Monday Morning Coach with Betty Mahalik Archives - Your Energy Currency

Your Energy Currency

What is your most valuable possession?  Many would answer with some tangible possession like a house or car. Others would respond that the less tangible but no less "real things" like family, friendships, faith or career would top the list. And while in their own way, each of those is extremely valuable, I've come to believe that the "currency" that fuels it all is energy. Without the vitality, strength, stamina, enthusiasm and well...energy firing the engine, it's difficult to live life at its fullest and achieve all we're capable of.

If you're willing to agree with me that energy is indeed the "currency" for a dynamic life, then ask yourself this:

"What am I doing to ensure that I have abundant physical, mental, emotional or spiritual energy in my life?"

Or better yet....

 "What am I doing or not doing that drains my physical, mental, emotional or spiritual energy?" 

What can you do to build your energy and vitality, and actually increase your energy currency? While I'm no expert, I'd like to offer five simple ways to build your life energy, starting now.

1) Get active and start exercising. I recently did a poll of participants in a class I was teaching to find out how many of the participants regularly engage in some form of exercise. Out of the eight people there, one raised her hand! If you are one of the seeming minority that does some form of regular exercise--walking, running, dancing, swimming, yoga, gym workouts, gardening--bravo! For those who don't, what kind of "wake up call" are you waiting for? Of all the activities that will build your energy, vitality and stamina, my personal experience and much scientific research testifies to this truth: People don't lack energy because they're too active, they lack energy because they're not active enough!

You don't have to spend hours or hundreds of dollars at a gym to begin building physical activity into your day. You do have to invest some time. Start with 5-10 minutes a day of easy walking and increase slowly, working up to 30 minutes or more five days a week. And if you're using the old excuse of "I don't have time," would you have the time if your doctor gave you a diagnosis of "exercise or suffer the consequences?" Don't let a health crisis be the motivator for taking this one on.

2) Take energy breaks throughout the day. In the book "The Power of Full Engagement", authors Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz describe how the body's natural rhythms cycle about every 90 minutes. In essence, about every 90 minutes our energy dips and we need to get up and move around to re-fire our energy engines. In our information-based culture where people sit at computers or desks for hours on end, it's no wonder we feel like the Tin Man when we try to stand up. Energy that isn't moving becomes stagnant. Try taking an energy break every 90 minutes.

Get up, move around. Do some simple stretches. Drink some water. And then enjoy the feeling of being refreshed and ready to return to the task at hand with more relaxed energy and focus.

3) Eliminate or dramatically reduce energy-zapping processed foods. Recently, I've made a commitment to increase the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables I eat, while eliminating as much processed food as possible. I've laid off the chips, crackers, cookies and other calorie and preservative-laden "faux food" I've been addicted to for years. Guess what I've found? Not only do I no longer experience unwanted cravings for junk food, (my body actually craves fresh food), I no longer experience the mid-afternoon energy slumps that occurred regularly for years.

Do you have to hire a dietician or nutritionist to transform your eating habits? Hardly. Just become an informed consumer. Decide that you are worth putting the highest quality fuel into your body if you want to get the best quality energy out of it! While there may be many conflicting opinions out there about whether coffee or chocolate is better for you, or whether synthetic vitamins benefit us, or dozens of other health controversies, there is virtually no controversy about the importance of eating fresh, whole naturally-derived foods. Period.

4) Pay attention to which people and activities add to your energy level, and those that deplete or detract from it. Just as it's possible to take in toxins from the environment, there are sadly many toxic people we are wise to limit our exposure to. Complainers and “negaholics,” problem-junkies, drama queens (and kings), and people who seem to attract disaster are drainers. People who are optimistic, have a can-do attitude and look for solutions rather than constantly creating problems add to our energy.

Similarly, there may be activities and organizations that you have simply lost interest in or that no longer reflect your values that you would be wise to let go of. I was recently talking with someone who decided to leave the church she grew up in because it was a negative and closed environment where she didn't feel she could really be herself. Perform a toxicity inventory this week and ask if it's time to start distancing yourself or limiting your exposure to an individual, group or activity that’s draining you.

5) Get adequate sleep. According to sleep experts, most people in the U.S. are sleep deprived. Many people boast that they can get by on 4-5 hours of sleep a night. Folks everything I’ve read about sleep suggests we are fooling ourselves if we're not consistently getting 7-9 hours of sleep a night! Not only does the body use sleep time to repair tissues and replenish energy, there are now studies that link sleep deprivation with weight gain. Think about it: you feel low on energy so you grab a Starbucks, energy drink and/or something sugary to pump yourself up with enough artificial energy to get through the day. It sets up a vicious cycle, because once the sugar buzz wears off, your energy level plummets.

If you recognize that you may be depriving yourself of much-needed rest, commit now to add a half-hour to your sleep time every week until you begin to feel rested when you wake up in the morning. And if there is something medically or environmentally that prevents you from getting quality sleep, take it on, correct it and start working with your body instead of against it!

We're talking about your life here folks, not a dress rehearsal! This week, no matter what, decide to increase your energy currency. One of my favorite "Dr. Phil-isms" is this: Life rewards action. Act on one of more of the recommendations here and start to reap the benefit of more energy, positivity, and vitality. I'd love to hear how you do, and if you have a positive, healthy energy idea that's worked for you, let me know about that too. To borrow a well-known commercial slogan: You're worth it!

Here's to an abundant and energy-filled first week of Spring!