If you stand on the street and just look around for a while you’ll quickly find that most people genuinely look like they’re just trying to get through the day. It’s always a nice shock to see someone lively, with spirit and energy.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to just “get through” my days. I want to own every day with enthusiasm and zeal. I want to have the best day of my life every single day.

It’s no secret that low energy levels kill our sense of passion and enthusiasm. The answer for most people is to develop a coffee addiction and ignore the real problem.

Not to say that there’s anything wrong with a coffee addiction, I definitely have one too.

But understanding how your energy levels are affected by the different daily habits you exhibit will provide you with a new perspective on going about your day, and may even ignite a new sense of life in you over time.

How To Have More Energy | Habits That Drain Our Energy Levels & How To Defeat Them

Everything we do requires a certain amount of energy. Every thought, physical movement and emotion requires energy to manifest. In a way you can say that all we are is energy being manifested in different forms.

On a very practical level though, we need high levels of energy to not only get through the day, but perform optimally. In order to accomplish everything we set out to do, we need to possess energy levels that allow us to stay focused and hungry for long periods of time.

The secret to maintaining high energy levels is taking care of yourself physically, mentally and emotionally.

Lack Of Physical Stimulation

When you don’t get physical movement, your energy levels cannot possibly be anywhere near your greatest potential.

When I’m sitting in a chair all day long at work physically idle without any direct physical stimulation, you best believe that I’m going to feel lethargic as hell.

Physical stimulation doesn’t necessarily mean exercise (although exercise is the best way to defeat the body’s feeling energy-less), but it does require actual movement.

Taking a walk once a day could do the trick.

It really depends on what your levels of physical activity are generally. The more you normally workout, the more that's required for it to keep you energetic.

What’s also pretty remarkable is the way our bodies learn to associate certain feelings (like “tiredness” and “lethargy”) with different physical postures.

If you’re lacking energy on a daily basis, I’d bet a lot of money that you usually feel it around the same time, when you’re doing the same activity you do every day, in the same posture you’re usually in.

Here’s what I mean: 

Most of us associate sitting up with our back straight with energy and confidence. A slouched back or laying down is associated with sleep, laziness, and tiredness.

That’s a very basic example, but if you open your eyes to it, you’ll start to see that we have a bunch of different postures that are associated with different feelings and emotion in us.

Sometimes all it takes is standing up, stretching a little bit, and sitting differently than you were before to change your entire state (mentally and emotionally).

It’s a nice little trick but to sustain regularly high energy levels, actual physical stimulation for at least 15-20 minutes is necessary on a daily basis.

Think about how beautiful this idea is: When you exercise your body quite literally rewards you with happiness and energy in the form of endorphins.

Check this out if you need help creating a structured exercise routine.

Eating Garbage Foods & Overeating Regularly

Our bodies are highly intelligent machines.

They have instinctive brains that know how to differentiate between good fuel and bad fuel. Just like a car won’t run without proper oil, and runs better with certain types of oil, our body demands the best fuel to operate at its maximum possible capacity.

When we’re eating like shit we feel like shit. We’ve all experienced it countless times.

When you don’t eat to the point of over-fullness, you feel light and satisfied. You know those people that have to take a nap after every meal? It’s because they eat more than their body needs to feel satisfied.

Solution: You don’t have to go on a crazy diet, just cut the junk food and limit carbs to some extent. Think about it like this, your body literally thanks you for taking care of it, and the way it pays you is with energy. If you start paying attention to the way your body responds to different foods, it’ll obligate you to take care of it.

Daydreaming, Negative Thinking & Extreme Emotional Outbursts

Why do extreme emotional states like anger and anxiety leave us feeling tired when they pass?

We don’t think of the intellectual and emotional functions as events that drain our energy, but they may be our biggest energy wasters.

Thoughts and emotions require energy to manifest. If you think of the fact that our thoughts are constantly in motion, you start to imagine just how much of your energy is being lost in them.

Daydreaming and imagination don’t serve any real utility.

What’s more is that negative emotions and thoughts usually come with real force. What goes up must come down.

The stronger we feel an emotion, and the more that negative thoughts spin in our heads, the more energy they waste.

Solution: Meditation for even 5 minutes a day will help you separate from the constant flow of thought you experience throughout the day. You won’t be quite as attached to your thoughts – they’ll have less force.

Here’s a guide for beginning a regular meditation practice.

Sleeping Really Late, Waking Up Really Late & Sleeping Too Much

The time we get to sleep is hugely important for our energy levels.

We don’t really think about what sleep IS, but it is a time when our functions slow down and disconnect.

The thought isn’t roaming as swiftly, we’re literally immobile, and because we’re in an emotionally idle state, the whole of us is receiving a rest and re-accumulating the energy we need for the next day.

Sleeping really late simply gives you less time to sleep, and pushes you to points of exhaustion which has lasting effects for days to come.

On the other end of the stick, waking up really late and getting too much sleep makes you feel REALLY tired. As odd as that sounds, we all know it because we’ve all been there.

Solution: Set a strict lights out time and decide when you’re going to wake up. You shouldn’t wake up out of necessity to get somewhere because again, the stress of waking up and rushing WASTES energy. Try to wake up with some time to relax in the morning before the madness of the day starts and you WILL feel more energy throughout the day.

Surrounding Yourself With Lazy People

You are an average of the 5 people you spend the most time with. If they’re always tired and lack the energy they need for the day, so will you.

Solution: Make your friends aware of your need for higher energy levels (don’t make it sound weird but if you explain it adequately they’ll get the point) and try to get them on board.

If not, try not to spend SO MUCH time with lazier people. Obviously don’t get rid of your friends but the less time you spend with lazy and lethargic people, the less tired and exhausted you’ll feel.

Which Energy Draining Habit Do You Want To Conquer First?

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Nutrition: Click here to check out The Nutrition Sidekick Journal

Meditation: Click here to check out The Meditation Sidekick Journal

Morning Routine: Click here to check out The Morning Sidekick Journal