Top 5 Energy Drains

1. Living a Programmed Life. You won’t find this one on most lists, but part of the problem is that you’re not living YOUR life. You’re living a life that is mostly on automatic pilot. Moments of awareness and connection are fleeting. You know there’s more yet you fear to step up, be who you are and embrace your authentic self. A lot of this isn’t your conscious choice, it’s a decision made by default programming. Like spyware running on your system, you’re not even aware of it. It’s a fearful experience to be different — current generations have witnessed what happens when you are different (race, culture, handicapped, sexuality, etc.) You live in the Matrix and wonder why you’re so tired and drained. How can you be excited, vibrantly alive when you are not living a life that IS you?

Changing this is a commitment to yourself and to your world. It is a path of empowerment that leads to greatness and authenticity.

2. Stress. Worrying, overbooking yourself and living in stressful conditions — commuting, working 70 hours per week, divorce, separation, death in the family, being a single parent, starting a new business — are the fastest ways to burn up energy. Unfortunately it’s not a good way. It triggers the body’s fight or flight defense mechanisms which kicks the adrenals into over-drive. Constant stress and agitation boosts cortisol levels and results in fatigue.

Here are some quick ways to chill out. Try a 10-minute time-out throughout your day: open a window and breathe deeply, stretch like a cat or take a brisk walk around the block. An hour break — painting or drawing outside under a tree, jou aling in the park, taking an energetic hike — can relieve stress and increase energy. Make daily relaxation and restoration a part of your life. Even a short break provides benefits. Include yoga, qigong, swimming, meditation and some kind of creative activity like drumming, writing, dancing or painting in your daily life.

3. Toxic People and Environments. This is also known as changing people, places and things. You are energy and you are affected by the energy that surrounds you. Why is it that you read books, attend trainings and yet you are surprised when your old environments still trigger you? It would be wonderful to respond as an ‘enlightened master’ and demonstrate loving compassion. However, you are still a ‘work in progress,’ even though you may have more lucid moments now. Freeing yourself of toxic people and environments creates a nourishing space for you. This frees up more easily accessible energy for your use.

4. Chemicalized, Processed, Artificial Food. This is a HUGE topic. One of the major culprits is excessive refined carbs. Having a bagel for breakfast, pasta for lunch and potatoes for dinner is a design for an energy roller coaster day. All carbs convert to sugars in the body, which can lead to fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Cut down on refined carbs and focus on grains, vegetables, protein and a little fat to provide sustained energy.

Depending on your food lifestyle here are some suggestions: Start your day with an egg and veggie omelet. Use two egg whites to one whole egg. Blend a fruit smoothie with unsweetened yogurt, bananas and berries. Add in a tbsp of ground flax seeds and a scoop of protein powder. Skip the starches at dinner, and have a salad with steamed veggies, and lean meat, fish or beans. Really go for it and shift the proportion of cooked to raw foods in your day – amp up the leafy greens, sprouts and fruits! You’ll be zinging throughout your day.

5. Stimulants and Drugs - Let’s start with the most seemingly innocuous stimulant — Caffeine. It is a potent drug, acts as a diuretic and taxes the adrenals — bad news for long-term energy. It also raises then drops blood sugar levels, even more so if you take it with a couple of sugars and cream. Kick the coffee habit and let your body produce its own energy. Start slow and wean yourself gradually to avoid caffeine-withdrawal migraines. Take two weeks to cycle off of coffee. Then look to healthier beverages: green tea, yerba mate, or Teecino.