This article is part 2 of a 2 part series on increasing energy in our fast paced world. Read more about causes of energy depletion in part 1.
As we begin the new year, try to incorporate these practices of being mindful with your body, mind and spirit. Meditation and mindfulness is key, we all have a higher voice inside us that is here to guide the way, yet often times we don’t hear this higher voice because we are stuck in our own head with all the concerns and chatter.
Three things that can increase our energy:
1. VISUAL DETOX
Try a visual detox once in a while.We are all figuring out how to manage social media and the pressures that come with it. While technology plays an enormous benefit in our lives, it is also important to recognize that technology doesn’t control us—we control it. We often forget to remind ourselves that we want to be here, present in this space, and that we don’t always need to pull out our phones to capture or share what we are experiencing. We are often so wrapped up with how our life will look from the perspective of someone else that we forget to notice how life actually feels for us. Setting boundaries is so important in not letting technology control our lives or drain our energy. Before we know it, we have just spent an hour scrolling through someone else’s photos, watching their life, instead of living our own.
2. EXERCISE
Exercise is one of the main ways to increase our energy, but we often overcomplicate it more than we need to. Many of us think “I must do cardio therefore I need to run, even if I hate running”, but this is not the case. If we don’t like something then we should not force ourselves to do it, this only creates more stress and further drains our energy; fitness is self care, not a punishment. Movement is a great way to release things we hold onto every day.
The important thing is to just move; move because our bodies want to move, and because they were created to be moved. If there is no time during the busy workday, then simply standing up is beneficial; it is important to check in with ourselves and ask, “did I move enough today?”. Our bodies do so much for us on a daily basis, it is important to honor our bodies in this way.
3. RITUALS
Establishing rituals that can help us separate and distance ourselves from situations which drain our energy or which we need to move on from is very beneficial. This does not mean we aren’t dealing with whatever the situation may be, its simply that we no longer need to ruminate or hold onto that energy. Some examples are dusting off the day with a smile hand clap before we enter the house, or having a rubber band on our wrist to flick whenever we want to clearly establish that the issue is done. Setting boundaries and bringing awareness to know what things we are willing to take on and what things we want to set aside will increase energy throughout all aspects of our lives.
Mindfulness can happen anywhere. Simply by breathing, we can ground and recalibrate ourselves to get in touch with our higher self. We all have the ability to breathe, it’s within each of us and it’s our own. If we can control our breath, we are in control of the world around us.
Breathe, inhale and exhale gratitude, we are here and there is nothing more important than this moment.
Thank you to Mission Wellness & Anchor Meditation for their wonderful talk inspiring ways to increase our own energy within this crazy, chaotic, beautiful world.
Head over to Anchor Mediation to book your mediation session.
Author: Nicole Sallee, @maitemedicine
