Yes you can unlock limitless energy
Feel tired all the time or lost your spark? Wellbeing expert Dr Molly Maloof reveals her exclusive new plan that will help you find your va-va-voom
When was the last time you woke up in the morning feeling refreshed and energised? If it’s been a while, you’re not alone. Research has found that four in 10 of us feel more exhausted than ever before.
But Dr Molly Maloof, a doctor who specialises in energy levels and healthy living, believes we can all wake up feeling full of life and spark with a few simple lifestyle changes.
“Many people now consider it normal to be tired all the time, to be susceptible to viruses, and to have mood issues and exaggerated stress reactions,” she says.
“But none of this is normal. It’s a symptom of the way we live our lives.
“The good news is, anyone can learn to feel more energised by making a few lifestyle changes and tracking the impact these have on our energy levels.”
The secret to getting your spark back is to look after your mitochondria.
“Mitochondria are the batteries inside our cells which power life. If we can learn what drains them and what builds them, we can live a longer, healthier and more energised life,” says Dr Maloof.
“Everyone is different, but by keeping track of what gives us energy, we can create a personalised energy plan.”
1 Assess your stress
Many of us live in a state of constant stress, and this can drain energy. While stress isn’t inherently bad, living with chronic unrelenting stress can be.
This is because the body tries to save energy to deal with whatever is stressing us out.
When you wake up in the morning, do you...
a) Spring out of bed with lots of energy?
b) Feel tired and yet alert, with your mind whirring?
c) Struggle to get out of bed, and then have to drag yourself through the day?
If you answered C, then you need to proceed with caution as you could be on the verge of burnout.
Make changes gradually, and focus on rest and recovery.
2 Start tracking
A lot of the time the advice we read or hear for feeling healthier and happier is very general, such as get more exercise or try to be less stressed.
It’s better to take a more specific approach, by tracking any lifestyle changes and how they make you feel.
It could be writing a journal of your diet, caffeine intake or exercise, or tracking your steps on your phone.
Take note of your mood and energy levels each day and see how these changes affect them.
Over time, you will build a personalised energy plan of what works best for you and your lifestyle.
3 Deal with stress
Stress is a part of life, and something we can never completely escape from. But learning to deal with it will give us more energy, and can help reignite our spark.
Set aside 10 minutes each day to do something to relax your mind. It could be learning to meditate using a phone app, or doing some simple breathing exercises. If you struggle with racing thoughts, tating can be challenging at first. meditis simple technique. Lie on your back somewhere comfortable and simply listen to your breath for a few moments. You may find this easier to focus on than meditation.
4 Get proper sleep
Getting good-quality sleep is crucial to finding our spark, but it’s something we so often neglect.
Consider using a sleep tracker on your phone to see how well you are sleeping, or simply make note of how rested you feel when you wake up.
Start experimenting with ways to get a better night’s sleep by creating a routine that works for you.
You could take a bath before bed, reduce screen time in the evenings and ensure your bedroom is dark and cool.
Avoiding caffeine and large meals late at night can also help.
It could be that you need more sleep on certain days, or at certain times of your hormonal cycle for women. Try to honour this.
5 Avoid the sugar trap
Our modern diets are often full of starchy foods such as pastries, pies, chips and other refined carbohydrates.
But starch is converted straight into sugar in the body, which can give us an energy boost followed by a crash.
Take note of the foods you eat throughout the day, and how they make you feel.
Do you feel hyperactive at certain times and low on energy at others?
If so, then it could be time to adjust your diet.
Focus on foods that release energy slowly, including vegetables, pulses, nuts and wholegrains.
6 Consider caffeine
While caffeine can give us a short-term energy kick, it’s important to work out whether your morning coffee is igniting your spark or draining it.
If you feel stressed out, and answered B or C in step one, then it could be time to cut back.
Using caffeine when your body is stressed can cause further anxiety and sap energy.
Look at how many caffeinated drinks you have each day.
Gradually add decaf to your regular coffee until you’re drinking only decaf. When you’re feeling less stressed, you can gradually add a cup or two of regular coffee each day, if you like.
7 Get moving
Movement signals to our mitochondria that we need more energy. What’s more, building muscle in the body creates more mitochondria.
Try to do some exercise each morning, preferably in natural daylight, to help boost your body’s energy.
And make sure you do lots of small movements throughout the day too, even if it’s just fidgeting while sitting.
8 Reconnect
When we feel connected to others, the body produces oxytocin, which protects the mitochondria and stops them from getting damaged.
Think about who your closest friends are. Who can you rely on if you’re feeling down?
Perhaps you need to make more effort to connect with friends, or find ways to make new ones.
While extroverts may have a large circle of friends, introverts may prefer to have a small, tight-knit group.
It can be challenging to begin with, but this is a key way to protect our energy levels and prevent us feeling burnt out.
9 Visualise your purpose
Having a sense of purpose can reduce stress levels and help ignite your spark. This is crucial to having more energy throughout the day. The moments before you go to sleep are a great time to try this, as your mind should be feeling relaxed.
Try closing your eyes and then visualising what you want the following day to look like. Picture the details, and how it will look and feel when everything goes well.
Try doing this for a few days and see if your energy levels change.
10 Create a routine
The body’s batteries grow, multiply or die off according to their environment. So if you’re regularly doing things which sap your energy, over time your body will adapt and this will become the new norm.
This is why it’s important to form habits and routines that keep us feeling energised – it tells our body to keep fuelling us for those activities in the future.
Take a look at all the different things you have tracked and how they have made you feel. How can you create a routine that will help you feel energised in future?
You could start the day by meditating before having a hot drink and reading the news. Then have a snack and do some exercise before breakfast. Now it’s time to start your day.
This is just an example, so think about what will work for you.
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Reduce screen time and make sure your bedroom is cool and dark