Access to Unlimited Energy

I've been noticing how many of us remark about a dip in energy from time to time and how when that happens, there is a tendency to see the energy as residing in or being generated by the body. Here is a shift in perspective that may be helpful: energy is an unlimited substance. Unlimited, as in we will never run out. Our thoughts or consciousness is what gives us access to the unlimited reservoir or river of energy that flows through us physically, as well as flowing through all life.

I recently read Dr. Amen's book on brain science, where he provides evidence that every thought we think creates reactions within the body that either send healthy chemicals through our system and energize us or toxic chemicals through our system that drain us. There are no neutral thoughts. He builds a strong case for always leaning in the direction of positive thinking.

An easy way to remember it: positive thoughts and feelings give us access to greater energy flow. Negative thoughts and feelings restrict our access to that flow of energy.  Of course, there are other factors, such as environment, diet, health and how well your personal values are being met which affect your energy level, yet the easiest place to begin is with our thoughts. It is incumbent upon each of us to know ourselves well enough to know what gives us a boost to think and talk about and what makes us feel deflated. This will be unique to each person. Being outdoors always lifts my mood and energy, but some may get that same lift from driving, or listening to their favorite tunes. If your energy flags from time to time, notice what you were thinking about or listening to at the time. If it happens more than once, this may be a topic that is a drain to you. Reframe it or steer clear of it if you can.

Remember that you always have access to greater energy and look for ways to let it in and renew yourself.

Join Me in The Fifty Minute Experiment

Enthusiasm for my business is up, ideas are flowing faster than ever and I have so much energy I can hardly sleep at night, all due to an experiment I'm currently running. I hope you will join me for a week at least, then report your findings back to see whether this idea has legs.

Here's the experiment: I've begun arranging my work day around 50-minute hours, rather than 60, so that the last ten minutes of each hour are devoted to getting in more physical activity. I walk every day, three miles first thing in the morning. It feels great, gets my day off to a good start, but that level of activity is not enough to keep the "muffin top" effect away. Plus, I noticed a lethargy creeping in mid afternoon, after two. Since I had a fairly full schedule already, there was motivation to get creative with my time.

I remembered that, early in my coaching practice I shared office space with 19 therapists, and their sessions were fifty minutes, which allowed a bathroom break, refreshments, stretching or notes before the next client session. I've kept that practice with my clients, even though we haven't been in the same building for several years now. However, I don't have client sessions eight hours a day every day, and for the most part was working straight through non-client hours on my computer, as most of us do. As a result, my neck and shoulders were stiff, and my energy was down.

Two weeks ago, I started The Fifty Minute Experiment. Here's how it works for me, and I invite you to tweak it any way you want to: at ten minutes before the top of the hour, I get up and get a half-glass of water, stretch and on alternate days work either my abs or arms. On arm days, I use free weights and do sets of 10 bicep curls, etc. in addition to some stretching. On ab days, I do Pilates or situps or boxing moves to work the oblique muscles. Once 3 sets of those exercises are complete, I might use the next session to take a walk around the pond across the street, which takes nine minutes. If you work at home, you might use that ten minutes to vacuum a room or tidy up in some way that is physical. If you are in an office, you could take a short walk, or find an empty conference room to stretch and/or exercise.

I believe we must become creative in the way we structure our days, time and activity because so much of what we do is now done sitting in front of a computer. We were not designed to sit all day. I have been amazed at how this one small change has energized me and made the working day so much more fun. Not only that, but I have access more often to clearer thinking and fresh ideas, which benefits me and my clients. Give it a try and let me know how it works for you.