Last week you were motivated, energetic, and excited to be back in school. However, this morning it was rough getting out of bed.
By the time you got to school you had already spend 15 minutes choosing and outfit, sent out seven texts to friends, sat in front of your computer, checked your Email, Twitter and Facebook, made the kids lunches then stopped and grabbed breakfast from one of the eight menu items at the closest fast food restaurant.
You run to your class and sit down, already feeling fatigued. The day has just started. You think, "How on earth am I going to do this all over again tomorrow?"
There are some basic scientific fixes to help keep your strength and stamina elevated all day.
The University of Minnesota conducted a study on stamina. They found that people who were asked to choose from an assortment of things to buy had less stamina and did worse on math problems than those who just looked at the options. It is better to give yourself less choices. Say out loud, I will wear my orange sweatshirt and light blue jeans today instead of looking in your closet, then trying to decide amongst the sea of clothes.
Try to space out using electronics, or power it off completely for an hour a day. Technology is great, but a British experiment showed an IQ dip of 10 points in those people who juggle several technology tasks at one time (like emailing, texting and talking on the phone.)
Throughout the day take a leap of joy. Literally jump up and down like you won the lottery. "This not only helps to get our heart rate up, but allowing yourself to be silly releases feel good endorphins and helps to get us in a better state of mind," says Elizabeth Lombardo PhD, author of "A Happy You: Your Ultimate Prescription for Happiness."
Bring the color orange into your wardrobe. You can wear orange socks, accessorize with orange jewelry, carry and orange notebook or sticky notes, even set and orange on your desk for an afternoon snack. Colors such as red, yellow and orange are energizing because they activate our brain circuitry and gives us feelings of liveliness.
The smell of mint helps people to exercise longer and complete tasks faster and more accurately. Use a mint lotion, chew mint gum, drink mint tea, or keep an ounce of fresh mint on hand to put in drinks and salads. Even grow a spearmint plant indoors year round (brushing your fingers through the leaves releases the scent) suggests Pamela Dolton, PhD, a senior research scientist at Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia.
When using social networking sites, field your negative messages and embrace the warm ones, when we receive nice messages from loved ones it releases a chemical called oxytocin which gives us feelings of well-being.
Make a list of accomplishments,even if they are small, at the end of each day. Look at them every morning. Studies have found that people who record performed tasks feel a sense of accomplishment which induces a positive mood which is associated with more energy.
So tomorrow show up to class smelling like mint, wearing bright orange, jump up and down laughing, and have a list of accomplishments pasted on the front of your school binder.
One suggestion, make sure to hand your instructor a copy of this article before he or fellow classmates suggest you seek physchiatric help.
At A Glance:
Addition Help for Fatigue, Supplements:
Astragalus:
http://altmedicine.about.com/od/herbsupplementguide/a/Astragalus.htm
Rhodiola:
http://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-rhodiola.html
Vitamin B Complex:
http://www.answers.com/topic/vitamin-b-complex
Vitamin C:
http://www.adrenalfatiguerecovery.com/vitamin-c.html
