Either it’s being more introverted or just getting older. I cannot wait for the holidays to be done with. Over. Finished. Finito!
This time of year I prefer to reflect and plan, but instead it’s filled with traveling and family visits. It’s a somewhat practical choice being that it makes sense to be that many holidays are for family. But this means coming back to email overload, mail catch up and over all just chasing my butt.
It gives pause to think an important question for someone more introverted, or anyone feeling low on energy: what are some …
End of year top ideas to fuel introvert energy?
My eating habits are changing, which is where my first three ideas come from. I’ve lost 6 pounds during a season known for overeating from Thanksgiving to New Years. I’m confident you will find both energy and even rid yourself of a few pounds you don’t want hanging around.
1 – Eat more protein, less carbs.
One of my many downfalls is snacking. Crunchy, salty, pop in my mouth kind of snacks like pretzels filled with peanut butter, or peanuts. From my research findings, in order to lose weight protein intake for someone my size has to be around 60 grams per day. This is not good for an Italian. Good-bye pasta.
By supplementing with a protein drink or two, adding some light cheese string sticks, and eating plenty of low fat protein for dinner has actually boosted my energy besides helping me to get rid of pounds and inches around my waist.
See that photo of the yellow “gunk?” That is what one pound of body fat looks like. Lovely, huh?
2 – Drink more water.
More water for me means getting up and away from my desk more often. Not bringing water in my office is one of my tactics. When 25-minute break time comes I rotate between a 7-minute exercise routine and heading to our kitchen. Then I drink 8 to 16 ounces of water and note it in my WaterMinder app. The app provides me self-motivation – not to mention it has a lovely sound to remind me, “Time for more water.”
What a double energy boost: a short little walk for exercise to stimulate the heart and get more oxygen in the blood, plus, water that keeps on flushing through a body all day long!
3 – Eat smaller meals.
The diet I’m on is the Medifast plan. It’s all around their prepackaged small meals in the beginning. I’m told in the transition phase it will be less of their foods and up to me for more of the right kind of meal preparation. I’m discovering I have more energy throughout the day and certainly after dinner. So far the change is worth it.
The next three ideas come from my daily practice, which is facing some tweaks in the New Year. It moves us from physical energizing to spiritual and mental energizing. Hey, we need all these areas refueled.
4 – Start each day with gratitude.
Back a few years ago I tried this habit and failed miserably. You know the story: good intentions, strong start and then – boredom, exhaustion or just giving up. Then about two years ago I found an app and online habit changing coaching program, httpss://www.coach.me/patriciaweber?ref=AmRmA It propelled me forward to degrees never imagined including a streak of 148 check-in days in a row with 476 days total.
I feel so grateful having found this. (Sorry, it’s a habit now!) But either try httpss://www.coach.me/patriciaweber?ref=AmRmA, or find your own way of staying committed. [Tweet “Starting every day with gratitude, recharges energy through the day, and can bring more blessings. “]
5 – Mind games.
Do you have any way to stimulate your mind in just, 15 minutes a day? Sometimes I need that mental energy boost. One of the websites I use for the fun of it that does this is Lumosity. There are others. What I like about playing on any of these websites is, neuroscientists who have made cognitive brain training fun usually create the games. In the long term it’s rewarding because it destroys the myth that as we get older, our cognitive abilities decline. Very uplifting. Shot of energy.
6 – “Early to bed, early to rise.”
Through out history there are philosophers, like Aristotle and of course Benjamin Franklin, USA founding father and leading author among other roles, who are credited with one form of the quote or another.
From personal experience, the early to rise allows the chance for alone time, which we introverts thrive on. Use it however you want! To get your Popeye’s spinach in early, likely it’s that alone time before anyone else is stirring, to exercise, meditate, sip on some herbal tea or whatever charges you up. Early to rise could be just the kick needed.
We’re over stimulated with so much “screen” time. Whether it’s our television, computers, tablet devices or smart phones, these can be energy draining. When we go late into the night with them I just wonder how they affect us?
Do you know how screen time might affect our energy? That’s something to check into.
Diet, fitness, spiritual and mental actions all contribute to improving anyone’s energy. If we’re going to stay up with being in the on-the-go society, it’s important to have variety of ideas.
What do you do regularly to fuel your energy? Is it a daily habit?
Hi Pat – I love the holidays. But in a way, I too can’t wait for them to be over just so I can start eating normally again. It is SO hard to eat more protein around the holidays when there are so many sweet treats and salty delights that people keep making. Oops, I guess I’m the one who keeps making them :). It’s become a holiday tradition of sorts – pile on 15 pounds from Thanksgiving to New Year’s and then take most of the next year to get them back off. Jeez. Drinking a lot of water really helps, but if i didn’t bring it to my office/desk with me, I probably would never remember to get up and go get it. Here’s to a Happy & Healthy New Year!
It’s been an amazing almost 2 months on Medifast: I actually don’t miss the sweets. The best thing is now I am fitting into jeans I haven’t been able to wear in 2 years. ”˜˜”*°•. ӇƛƤƤƳ ƝЄƜ ƳЄƛƦ •*´¨ Ձ๏15! .•°*”˜˜”
That is such a lovely photo of fat. NOT! I think I prefer to be ignorant in that respect. LOL I work in an office where we receive all kinds of ‘good’ snacks. It’s hard to say no when they are sitting there staring you in the face daring you to eat them. I do not have a daily habit to fuel my introvert energy. Yeah, I know. I need to start one. Happy Holidays!
Yeah, that is a terrific photo to post isn’t it Cheryl? Really kind of – gets to you. hahaha So now you know, starting a daily habit would be of benefit. What’s next for you then? ”˜˜”*°•. ӇƛƤƤƳ ƝЄƜ ƳЄƛƦ •*´¨ Ձ๏15! .•°*”˜˜”
Other than Medi-fast, sounds like we are on the same page or plan:) I DO have to take care with the carbs, though I am not an excessive snacker. I have taken to drinking a protein shake every day to assure that I get more protein and I have always been a big water drinker..long before it became a fad. Maybe the oly thing I might add is to exercise on a regular basis. In addition to the brain games I think it helps the head as much as it does the body! I’m always relieved for the holidays to be over, just so I can crawl out from under my bed:) LOL Happy Holidays my friend!
Just 2 more months as I see it on the full swing Medifast Jacqueline. Then, I’m supposedly going to know how to eat better for my body to stay slim! Hey, I’m a quick learner so 4 months oughta be enough! ”˜˜”*°•. ӇƛƤƤƳ ƝЄƜ ƳЄƛƦ •*´¨ Ձ๏15! .•°*”˜˜”
Great suggestions, Pat. Personally love the holidays so I can re-charge my batteries and plan for the year ahead. Try to avoid eating the most unhealthy food and am, even during the holidays, mainly super healthy. Getting to be early and rising early is never a good idea for me because I am an evening person. The most important thing for mein order to relax is to just concentrate on enjoying life and only think about challenges ahead in a positive and contructive way, Not along the lines of” how am I going to manage”:-)
Catarina I gather from knowing you in the few years (yikes!) I have, that you indeed live a healthy lifestyle. So right about morning vs evening person! I totally get that, so thanks for that point. ”˜˜”*°•. ӇƛƤƤƳ ƝЄƜ ƳЄƛƦ •*´¨ Ձ๏15! .•°*”˜˜”