There are two different types of energy that everyone has. There is mental energy and physical energy. Sometimes a day in the office can be more exhausting than a day spent outdoors hiking. This is because you have taxed all of your mental energy resources.
How do you renew your mental energy resources?
Some people feel like they are only given a certain amount of mental energy to use throughout the day. Once they’ve reached their limit, they are done. So it’s no surprise that many people have researched how to expand mental energy resources. While there are many ways to keep your mind sharp, here are five of the best ways to keep your mental energy pool running deep.
1. Keep a Gratitude Journal
A gratitude journal is a journal that you can write in daily to reflect on the things that you’re grateful to have in your life. It is important to keep a gratitude journal because of the effects that gratitude has on mental energy. Gratitude is a positive emotion and can help you view your life in better terms.
Life Hack discusses how gratitude can turn even horrible situations into positive experiences. For example, if you are having a difficult time with your boss you can use your gratitude journal to write down all of the things you are grateful for.
Things that you only have because of the pay from your job. This changes the mindset and the dialogue about your workplace and can ultimately change your performance and relationships at the office.
2. Read Something You’ve Never Read
To enhance the brains neuronal connections, you need to read something you have never read before. Ahealthblog.com highlights the effect that reading has on your ability to empathize with your fellow humans. It stimulates your imagination in ways that television and movies cannot simulate.
Reading will increase your mental energy because it keeps your brain sharp and focused. Reading new material is better because it introduces new ideas and concepts for your brain to work on.
3. Work in a New Location
While you may not consider your surroundings very often, they may have more effect on your mental energy than you realize. INC. notes that working in the same location day after day dulls the senses and makes them slow to react.
Picking up and moving to a location that you’ve never been before can get your brain firing because of all the new stimulus. This is a great way to increase your mental energy. It may also be a good pitch for telecommuting.
4. Use Your Energy Wisely
We would all like unlimited supplies of mental energy to use throughout the day. Unfortunately, we just don’t have an unlimited supply. Forbes highlights how negative thoughts and attitudes can quickly sap your reserves of mental energy, leaving you with hardly any energy left over for creative endeavors.
Your best bet is to stop focusing on things that are outside of your control. There is no point to wasting your mental energy on problems that you cannot solve. When you find yourself focusing on problems outside of your ability or control, redirect your energy towards more productive activities.
5. Reflect
If you’re trying to increase your mental energy, the best thing that you can do is reflect on your daily progress. The Huffington post notes that it’s many people don’t quite have enough time for reflection. Carving out time at the end of the day to reflect on your emotions, behavior, and things you’ve learned will allow you to assess your use of mental energy in better ways.
Getting into the habit of daily reflecting will take practice, you can even turn this practice into a progress journal. Seeing written proof of how far you’ve come in your mental energy journey can be highly motivational.
While it may take daily practice, you can find ways to increase and conserve your mental energy. Once you find what works for you and what doesn’t, you will be better equipped to tackle the mental challenges you face every day.
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