All of us want to have high energy levels to perform our day-to-day activities with ease. Unfortunately, for most of us, our energy levels fluctuate dramatically throughout the day, and even performing light work becomes daunting. We go through unexplained aches and pains. Sometimes, even our mental energy takes a beating, leaving us drained and tired.

In this article, I will share seven tips to help you increase your energy levels. Read on to find out what they are.

1- Nourishing food

This one’s a no-brainer. All of us know that the food we consume has a direct impact on our energy levels. If you’re stuffing yourself with refined carbohydrates and sugars, you will obviously feel sluggish and inactive. You will have an energy crash. The key here is to make sure that the foods you are consuming fuel your body, instead of draining it. So, be conscious of what you consume.

2- Sleep

We are addicted to our mobile phones, so much so that most of us end up scrolling endlessly across various social media platforms even past midnight. While you may not feel tired or stressed out at that point in time, your brain and body will not be getting the much-needed rest they need to function properly. You may feel like you are wide awake and not ready to sleep yet, but your body’s mechanisms do not work that way. So, if you have a habit of staying up late at night and not getting at least 6-8 hours of sleep, you will inevitably feel lethargic during the day. Performing mundane tasks can get very taxing, and your body will not be able to work to its full potential. So, make sure you get adequate sleep. Avoid using your mobile phones at least half an hour before your bedtime to allow your brain to relax and unwind.

3- Keeping good company

You know how they say your tribe defines your vibe? Well, the company you keep, the messages you exchange, your thought processes, and your values are directly related to the kind of friends you hang out with. Do not ever assume that your companionship will not have an effect on your mind and heart.

Abu Musa (RA) reported: The Prophet, peace, and blessings be upon him, said,

Verily, the parable of good company and a bad company is only that of a seller of musk and a blacksmith. The seller of musk will give you some perfume, you will buy some, or you will notice a good smell. As for the blacksmith, he will burn your clothes or you will notice a bad smell.

[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5534, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2628]

If your friends have a positive outlook towards life, are involved in a speech that helps you move forward, have ideas and beliefs that help you prosper in Dunya and akhirah, your life will reflect the same. If your friends are energetic, their energy will rub off onto you. If your friends are lethargic and always complain about life, your mind will start to think in the same manner.

Some companionships are destructive. They will suck the energy and life out of you. These kinds of toxic people will drain you. So, surround yourself with positivity, good people, and individuals who have a good outlook on life.

4- Avoid news overload

Yes, all of us need our daily dose of news to know what’s happening around the world but being too engrossed in it throughout the day can have a direct impact on our energy and affect our moods in unimaginable ways.

We are living in times where the news and events will stress us out more than help us stay connected to what’s happening around us. With limited time at our disposal, when we are constantly bombarded with negative news, our minds will not be able to process the information that’s being fed to our brains, leaving our brains stressed and overworked. This has a direct influence on our energy levels and how we respond to external factors around us.

5- Exercise

Make sure that you exercise, no matter how busy your schedule is. Even a ten-minute workout or a stretch or a walk can do wonders for your body. It is easy for us to complain about lack of time given our busy schedules, but if we can spend 30 minutes of uninterrupted time scrolling through social media, we can definitely spend 10-20 minutes stretching our muscles and moving around. It’s not as hard as it seems.

For starters, check out Tabata exercises, which are of high intensity, but only take four to five minutes. You will feel a burst of energy.

A word of caution: If you have an underlying disease condition, pre-existing illness, or physical ailment, please check with your doctor before undertaking any type of physical activity.

6- Do something meaningful every day

When you do something that adds a sense of purpose to your life, whether it’s connecting with others or doing a kind act for a family member or neighbor, whatever it may be, when you do something meaningful, you will find a renewed sense of zeal and enthusiasm in life. You will feel a sense of happiness from within. So, see what makes you feel happy and indulge in it for at least ten minutes every day.

7- Have good thoughts

This one’s extremely important. A lot of times, we feel physically and mentally drained because we harbor negative thoughts and feelings towards others. We give way too much importance to every single minute thought that crosses our minds, leading to unwanted stress and tension. It’s easy to look at people and be judgmental or think that others want bad things to happen to you, but most of the time, these thoughts are just assumptions in your mind or proddings of Satan.

When you keep reflecting on the negativities of others, it doesn’t affect them but affects you. This will bring your energy level down and drain you. Yes. There are negative people. Yes. There are people who may have hurt you, but you know what? There are amazing people out there. There are people who’ve been good to you. So reflect on that, reflect on the people who are good, reflect on all the positive experiences you’ve had.

Indulge in “Kind attention”, where you look at somebody and wish them well. Send a prayer upon them and think good thoughts rather than consuming yourself with negative things that people have done. It’s all about where you put your focus on.

Energy Temperature Monitor

Become aware of how energetic you are throughout the day. From zero to 10, how energetic are you? Are you a morning person? Are you a night person? How are you like midday? So find out your energy temperature, and then once you figure that out, make incremental changes.

For example, if you have been eating junk food all the time, try to make incremental changes in your diet. Don’t go all out at one go. You may feel a sudden urge to transform your diet, but drastically changing your diet may not be sustainable in the long term. Instead, when you make small and consistent changes, you can transform your eating habits in the long run. Many people try making drastic changes to their diet but have increased cravings for junk, resulting in people going back to their old ways.

Therefore, make incremental changes rather than drastic ones.

Plan and prioritize

Now, when you realize when you have your burst of energy levels, make full use of it. Don’t waste your time scrolling through social media or doing anything thoughtlessly. Do things that really matter most. And when you knock out tasks that are most important when you have peak energy levels, you will be amazed at how much you can accomplish, and how much time you have left for doing all other tasks during the day.

Don’t overwhelm yourself. Make small changes but be consistent. This way, your tasks will not seem too difficult, but at the same time, you will get into the habit of performing them on a regular basis. It will make your tasks intrinsically rewarding.

Your level of energy is a direct correlation of your happiness. When you feel energetic, you will accomplish your tasks and feel more happy.

This is what I teach at the Mindful Hearts Academy. It has the most comprehensive self-development program within an Islamic framework. If you want to change your life this year and become a new and improved version of yourself, then this program will help you to achieve that insha’Allah.

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