10 Things to do When Your Energy is Low

What do you do when your energy is low?

Here I am wearing a $0.75 clearance Christmas tee-shirt holding the newest addition to my collection of Christmas movies..  ..  ..  May be silly, but watching this is going to energize me.

The first thing I do is to figure out why my energy is low. Knowing the answer to this will help me decide what I can do to energize myself.

I “study” myself and see if my energylessness is one of the below ideas. Have a read-through and see which one(s) could account for your low energy. . .

• Situational. Has something happened that has zapped your energy? My prayer partner says when I am feeling low to look back 72 hours. Lots of times something happened then that is now reflecting in my low energy now..  ..  ..  The following are some examples: Did poorly on something..  ..  ..  Had a fight with someone close..  ..  ..  Received shocking news..  ..  ..  Encountered a majour disappointment..  ..  ..
• Body Need. Have you heard of H.A.L.T.? These are “ailments” that can influence moods. The letters stand for the following: Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired. Whenever we are under the influence of any of these, it is normal to feel low energy. For women the “H” can also stand for hormonal.
• Spiritual. People are spiritual beings. So when the spiritual part of yourself is out-of-sorts, your general energy level is out-of-sorts. Are you communicating (I.e. through prayer & Bible reading) on a regular basis with God? Is a particular sin trapping you?
• Too Busy. Being busy, especially too busy, seems to be a by-product of living in America today. We are encouraged (by media, inappropriate role models, and our own insecurities) to achieve all we can, all the time, in all areas of our life, without excuse. Whew! That made me tired to just write and read that.
• No Clue. Sometimes we just don’t have a clue as to why we are feeling the way we are. Just because we are clueless doesn’t mean we can’t do something to up our energy.

Now that you have an idea (hopefully) as to the cause of your low energy, read on for some tips to fuel up. Many of the below suggestions can apply to more than one cause. Pick one that sounds do-able, comforting, or just intrigues you. If  that one doesn’t work, try something else.

1. Nap. This is my favourite and most used comfort tool. If/when that doesn’t work, I go on to the other suggestions. For a bit of silliness read 5 Things I Learned Between Naps.
2. Plan something. The most fun and energizing part of any activity is the planning – for me. “Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you”(Oprah Winfrey).
3. Destress. Sometimes I unconsciously let life get to me. Knowing how to destress can give me back much needed energy. Read 21 Ways to DeStress Your Life for ideas on how you can destress.
4. Meet a need. Look at your body and see what need you are ignoring. Good food? Alone time? Glass of cold water? Exercise? Cancel an out-of-the-house activity? Treat yourself well by indulging your need.
5. Combat worry. Worrying always drains my energy and NEVER helps with the situation. Some ways I combat worry are by..  ..  .. Prayer..  ..  .. Journaling..  ..  ..  Talking with a wise person..  ..  .. Balance my checkbook or some other left-brain activity..  ..  .. Refusing to think about it..  ..  .. Read 8 Ways to Stop Worrying by Lisa Burgess at Lisa Notes.
6. Copy verses. God’s WORD is truth. Sometimes I need truth purposefully zipping through my brain. I underline meaningful verses in my Bible. When blue, I grab paper and pen and copy down those verses – especially verses from the Minor Prophets.
7. Confess. Stop running and hiding from sin. Confess it. Get into a community of folks who will help you live a holy life. Get with folks who practice forgiveness for themselves and others. Read Why Confession is Still Good for You by Paul Ellis at Escape to Reality.
8. Play spider solitaire.  Playing this allows my hands to be busy, but my brain has the freedom to think whatever it needs to think. When I am trying to plan a paper or solve a problem, I play several rounds of solitaire and I almost always feel energized afterwards. And I usually have a plan of action too.
9. Do something Christmassy. Christmas and all activities related to it, make me smile. If I do one of the following when feeling low energy, I feel better! Watch a Christmas movie..  ..  .. Decorate cards..  ..  .. Plan a snowman ornament to create with nieces..  ..  .. Write yearly letter..  ..  .. Sing along with Holiday music. Read 3 Reasons to Watch Christmas Movies.
10. Perform kind acts. Did you know when we do a kind act for someone, it boosts our immune system? And when we witness a kind act, it also boosts our immune system. This surely helps combat a sluggish system! (I learned this and much more from Sister Anne Smollin.)

Your Turn . . . What would you add to this list? 

NOTE: This is the 5th photo in the series, A Fall of Self Portraits, from my Fall Bucket List.

• Photo 1: Hair & Memorizing
• Photo 2: Love in a Box (an Operation Christmas Child shoe box that is)
• Photo 3: Cell Phone Replaces Many Gadgets
• Photo 4: Done is Better Than Perfect

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