Your thinking has an effect on many areas of your life. It impacts your emotions, behaviors, and actions. That’s why mental energy, your ability to focus and make decisions, is so crucial to overall life success. It even influences the ways in which others see you. When your mental reserves are high, you’ll come across as confident and vital. If you haven’t been feeling mentally sharp lately, don’t despair. Here are eight tips to help you reset your mental energy in 2022.
1. Evaluate Your Circle
If you want to boost your mental energy, you may want to first take a look at the people who surround you. The individuals you interact with daily have an impact on your energy. Do you notice that you feel tired, sad, or angry after spending time with a particular person? You may want to evaluate that individual’s role in your life. While it can be difficult to remove or downgrade relationships, doing so can have a positive effect on your energy and mood.
2. Employ Gratitude
While those in your circle can drain your mental energy, your own thoughts and beliefs play a role in how you feel as well. Do you find yourself frequently lamenting the things you don’t have and wanting more in your life? If so, it’s likely this is a contributor to your lackluster energy levels. Our feelings tend to go where our focus is. Try turning things around and focusing instead on what you’re grateful for in life. An emphasis on gratitude will provide perspective, allowing you to shift your mindset and see what matters most and how fortunate you are.
3. Reframe Your Thoughts
Along these lines, you can boost your mood simply by reframing your thoughts. This entails changing negative thinking to more positive reflections. For instance, if you find yourself wishing you were thinner, shift your focus to listing one feature you like about yourself. Alternatively, you could brainstorm healthy ways to improve your physical fitness. You’ll soon see your optimism begin to climb.
4. Get Some Sunshine
A quick way to boost your energy and mood is to simply go outside and enjoy the sunshine. Even just a short jaunt around the block can do the trick. Getting outdoors physically shifts your perspective. That exposure to sunlight and Vitamin D can give your mind a kickstart when you’re feeling sluggish. If you find it difficult to actually go outside, consider getting a light therapy lap as a source of synthetic sunshine.
5. Take Care of Your Needs
Have you found yourself spending a lot of hours on work lately? Are family and household obligations overwhelming you? If so, you’ll want to be proactive about taking some much-needed time for yourself. Self-care isn’t at all selfish. It helps you recharge and be there for others. Caring for yourself doesn’t have to be expensive. Take a bath. Read a book. Reconnect with friends over coffee. You’ll feel immediately renewed.
6. Be Mindful
When you find yourself feeling over-extended and worrying about everything on your to-do list, step back and be in the moment. Mindfulness is being present in the here and now. Practices like yoga and meditation are good for aiding you in bringing more mindfulness into your life.
7. Stimulate Your Mind
One sure way to boost your mental energy is to use your mind in new and different ways. Your brain requires stimulation in order to function its best. Consider pursuing new hobbies, reading, or enrolling in a class. Even just changing up your usual routine can go far toward creating new neural pathways and stimulating your mind.
8. Find Your Passion
Have you found your purpose in life? Are you incorporating what you’re passionate about into your life? If not, this could be what is draining your mental energy. When you aren’t happy with aspects of your professional or private life, you may find yourself feeling exhausted or overwhelmed. Perhaps you’re unsure of your purpose and don’t feel much passion for anything. In this case, seeking spiritual life coaching or outside assistance could provide you with the direction you need.
Closing Thoughts
These tips should help spark your emotional reserve. Boosting your mental energy will require some dedication on your part, but you will most certainly reap great rewards from your efforts.
Tracie Johnson is a New Jersey native and an alum of Penn State University. Tracie is passionate about writing, reading, and living a healthy lifestyle. She feels happiest when around a campfire surrounded by friends, family, and her Dachshund named Rufus.
