How to keep your energy level and spirits up

CEBU, Philippines - People who are fun-loving and energetic tend to live a healthier lifestyle. When your feelings about yourself are good, you have the ability to cope with stress and enjoy life more. And by thinking of yourself as fun-loving and energetic, you can bring these sides up in various ways.

Engage in regular exercise. Exercise helps improve your overall health, makes you stronger, and makes your body work more efficiently. Choose exercise activities that you enjoy. Go walking, hiking, dancing, bicycling, or jogging, or you can play tennis, golf, racquetball, or some other sport. Not only will exercise make you feel more energetic, it also helps you to become happier, more positive, and less anxious.

Eat a healthy diet. Our bodies need fuel for energy; that fuel is food. Build your diet around healthy fresh foods for all the necessary nutrients and help raise your energy levels. Limit your intake of junk foods, as these can actually decrease energy levels after providing a very short energy boost.

Take meals at regular intervals. Your body needs food to keep going in the same way a vehicle needs gas to keep going. Also, drink plenty of water. Dehydration leads to low energy. Drink eight to nine glasses of water each day.

Drink caffeine in moderation. Consuming caffeine can have a positive effect on your energy levels. In addition to boosting your mental and physical energy, caffeine also increases your fat oxidation and metabolic rate. But caffeine is known to cause sleeplessness and jitteriness, so be cautious in taking caffeinated drinks.

Get all the necessary vitamins and minerals. B vitamins and iron are important micronutrients that help support your energy levels. If you are deficient in these nutrients, you can feel sluggish. B vitamins and iron are extremely important for your body's ability to create and use energy. Vitamin 12, vitamin 6, thiamine, niacin, and folic acid support your body's energy metabolism, while iron is needed for healthy red blood cells that are responsible for carrying oxygen. If you are not getting enough of these and other micronutrients in your diet, consider taking a multivitamin supplement with iron and essential B vitamins.

Get enough sleep. If you suffer from lack of energy, it might be because you are not getting enough sleep. Adults should get between seven and nine hours of sleep each night. Make sure you get enough sleep by setting a regular bedtime and sticking to it every night, even during the weekends. Avoid heavy meals and too much alcohol just before bedtime as these might make sleeping more difficult.

Control stress. Stress can be a debilitating condition from emotional and physical tension, and anxiety. In order to bring your fun-loving side up, try to reduce or eliminate stress in your life.

Stress can result from both the negative (such as trouble at work or school) and positive (planning a friend's birthday party) events in your life. Allow yourself to have fun. Stress can also be controlled by exercising regularly, resting and relaxing enough, eating a healthy diet, and treating yourself to something special.

Deal with sadness. Like stress, sadness or feeling blue can also affect your emotional and physical wellbeing and dampen your spirits. If you are sad, you may also suffer from low enthusiasm, lethargy, even low self-esteem. If you are feeling low in energy, drive, and hope, it is more challenging to seek out some fun. Go shopping, walking, or watch a funny movie. Anything that gets you out of the house and spend time with your friends and family will help.

Engage in activities that make you happy. Find an activity that makes you happy and excited. If you're an extrovert you may like being in a group and be the center of attention. If you're an introvert, you may find an energy boost in solitude. Pick whatever the activity works for you  and then just do it. You may also choose sports activities that you like.

Learn to think more positively. Negative thoughts and feelings have the capability to bring you down and lower your self-esteem. Learning to see the positive side in life can have a transforming effect and allow you to release your fun-loving side.

You may not always be able to control your external environment, but you can control your inner thoughts. Even in tough situations, thinking positively can help you overcome barriers and release your fun-loving side.

Focus on what is good in your life and write it down on a paper. Then carry that paper with you. When you find yourself down or unhappy, read through that list and try to change your negative thoughts to positive thoughts (e.g., the glass is half full, not half empty).

You can also break free from negative thoughts by telling yourself "I can" and not allowing disrespectful people or bad situations bring you down.

Honor and respect yourself. Being able to be more fun-loving means you need to honor and love yourself first. Honoring yourself means to honor your life and what you have accomplished and created. This includes friendships, family, children, and even strangers that you have connected with.

In order to honor yourself, you need to accept yourself for who you are. Only when you understand who you are and can embrace that person, can you bring your fun-loving side up.

Break out of your comfort zone. Sometimes it's fun to try new things, away from the familiar or what you are accustomed with. It's exciting to take chances; it can even lead to interesting discoveries. But caution shall always be taken not to engage in things that may be too risky to do. Life is too big to fit in a routine.  (Reference: www.wikihow.com) (FREEMAN)