I recorded these ideas while jet-lagged in Riyadh, so the question was not theoretical: how can we support real energy without simply pushing the body harder? Caffeine works for some people, but it is not my best option because of my experience with anxiety and panic.
Energy affects attention, movement, patience, and access to positive emotion. These practices are invitations to investigate what helps your body. Persistent fatigue can have medical causes and deserves professional care.
Increasing energy is one of the most powerful ways that you can have a more happy life.
Andy Proctor, PhD
1. Start with hydration
Dehydration can lower energy and mood. Before searching for an elaborate solution, I can make water visible, drink with meals, and notice basic signs that I may need more. Individual needs vary with health, climate, and activity.
2. Move more often and naturally
Stretching, yoga, dancing, walking, and a few minutes bouncing on a small trampoline can wake my body up. The movement does not need to be intense. Motion often creates the energy I was waiting to feel first.
3. Try smaller, steadier meals
Large or sugar-heavy meals can be followed by an energy dip. Smaller meals may feel steadier for some people. This is an experiment in noticing, not a universal diet rule, and medical or nutritional needs should guide the choice.
4. Optimize your breathing
Long periods at a computer can pull breathing into a shallow pattern. A few comfortable breaths, movement, or yoga can restore awareness and oxygen flow. Breathwork should stop if it causes dizziness or distress.
5. Protect sleep and the wind-down
Energy is hard to build on chronic sleep debt. A dark, comfortable room and a wind-down alarm can be as important as the morning alarm. Jet lag made the basic truth especially obvious to me: recovery cannot be replaced by a trick.
6. Choose foods that support energy
Raw cacao, chia, flax, spinach, kale, and other nutrient-dense foods were among the examples I explored. No ingredient is magic. The useful practice is to notice how whole foods and adequate nutrition affect energy over time.
7. Lower the allostatic load
Repeated stress responses carry a physical cost. Loving-kindness meditation—wishing safety, health, happiness, and ease for someone—can shift attention from threat toward care. Even a short pause may reduce the burden of constant activation.
8. Connect effort to purpose and values
Work that feels disconnected from what I value can drain me. Asking how a difficult task serves a person or purpose I care about can change stress from meaningless strain into an understandable challenge.
9. Rock out to music you love
Singing and moving with a favorite song can raise arousal and energy. I can tap a foot, dance in the kitchen, or sing in the car while keeping full attention on the road. The body gets to participate in the music.
10. Connect with people you love
Warm attention can be energizing. A kind participant I had just met in Riyadh shook my hand, looked me in the eyes, and expressed genuine gratitude. Moments of shared care can lift both people.
11. Look forward to something
Anticipation creates positive emotion before an event occurs. Dinner, a reunion, a concert, or time with someone I love can give the day a point of light. If nothing is on the calendar, I can place something small there.
A practical next step
Choose one foundation that does not require forcing: water, movement, food, breath, sleep, purpose, music, connection, or anticipation. Try it, notice the result, and seek medical guidance for fatigue that persists or worsens.