Burnt out? Seven Ways to Boost Your Energy

Sometimes the days just don’t seem long enough. We have errands to run, laundry to do, a workout routine to stick with—not to mention kicking ass during the 9-5 Grind. Here are seven easy energy boosters to help us feel more alert, happy and energized.

Alternate Hot and Cold in the Shower
This is a tried and true technique for waking up quickly. It boosts your metabolism and your circulation, thus it boosts your energy.

Become a convert to green tea
In the past decade, more and more is being discovered about the benefits of green tea. Studies have shown that while green tea is lower in caffeine than coffee (it has only one-fourth the amount), it actually produces more physical energy. The reason is that green tea contains catchins, which activate brain chemicals to increase nerve action and their energy levels. An excellent energy booster!

Flap Your Jaws
With gum, that is. And make it peppermint. Studies have found that chewing peppermint gum stimulates the same part of the brain and wakes you up in the morning.

Give Your Head a Good Scratch
Scratching brings blood flow to the brain, stimulating and soothing all the hard-working neurons.

Extend a fingertip to the base of your skull where your spine meets your head, at the indentation between the two long splenius muscles running down your neck. Scratch lightly to stimulate the spinal nerves that connect to the brain. Scratch each temple and trace an arc just outside your ears.

Try a banana
Franca Alphin, a dietitian at Duke University, touts bananas as a great energy booster. That’s why tennis players eat them so often between sets. The lift comes from fruit sugar and the effect lasts up to two hours. Best of all, for us folks always on the go, they’re super easy to carry.