7 Daily Habits That Rob You of Energy
Don't sabotage yourself, or rather, your energy. It's amazing how talented we humans are at self-sabotage. Most of the time we know exactly what is good for us and what is not. But that doesn't stop us from choosing the dark side. Everyday life is stressful enough for most of us. Family, work and a hundred other obligations somewhere in between take their toll every day. So it makes a lot of sense to rethink your personal resource management. In this article, we'd like to introduce you to the seven worst daily habits that drain your energy.
1. Letting little things get out of hand.
Do you know the two-minute rule? It's a helpful trick for getting things done faster and more efficiently in everyday life. Any activity that can be completed in less than two minutes should be tackled immediately in the future. These include answering an email, unloading the dishwasher, taking down the laundry, and so on. There are countless microtasks like these that we encounter throughout the day. If we let them queue, eventually they become a mountain of unfinished, annoying things. With this strategy, you'll not only conserve your energy in the long run, you'll also become more efficient and productive as a result.
2. Maintaining bad posture.
Posture is the all-important factor, especially for sedentary jobs. The best ergonomic chair, height-adjustable desks or other expensive aids are completely useless if we literally let ourselves hang in front of the screen. Amazingly, this hunched posture not only has a negative effect on our musculoskeletal system, it also deprives us of the air we need to breathe, squeezes our lungs and other organs, and causes our muscles to cramp. All of this leads to us suffering from a constant and avoidable energy deficit, in addition to neck pain and the threat of a herniated disc. Be sure to sit up straight and keep your legs and forearms in a straight parallel line with the tabletop. The more consistently you keep your back straight and your shoulders down, the better and longer you can concentrate as a result. But the positive effect of not letting our proverbial guard down goes even further. A 2017 study was able to prove that an upright posture in people with mild to moderate depression achieved a significant improvement in their mood and significantly reduced the state of chronic fatigue and passivity. So sitting upright and getting up from your desk as often as possible are recommended in every way.
3. Watching upsetting movies, series or shows.
It's hard to believe, but relaxing and hanging out in front of the TV can have the exact opposite effect. When we watch overly emotionally charged programs, over time we can't keep our distance. We get so caught up in what's being shown that we end up exhausted and drained. When we are exposed to intense emotions, we are more susceptible to overstimulation. It takes quite a bit of energy to counteract this overstimulation, which in turn causes exhaustion and poor concentration.
4. Demonstrative dehydration.
To a major degree, our body consists of water, therefore water is also the number one substance our organism craves. No coffee, tea, soft drinks or milk can achieve the effect that a glass of water has on our holistic well-being. Not only physically, but also mentally, we benefit from replenishing our fluids abundantly and regularly.
5. Gasping for air instead of breathing.
We do it an estimated 20,000 times a day from the day we are born: breathe. Yet this easiest of all exercises has seemingly mutated into a difficult task. Most of our breaths are shallow and more like gasping, which afflicts us in situations where we are overwhelmed. Deep breaths, on the other hand, which involve the entire abdomen, not just the lungs, are what provide our bodies with the necessary amount of oxygen. Our brain is most pleased with this extra dose. A helpful trick in the future: every time you catch sight of something red, take an extra deep, pleasurable breath. Your whole body will thank you for it, and your energy reserves won't be drained anytime soon.
6. Spending too little time outdoors.
If you're forced to spend at least eight hours a day, five days a week, in artificial lighting at your workplace, school or other perceived prison, you're dealing with several deficits your body has to cope with at once. We lack fresh air and the oxygen that comes with it, for one thing. The other important factor is sunlight. Especially in the dark months of fall and winter, we leave the house in the morning in the dark, spend the whole day in artificial lighting and come home in the evening in the dark. Our body cannot produce enough melatonin because it needs sunlight to do so. This deficiency not only affects our mood and our ability to concentrate: Melatonin is essential for sleeping well at night. Once this cycle is set in motion, we should not be surprised if we feel empty, exhausted and drained, and depressive moods become clearly noticeable. If, on the other hand, we are already exposed to sunlight in the morning, the production of melatonin starts correspondingly earlier. As a result, we can fall asleep more easily. Sunlight in the morning would therefore not only be an effective remedy for insomnia, it would also put an end to so-called winter depression. But another hormone, serotonin, is also involved. It is formed from melatonin and is therefore also dependent on daylight. In summer, we have a significantly higher serotonin level than in winter. This in turn has a positive influence on our mood. Unfortunately, the opposite is also true. A low serotonin level clearly depresses our mood, drains our batteries and causes fatigue and listlessness to occur as a consequence.
7. Planning too far into the future.
Another way to expose ourselves to senseless exhaustion is to make plans in the distant future. As nice and encouraging as vacation plans for the summer may be on a cold, gray winter evening, packing the schedule for the next six months full of obligations stresses us out. Anything planned more than a month in advance causes mental overload on the one hand. On the other hand, it leads us to live more in the future than in the present. As a result, the deadlines control us, not us them.
Today’s Conclusion
Be good to yourself, or no one will be. A daily dose of mindfulness has become a precious luxury. Some people are so busy with their daily lives that they can barely find time for themselves or their interests. At the very least, try to set aside a few precious minutes of me-time each day for your relaxation. Not only do you owe it to yourself and your body, but you'll be fitter and more focused afterwards, and better able to participate in what should be your life.