- [Narrator] Hey Psych2Goers, how's your energy level?
Do you feel worn out way more than you think you should?
You can think of your energy like water,
with your body and mind being the bucket
and the bucket has a hole.
But how do we fix that hole and get more water?
Let's fix the leak with knowledge.
Here are some habits we can mix
to help with that energy flow.
Number one, watching lots of tear jerkers.
How ironic is this?
We like a show because it makes us feel,
but then we overload with binge watching
and it makes us feel too much.
Empathy is great, don't get us wrong,
but letting it run amok by feeding it
emotion wrenching shows makes it a monster.
With all that high intensity emotion
continually ramping up,
our mental efforts to dampen and control the emotions
kick in.
That extra effort means mental fatigue,
and you got it,
low energy levels.
So keep up the good empathy work
but give yourself a break with something fluffy
once in a while.
Number two, taking shallow breaths.
Although breathing is automatic,
we have the power to affect the quality.
Imagine being parched
so you fill a cup with two drops,
drink that have to refill it with another two drops
and repeat.
The result is you're still thirsty
and now you're also tired
from the effort of excessive multiple refills.
Don't be stingy with oxygen.
Limited O2 means less fuel for our cells and organs
and your brain starts to panic
because it's feeling a little suffocated.
That anxiety just makes breathing even shallower,
and we're already feeling tired just talking about it.
It feels really good to unshallow yourself.
Just takes several deep breaths,
all the way down to your belly button and slowly exhale.
You good, we're good?
Number three, planning too far in the future.
Now planning isn't bad, it's great.
It's how you minimize things like not being able to pay rent
or being able to get work done in time
so you can go out.
But like most things, don't go overboard.
Say it with us,
balance.
If your calendar is virtually made of ink
and you have every moment of your life mapped out
for the next year, it can get overwhelming.
You start to find that your mind keeps worrying about
what's going to happen in the future
instead of focusing on what's happening now.
This anticipatory anxiety is still anxiety
and can mess up your ability to stay mindful
and finish what's on hand.
You end up accomplishing less overall
and feeling less than stellar.
Having you time and doing nothing at all time
is a necessary breather to stop yourself
from screaming into burnout mode.
It's healthy, so go ahead and tell someone
you can reschedule.
Grab a drink of your choice and chill.
Number four, letting little tasks pile up.
This is the procrastination goblin calling in.
The little creature is whispering,
"You don't need to call the dentist yet.
"That light still has two outta three bulbs lit."
Know what they don't tell you?
Lots of little ignored things
will pile together like Voltron
and become a huge thing
that keeps knocking at the back of your mind.
Before you know it,
your brain only sees this massive endless list of tasks
that's overwhelming so it stresses and worries
and gets nothing done.
You can defeat it though,
and you still get to procrastinate a bit.
Shh, it'll be our secret.
You can write the task down
on a readily available and visible to-do list.
This lets you parcel them out into little bits
in a reasonable amount of time
since they're not out of sight outta mind.
Number five, having to stay indoors
for a prolonged period of time.
This one's a toughie.
We know, I mean global pandemic, anyone?
Yeah, by law, we had to stay indoors for like two years.
So if you're feeling drained, it's not abnormal.
The Journal Of Environmental Psychology
found that humans require nature to flourish.
Why?
They didn't say.
But the studies showed a significant increase in energy
when your time was spent in nature,
even if it was virtual or imagined.
They weren't even hiking or mountain climbing,
so go ahead and lay on the lawn
or daydream about it to get a bit of a boost.
Number six, slouching.
Are you slouching right now?
We know gravity does it's thing
and it just feels so much easier
to slide down in your comfy chair.
But over time you're draining your energy.
Poor posture puts additional strain on our joints,
ligaments and muscles.
Additional strain means fatigue.
It's even been found that standing tall
and sitting up straight can help with depressive symptoms
in addition to reducing fatigue.
Hey, think of it as a good excuse, we mean reason,
to go shopping for a nice ergonomic chair.
We hear gaming chairs have become rather ergonomic.
And number seven, not drinking enough water.
All right, harsh truth time.
Humans are bags of water, seriously.
We're something like 70% water.
In short, we need the stuff,
it's actually required for life.
Water is in everything,
and if you ever wanted to be a water bender
you'll definitely know a good portion of blood is water.
So when you're dehydrated
your blood gets thicker, sludgier,
meaning it doesn't move so well through your body.
You know what blood does?
Everything.
It's the ultimate courier for all things life necessary.
So if it gets all slow, everyone suffers.
And when I say everyone,
I mean your organs and muscles.
You cannot have a supply chain issue with your blood
and still be energized.
So remember to have your personal
anti sludge secret weapon on hand,
a water bottle.
Stay hydrated and feel the recharge.
Our modern lives have these sneaky seemingly normal habits
that just sap away our energy,
but knowledge is power and now you know.
Did any of these click with you?
Have you tried any of the solutions
and how did they work out?
Please feel free to comment, share and discuss.
Hopefully these tips have given you the energy
to watch another video