TakeACTION

Creating Your Energy

By Action Coach Dave Beam

I woke up the other day and felt lousy.  There was a grogginess, a nausea, and overall feeling of lethargy.  I don’t drink alcohol, and was not hung over!!  But my guess is it was a very similar feeling.

So what is the most effective way to address feelings of blah and tiredness?  The natural inclination is to pull the covers up over your head (if you can get away with it), or just to plop down in the recliner and veg out.  And let me ask you, how does that affect you and make you feel?  If your experience is like mine, it just adds to the tiredness and heaviness.

The other day, I choose to exercise, put on some music, and also grabbed a cup of coffee.  I have been journaling my gratitude and inspirational thoughts, and I also reviewed and read through those out loud.  The outcome was good.  I felt much better, and had a great supply of energy to face the responsibilities and joys of the day.  The nausea and heaviness was gone.

The point is this.  You can create and change your state of energy.  Certainly it begins with reasonable nutrition and rest.  But when you feel a bit down, and tired, you do have a choice.  You can respond by dropping out, disengaging, and even doing more draining actions like channel surfing, web surfing, gorging on junk food, or indulging in other non-productive excesses.  Such things bring you further down the energy ladder into guilt, depression, and discouragement.  You have a choice when you feel bad.  Instead of shutting down and giving up, you can choose to “rise up” and “get into action” and create your energy.  Take a walk, or a jog.  Put on some upbeat enlivening music.  Choose to tackle a task that you have been avoiding.  Pull out a piece of paper or a journal and write down fifteen things you are thankful for.  Pick up the phone and text or call someone to give them a lift.  Send an e-mail to a friend that could use the encouragement.  Hug a grandchild.  Kiss your spouse.  It may shock them!!

Need I go on?  The possibilities are endless.  The next time you are feeling a little low and despondent, rise up and turn up the activity.  Get up and get into action.  Engage, don’t disengage. 

You know this works, because you’ve done it before.  This is just a reminder on the obvious!!!  It’s not what happens to us that causes us to lose, it is how we choose to respond.  Go create some energy and  fun today.