By Dr. Sean McCaffrey—
Do you wake up with low energy in the morning, needing several cups of coffee to get your motor going? We all get run down occasionally but feeling chronically fatigued can have a profound impact on your physical health and your mental well-being. Fortunately, there’s a lot you can do to improve your energy levels, allowing you to quickly get back on track and find that perfect balance. Forget the quick fixes, such as energy bars and drinks packed with sugar and caffeine; there are some smarter ways to get energized and living a healthier, happier and more productive life.
Take Care of Your Mental Health
People often think of “health” as only physical, but mental well-being is just as important in living a healthy and happy life.
- Start The Day With a Positive Attitude. What you think about and where you focus your mental energy has a tangible effect on your physical well-being. Begin your day focusing on positive thoughts. Practicing mindful meditation and repeating positive affirmations before bed and when you wake up in the morning can set you up for positive day. By focusing on the good that actually exists in our lives, we are more likely to achieve our goals and live a happier lifestyle.
- Consider the Bigger Picture. Studies have shown that feeling connected to a higher power, something larger than ourselves, makes us feel motivated, healthier and more content. This higher power can be God, a set of morals or values, a connection with nature, or something spiritual, etc. Living purposefully and with meaning improves all areas of our life, enhancing our mental and physical health and our overall well-being.
A ‘Back to Basics’ Approach Can Improve Physical Well-Being
It’s not complicated. Simple actions can improve our health and increase our energy. Here are some common-sense activities you should prioritize:
- Get a good night’s sleep. In this high-stress, fast-paced world, it’s important to find a way to get 6-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night. Our bodies need to rest in order to recover, re-energize and protect our bodies’ functions.
- Drink lots of water. The body is 70 to 80% fluids, primarily water. Replacing diet soda with water and staying hydrated throughout the day is a simple yet important way to lasting health.
- Breathe deeply. One way to significantly improve your health and decrease your stress is by practicing deep breathing. When our body experiences stress, whether it is mechanical (physical), emotional or nutritional stress, our body reacts in response to this.
In times of stress, we may experience shallow breathing, heart palpitations, muscle tightening etc., as our body prepares to tackle the stress. When stress becomes chronic, then our body releases an overabundance of cortisol, which is linked to many chronic diseases. Deep breathing exercises have been shown to help alleviate our bodies’ reaction to stress, helping us to manage the physical or emotional stress we may be experiencing.
- Don’t forget to move. Cardio and strength training are both important. Whatever level of fitness you’re doing currently, challenge yourself a bit more to keep progressing toward even better health.
- Balance your diet. Vegetables, fruit, protein and healthy fats are all part of a balanced diet. In conjunction with the other six activities in place, this last one should be to focus on a proper balanced diet. A healthy diet filled with antioxidants, healthy fiber and essential fatty acids will help to prevent chronic disease and may help to improve existing health conditions. Periodically detoxifying through diet and/or intermittent fasting will cleanse our bodies and allow our systems to rebalance.
By practicing these healthy habits, you will improve your physical, mental and emotional well-being, resulting in a happier, healthier you.
Dr. Sean McCaffrey is a health and wellness professional specializing in integrative health. He is the Founder of the McCaffrey Health Center where he works with patients whose bodies are under degenerative stress, helping to transform them into reinvigorated and healthy individuals.
3 thoughts on “7 Simple Ways to Improve Your Health and Have More Energy”
Excellent tip. Just making some small changes can lead to big results. I especially liked the power of affirmations when done on a regular basis.
I just wanted to add that sleep is more elusive as you age, but can negatively affect your day. I find myself nodding off if I don’t get enough sleep.
Have an active lifestyle. That is one of the most important things as we approach 50s!