by Elisabeth Wilson
Imagine how great you'd feel if you had energy to burn.
Most women would like to have more energy, but when you're tired and stressed it's hard to see a way out of that vivious circle.
THE GOLDEN ENERGY RULES
RULE 1 You can't care for others if you don't take care of yourself
It's difficult for women to find time for themselves without feeling guilty. But if you don't, it's like taking money from the bank without ever paying in. You 'bankrupt' your energy levels and get more and more depleted until a very little nudge completely floors you, and your own health is at risk.
Try this today Make a list of three things that would make you feel really good - maybe a manicure, a glass of wine and watching a DVD, or meeting up with a friend for coffee and a chat. Put them in your diary, one for each of the next three days. Keep to them even if you haven't finished the ironing or the work report. Actively rewarding yourself with small treats every single day goes a long way to beating fatigue.
RULE 2 You need good fuel if your body is going to work efficiently
You can carry on for years eating bad food, but eventually, it will drain your energy and your health. Your diet may not be as healthy as you think it is. A sure sign is how you feel - if you are lethargic and/or overweight despite your best attempts to eat well, you may need to rethink what you consider healthy.
Try this today Start by "making over" your breakfast, then your lunch and dinner, looking for simple ways to make each meal healthier. Good breakfast choices includes protien, as it gives you long-lasting energy (a poached egg on wholemeal toast or muesli with natural yogurt). At lunch, go for salad and soup, which can be satisfying and give you more energy than a sandwich. In the evening, try cooking fish or meat with vegetables. Make a conscious effort at every meal to include small quantities of protein (meat, fish, pulses, eggs, cottage cheese or other low-fat cheeses, or natural yogurt) and increase your intake of fruit and vegetables.
RULE 3 Make time for the big stuff
If there is somebody or something that's important to you but that you've been neglecting, the effort that you're putting into ignoring it is probably a bigger energy drain than you realize.
Try this today Imagine you have just 48 hours to live. What would you do and who would you spend time with? Odds are that your would not choose to spend your last two days on earth doing housework. This is a really powerful exercise that can help you prioritise in a heartbeat. It helps remove the guilt about not doing unimportant things because it makes you realise what's really important.
RULE 4 Ditch the TV for something more relaxing
Slumping in front of the TV is not quality relaxation. To keep energy high, you need to periodically flood your body with endorphines, the feelgood hormones that you get from dancing, listening to musics, having sex, doing yoka, taking a walk in the park - even having a bath. It's ok to watch TV now and then. But for most people it is the only thing they do to relax, and it doesn't stimulate the release of endorphines, which is the sign of the truly relaxing activities.
Try this today Invent a 'transitional ritual' and make it that you do to mark the end of each working day. Spend at least 15 minutes in the evening doing something that you find truly relaxing and which makes you feel really good about yourself.
RULE 5 Oxygen is essential for generating more energy
Bad posture and shallow breathing make high energy levels impossible. Allowing air to flood your body de-stresses and energies at the same time.
Try this today Whenever you're forced to wait, use that time to become more conscious of your breathing. So when you are stuck in traffic, standing in a queue or waitng for the kettle to boil, breath in deeply from your stomach, not your chest, and exhale slowly, feeling your lungs empty. You may only have seconds, but taking this energising breaks throughout the day is tremendously effective in boosting energy and helping you become more aware of your breathing at other times.