Summer is here and I already miss spring, when the sun wasn’t too hot and the air felt comfortable on our skin. So, in this heat, we get drained faster. Our energy leaks out like overused batteries, leaving us easily tired and bored. Everything irritates us, be it the boss at work or your mother’s gossiping about some random relative’s excellent daughter.
The activities we do in a day, how we interact with other people, or what we eat or drink also influence our energy. I’m not talking about only physical energy, which can be replenished with a glass of Glucon-D, but also mental energy. These activities can be classified into two types of energy: energy takers and energy givers.
- Social Media: One very bad tendency of being a human is comparing oneself to another. We look at our friends from school having a good time in a club or a colleague on a backpacking trip to Manali, breathing in fresh mountain air, and we feel frustrated, sitting all the time, piling up work inside four walls. In Chinese, there’s a quote that says, “What you can’t see won’t hurt you.” So, practice this and limit your social media time to only sharing memes and checking in with your friends.
- People Pleasing: Saying “yes” to everything is not good. Sometimes it’s better to say “No.” Say “no” to the colleague who’s only nice to you when he/she needs to fob off their work on you. Say “no” when you’d rather go home than deal with people urging you to g clubbing with them. They might think you don’t care about them because you are unfriendly or unkind, but in actuality, they are ignoring your boundaries. If you say “yes” nine out of ten times, they’ll ignore your kindness during those nine times and just focus on the one time you didn’t agree to something they wanted. Agreeing may get you out of sticky social situations, but when you don’t want to be there where they want you, it only ends up taking your energy away.
- Alcohol dependence: Going to office parties or get-togethers consists of drinking activities in which, rather than drinking for the sake of having a good time, you indulge in drunkenness. This kind of indulgence will only leave you feeling miserable and drained of any strength the next day. Controlling your alcohol intake, learning how much is enough to have a good time with friends and colleagues, and independence from the hangover that awaits you the next day is better for your body’s physical and mental well-being.
- Negativity: This sounds like the obvious point. In the above section on “social media”, I mentioned what the feeling of comparison does to our energy levels. But negativity isn’t only the need for comparison and deliberately making yourself frustrated. For example, you are concerned about your weight, and it’s not because you are fat but because you think you are not thin enough. Rather than trying to lose weight and thinking negatively about your body, you should eat and drink well and try to be fit and healthy instead. Negativity in your thoughts about yourself will only make you unhappy and dissatisfied with yourself. Try listening to positive podcasts or reading self-help books. It is truly said, “Whatever you are feeling right now, you are not alone in it. Someone in the world has felt the same and written a book about it.”
Energy Givers
- An 8-hour sleep everyday: Our body runs on energy saved while we are sleeping, so having a proper sleep will give you more positivity to face the day head on this summer.
- Spending time with friends or family: Check in and go out with your friends from time to time, giving yourself a break from your humdrum life as well. Take your mother out for lunch and treat yourselves to a spa day.
- Exercising: Basic exercises like aerobics, skipping, or swimming will keep your muscles active and also release stress accumulated in your body by sitting in an office all day staring at screens. It really makes a good addition to your summer routine.
- Sunlight: In summer, it is crazy to sunbathe, but the early morning sunlight doesn’t hurt anyone. Try to catch the sunrise and soak in the comfortable sunlight before starting your day. It will renew your energy and set you up for the day.
- Self Care: Treat yourself to face masks twice a week, soothing your irritated skin with cooling gel. Soak your feet in lukewarm water for a few minutes. Invest in a good eye cooling gel eye-mask and use it every night before sleep.
Edited by: Khushi Thakur
Published by: Akshaj Joshi
