five tasks at once. But focusing on only one process significantly increases motivation.

Daniel Pink, the best-selling author of Drive and an expert in motivation, explains the secret to “small victories”: tasks that seem insignificant can have a significant impact on our well-being. Science only confirms this.

Internal energy increases or decreases depending on how far projects, even small ones, have progressed. Modest victories have an unexpectedly strong positive effect, while small losses, on the contrary, have a negative effect.

Maybe you can redo everything you wanted to do. But you’ll still find yourself in a state where the tanks are empty. How to make decisions when a tired brain refuses to work?

7. Listen to your inner voice when you’re tired

Research results say that when there is a lot of energy, you need to listen to the voice of reason. And when your head is in a muddle from fatigue, rely on your intuition.

Executive functioning depends on the amount of energy glucose provides. And many cognitive processes are impaired when energy is scarce. When making decisions when blood glucose levels are low, you need to trust the unconscious more, although when glucose levels rise, you should return to conscious decision-making.

So you’re already making progress. Congratulations. But what is the best way to take a vacation to save energy for tomorrow?

8. Recover actively

That doesn’t sound very logical. But if you are exhausted today and don’t want to get tired tomorrow, relax actively: go to a training session or chat with friends. No sitting in front of the TV or at the computer.

Kelly McGonigal

An excerpt from the book “Willpower”.

The American Psychological Association found that the best recovery strategies are exercise, sports games, reading, praying, music, relaxing with family or friends, massages, walking, yoga, and creative hobbies.

The worst time to relax is while gambling, shopping, smoking, playing video games, surfing the Internet, watching TV shows or movies (more than two hours).

What to remember

So you know how to recharge. Now let’s sum up the results: what is the best way to extract energy.

Use three axioms: exercise at lunch, an alarm clock before going to bed, and the question: “What would Dobrynya Nikitich eat?”

Determine your peak activity: owls must do important work in the evening, and larks in the morning.

Set the right goals, focus on improvements, and don’t tell anyone about your plans.

Be optimistic. Remember, what we count on is what we get.

Do the job you know how to do. Using your strengths brings happiness and energy.

Get things done. Small victories lead to big goals.

Remember: the inner voice is the best adviser for a tired mind.

Relax actively. Friendly communication is great. Midnight on Netflix isn’t good.

And one last thing. What charges batteries and warms the heart? Helping others. Does it sound illogical again? This effort won’t disconnect you from power. On the contrary, help is a tonic. It can even save lives.

Lawrence Gonzalez’s research focuses on survivors of a dangerous situation where lack of energy meant death. Those who supported others were more likely to be saved.

Helping someone is the best way to protect yourself from death. It helps you rise above your fears and overcome yourself. You’re no longer a victim, you’re a lifesaver. When your leadership job becomes a lifeline for others, you get a boost of energy and can stay afloat longer. You help people in need, and their reaction energizes you. Many people who managed to survive alone say that they got away for someone else (wife, loved one, mother, children).

If you are already tired of reading, offer your help to your loved ones. Not for the sake of a selfish desire to get energy, but to make both yourself and the other person happier.

Source: https://lifehacker.ru/8-unusual-ways-to-get-more-energy/

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