Zippity Doo Dah! Simple Ways to Refresh Your Energy - DivineCaroline

Zippity Doo Dah! Simple Ways to Refresh Your Energy - DivineCaroline

Fatigue can attack us winter, spring, summer, or fall, day or night, on workdays or weekends. So how can we wake up, rev our engines, recharge our batteries, and strut our stuff? Get ready to find out!

Here, I will share with you my best energizing secrets that will bring a smile to your face, a bounce to your step, and a zippity-doo-dah to your day!

You can incorporate some of these twenty-one tips into your daily routine, or if you like, you can mix ’em and match ’em, depending on your lifestyle. Whatever you choose, get ready to wake up to your day refreshed and rarin’ to go!

1. Practice extreme craziness.
Sing, chant, hum, dance, prance, bang your drums, run in circles, skip, and/or walk backwards. Do what you have to do to shake the doldrums out of you! We don’t want anything to get in the way of you claiming what’s yours!

2. Add a hint of red.
As Bill Blass says, “When in doubt, wear red!” Red is the most energizing of all colors. Just a hint of red will do; no need to dip your entire body in it! Try wearing a pair of red earrings, a red scarf, or even a red pocket square.

3. Splash cold water on your face.
A quick splash of cold water, first thing in the morning, may energize you even better than a cup of caffeinated coffee. No kidding!

4. Try a peppermint refresher.
The strong smell of peppermint will not only wake you up, but it will also help you to move through your day more quickly and efficiently. Keep a bottle of essential peppermint oil in your purse or drawer at work for a quick pick-me-up. Aah, refreshing!

5. Capture some aroma-energy.
If peppermint’s not your thing, worry not. Other aromatherapy oils can give a quick boost to your energy levels. Here’s an energy-refreshing recipe that will get you moving, shaking and loving life: On a cotton ball, place two drops of lavender and one drop of basil. Inhale deeply.

6. Don’t skip the H20.
Human beings are made up of approximately 70 percent water. If you’re not drinking enough and if you’re dehydrated, then your body slows its circulation and, in turn, your energy goes tumbling on down. Drink a glass right now, so that you’re energized while reading the rest of these refreshing tips.

7. Watch a funny movie.
Watching funny movies decreases certain stress-related hormones. Stress slows us and drains us. Laughter energizes us. Enough said? Make a list of your top ten funny movies, now … and watch them.

8. Find some flowers.
Flowers are another one of life’s miracles. They have a wonderfully bright, positive, and warm energy that can lighten and energize any room and/or person. Try putting a white vase with red or pink flowers on your bedside table and just see how energy rises.

9. Rub your ears.
Did you know that by stimulating certain pressure points on your ear, you can increase blood circulation and energize your entire body? It’s true! Vigorously rub your ears for one minute and feel the energy flow.

10. Embrace imperfection.
Trying to be perfect can be exhausting, and it can lower glucose levels in your brain, making it that much more difficult to function. When your “perfection gene” gets activated, remember to embrace imperfection. What a relief! Enjoy the wave of peaceful and calm energy that now flows through you.

11. Breathe.
Most people are shallow breathers. This type of breathing causes carbon dioxide to build up in your blood and make you doze-y, snooze-y, and lethargic. By taking in a few deep breaths, you’ll get the oxygen moving through your system again. This will help you to become alert.

12. S-T-R-E-T-C-H !
Stand up, get on your toes, and lift your fingertips to the ceiling. Feel the pull in your calves, your abdomen, your shoulders, your arms and your legs! Congratulations! You have just activated almost every muscle in your body! Wow!

13. Sleep in the dark.
To ensure full cycles of sleep, make your bedroom as dark as possible. Light inhibits melatonin secretions, and thus it resets the biological clock, making us tired. If you don’t have enough blinds, shades or curtains to make it dark, try a sleeping mask. I have a leopard-print mask. It makes sleeping even more fun, and fun is always energizing.

14. Stand—and sit—straight.
Slouching can cause your brain to receive up to 30 percent less blood and oxygen. It also compresses your internal organs, compromising their efficiency. Hunching over your computer promotes shallow breathing. Oh, it’s a vicious cycle. Break it!

15. Redecorate.
Changing the colors of your four walls can give your home and your brain a much-needed lift. Or, if you don’t want to paint, try repositioning your furniture to get the chi (energy) moving again throughout your home.

16. Feed your fat head.
Approximately 50 to 60 percent of your brain is pure fat. The fat serves as insulation for your brain’s billions of nerve cells. The better insulated the cells, the faster your brain sends messages and the speedier your thinking. Eat a mix of healthy fats for energy and productivity. Wild salmon, mackerel, anchovies, dark green leafy vegetables, or avocado are excellent choices.

17. Silence, please.
Spend one day a month in total silence. It may seem difficult at first, but I guarantee that you’ll find it refreshing and energizing. Imagine, just for a moment, what it might be like to give the chatterbox in your head a rest.

18. Walk.
A simple, quick walk around the block can do wonders for your energy level. The fresh air and movement prove to be a mighty combo. Walking gets your heart a pumpin’, and once again, the blood rushes to your brain, energizing those tired, slumping brain cells.

19. Let the light shine in.
Studies show that twenty minutes of sunlight can make all the difference in your energy level. If the weather’s bad, or you’re housebound, go sit by the window. Open your blinds. Get as close to daylight as you can, and smile.

20. Smile. Yes, smile!
Smiling lowers your blood pressure, helps you to relax, relieves stress, exercises fifteen to twenty-six facial muscles, makes you look younger as it lifts the face and it fires up various parts of your brain.

21. Socialize.
One of the most special and best things about being a human being is that we are social animals. We thrive by interacting, by supporting, by being with each other. So don’t short-circuit your energy by hanging solo. Shared energy is the best energy.