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Boost Your Energy Level: Go Outside

Lloyd Alter, Toronto

Lloyd Alter

By Lloyd Alter
Toronto, Canada | Sun Mar 23 17:21:00 EDT 2008

So many of us spend our days in front of a computer screen; many of us work from home and might never see the light of day without some discipline. While home working is fabulous for the environment because of the savings in transport, we have to take care of ourselves. Optometrist Barbara Caffery advises the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes look at something 20 yards away for 20 seconds.

The Happiness Project has more suggestions to ensure that you get through the day. We select a few:

1. Go outside into the sunlight: Light deprivation is one reason that people feel tired. Research suggests that light stimulates brain chemicals that improve mood. For an extra boost, get your sunlight first thing in the morning. And while you're outside...

2. Go for a brisk walk: One study found that even a 10-minute walk was enough to supply a feeling of energy and decreased tension.3. Tackle an item on your to-do list: Unfinished tasks weigh us down. So if you feel bad about never having had a skin-cancer check, or not having completed an overdue report, or not having faced this month's bills, force yourself to tackle one thing that's nagging you. It's tough, but you will feel a huge rush of energy when you cross it off your list.

4. Clean up: I'm not sure why tidying makes such a huge difference, but when I feel like I can't face the day, I just tidy up my desk, and I perk right up.

And one that surprised us:

5. Drink some coffee: Coffee gets a bad rap, but fact is, it really does boost alertness, energy, and ability to focus. (Plus it's a great source of antioxidants and-surprise!-contains a high level of soluble dietary fiber.)

See them all at the ::Happiness Project

Difficulty level: Easy

 
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