Get Motivated: 6 Super Ways to Energize, Refocus & Lose those Blahs

Energised Dog on Surfboard

How motivated are you feeling? Do you have as much energy as you’d like? With everything that’s going on in the world, you might be experiencing the blahs or have lost focus on what you want to achieve this year…

Well, the spring and fall seasons are a great opportunity to refocus and energize ourselves. And it’s often surprising how small a change we can make—and still make a big difference.

Consider that small changes can be enough to give us a little excitement—but because they’re low effort and low risk, they’re more likely to get implemented!

Lastly, if you work with clients (one-on-one or groups), check out the *NEW* section at the very end of this article with 4 ways to use these ideas with your clients!

So, here are 6 Super Ways to Get Energized and Lose the Blahs (plus 5 instant energizers!)

1) Review Your Goals for the Year

Give yourself 30 minutes to think about what you would LOVE to get done by the end of this year (or just the next 3 months if everything feels too up in the air).

Answer the 5 questions below to help you:

  1. What am I tolerating—and really need to change?
  2. What would make a huge difference to me? What would I love to get done?
  3. What one thing would I be disappointed, or regret, I did not complete by the end of the year?
  4. What are my Top 3 Priorities for the rest of this year? And the next 3 months?
  5. What will I do THIS coming week to get me closer to my goals?

You can also re-use our mini goal-setting 3 Month Resilience Planner to help you or try out our 25 Things to do This Year (inspiring exercise .PDF printable for super-lite goal setting!).

Life takes on meaning when you become motivated, set goals and charge after them in an unstoppable manner. Les Brown

Instant Energizer 1

Breathe!

Did you know you can energize yourself simply by breathing in a specific way?

Specifically, when we breathe in for a longer time than we breathe out, we oxygenate our blood and literally energize ourselves: an immediate energy boost.

Here’s how:
  1. Put your hand on your belly & breathe slowly into your belly for a count of 7.
  2. Hold your breath for 3. Then breathe out for a count of 3.
  3. Repeat this for as little as a minute or two and see how you feel!

2) Stimulate Your Senses

Our senses are how we experience the world—and they constantly provide input to our brains. So one way to re-energize ourselves is to consciously give our senses (and brain) something new to experience.

What could you change up in your life? For example, think about your appearance. Could you style your hair in a new way or get some new, different to ‘the usual’ clothes? An indoor flowering plant for your desk? What about what you eat and drink? Could you try a new tea, brand of coffee, get yourself a new ‘special’ mug to drink out of? What about a zesty new soap for the shower, or finding a new band or radio station to listen to?

Consider each of your 5 senses and ensure each sense has something new going on.

Either 1) make a list of ideas for each sense or 2) go right to choosing one new thing for each sense:

  1. Sight
  2. Hearing
  3. Smell
  4. Taste
  5. Touch!
Instant Energizer 2

Jump in a puddle!

Water, especially when it’s cold, is incredibly refreshing. If there are no puddles near you at the moment, splash your face with cold water instead or grab a cold, wrung out flannel and wipe it over exposed areas of your skin. Braver people than me hop into a cold shower, the sea or a lake—guaranteed to energize!

But, if it’s rained recently, go find—and jump into a puddle! It reminds me of being naughty as a kid (a thrill in itself!). And not knowing exactly how wet I will get gives a safe dose of spontaneity and the unknown: a mini-energy surge for instant uplift!

3) Lose One Self-Sabotaging Habit

Where do you sabotage yourself on a daily basis? A small thing (or something that’s easy to change), not a big project…

For example, I used to check email first thing and would suddenly find it was 10.30am and I hadn’t started my work for the day! So now I check email at the end of the day—and only skim in the morning looking for anything urgent. And there’s rarely anything that can’t wait a few hours… Now I get my work done when I have am most vibrant rather than wasting that precious energy trudging through email!

Some questions for you to consider:

  • Where do you sabotage yourself regularly?
  • What (small or easy to change things) do you do that negatively impacts your energy, resolve, life enjoyment, sleep, time, relationships, finances, health etc?
  • What could you say “No” to?
  • What could you do differently?

There are two types of habits: ones which comfort us, and ones which would be a comfort if we stopped. Catherine Pulsifer

Instant Energzer 3

10 Star Jumps

We all know that exercise (once we get going!) is energising—and good for us.

But for a quick boost, you don’t have to go all out. Try just doing 10 “Star Jumps” on the spot. It doesn’t matter what you’re doing right now, in fact if you’re in work clothes or pajamas even better: the incongruity of it will make you laugh. Which all just adds to your energy boost…

4) Revamp Your Daily Routine

Simply consider your daily routine—and shift things around a little. Shower in the morning instead of evening. Have a bath instead of a shower. Add 15 mins of meditation or yoga or exercise to your day. Go for a run first thing. Eat lunch later, dinner earlier. In short, do things differently!

To help, answer these 3 questions:

  1. What could I STOP doing?
  2. What can I CHANGE up, or change WHEN I do it?
  3. What new routine or ritual could I START?
Instant Energizer 4

Laughter

A guaranteed way to boost your energy and get refocused is to spare a few moments for a laugh. Laughing helps reduces cortisol (stress hormone) in our bloodstream, and boosts beneficial chemicals like dopamine, oxytocin and endorphins. In particular dopamine helps us with motivation and focus.

Go one better and share that laughter. Is there a cartoon or meme you love? A funny video? Share with friends or family and feel better.

Laughter really is the best medicine.

The Awkward Yeti - Back to it!

A Favourite Cartoonist: The Awkward Yeti

5) Get Fresh!

Our brains love new things. Newness stimulates and excites us, creating fresh neural pathways. So give yourself an energy boost by finding some new and fresh inspirational images or quotes and put them somewhere where you’ll see them regularly like a mirror, desk, fridge or phone. You may like these inspirational quote images here >>

Or find a new “thing” that inspires or uplifts you. Perhaps you could get yourself a fun or flowering plant or a a new trinket, tchotchke or knick knack. Again, put it somewhere you will see it often like your bedside or coffee table, the kitchen island or hallway.

For example I have a “stone plant” in a red pot I’ve named Brian and I recently gifted my step-daughter a bright pink Gerbera Daisy with cool, spiky petals.

Lastly you could simply freshen things up by moving things around your home to create a new layout. Switch the sofa and arm chair around, move the side tables and coffee table, move the dresser in your bedroom to a new spot. Then, every time you notice the change, your brain gets a little excitement!

Some questions to help you energize your home or workspace:

  • Where in your home feels drab or stale?
  • What are your favourite colours? Which colours energize you?
  • Who makes you smile or laugh? Put a fresh photo of them somewhere to remind you!
  • What animals inspire or amuse you? Do you have a “spirit” animal, or type of creature you feel super-connected to?

All of these ideas send a signal to your brain that things are happening and jazzy around here!

Instant Energizer 5

Connect with nature

Nature is all around us, even if we live in an apartment in a city. There are still plants, bugs, trees, birds etc.

Simply step out into your yard or balcony—or look out the window. Take a deep breath, and notice the natural world already around you. What can you see? Get into the details, see the small stuff! And remember that you are a part of that nature—truly incredible!

Click here for more 7 great ideas to Feel Happier and Find Calm through Nature & Connection!

6) Clear the Visual Clutter

And last but not least, take 30 minutes to clear visual clutter and release any hidden tension. For example:

  • Make sure your filing and bills are done/paid and your desk or filing cabinet is clear of clutter.
  • Get rid of outdated business cards, greeting cards, takeout menus, faded images and dead plants.
  • Sort through those piles of stuff, throw out expired coupons, exercise schedules and pens that don’t work.

And hey presto, feel refreshed—and ready for action!

Consider these questions:

  1. What are you ‘tolerating’ visually in your home or workspace? (make a list)
  2. Walk around your home: What specifically drains your energy (which rooms/area or things)?
  3. What is out of date, stale, irritating in your living space?
  4. What is ‘undone’ that you’d like to be done?
  5. What needs a deep clean?

You may also like: Why Clearing out Clutter at Home Gives You Clarity, Inspiration and Energy!

Wrap-upFierce Kindness Logo

There are many things we can do to increase our energy without leaving our home (or yard).

Sleep, exercise, healthy food may physically energize us, but if our minds are cluttered, jaded or bored it’s hard to be truly motivated.

Yet there are some surprisingly easy ways to re-energize simply by changing things up, injecting some newness or clearing away the things that irritate us.

You only lose energy when life becomes dull in your mind. Your mind gets bored and therefore tired of doing nothing… Get interested in something! Get absolutely enthralled in something! Get out of yourself! Be somebody! Do something… The more you lose yourself in something bigger than yourself, the more energy you will have. Norman Vincent Peale

Which ideas most inspired you? Share your favourite tips in the comments below!

Change the world. Start with you!

If you enjoyed this article on how to get re-energized, you may also like:


*NEW* How to Use These Ideas with Clients!

This is a brand new section with 4 ways to use these ideas with your clients & groups.

4 Ways to use these Ideas with Your Clients!

Do you have clients who would benefit from the ideas in this article? Well, here are 3 ways you could energize and re-motivate your clients and groups:

1) Do a 3 Monthly Goals Review (15-25 mins)

The end of a quarter (3 months) is a great time to do a goals review.

  1. Review and take stock of your client’s progress towards their goals.
  2. What’s working? What isn’t? Do the goals still feel relevant and exciting? If not, what changes could be made?
  3. Then for some extra motivation, as part of that review, simply use the 5 questions in 1) Review Your Goals for the Year

2) Offer a Fun, yet Easy Exercise to Help People Feel More Energized! (10 mins)

Ask your clients if they’d like to feel more energized? If so, would they be willing to try a fun exercise to find some small, easy ways to freshen things up a bit?

  1. Start by sharing some of the ideas from 2) Stimulate Your Senses (or your own ideas).
  2. Next help your client brainstorm a list of possible things for each sense.
  3. Wrap-up by asking your client to choose 1-3 things to commit to taking action on.

3) Ask if they’d like to do a Habits “Spring Clean” (15 mins)

If so, ask your client if they’d be willing to lose ONE self-sabotaging habit?

  1. Start by asking them to choose ONE thing they do daily or regularly—where they sabotage themselves.
    • Share an example from your own life to get them started.
    • Use the questions in 3) Lose One Self-Sabotaging Habit (or your own questions!)
  2. Coach your client using the ROW of the GROW model (links to sister site The Coaching Tools Company) to identify the:
    • R – Reality of what’s getting in the way
    • Come up with O – Options and ideas for how to lose the habit
    • And lastly what they W – Will do, actions they will commit to!

4) Offer a “Daily Routine Spring Clean”! (10 mins)

Ask your clients if they’d like to Spring Clean their daily routine and feel more energized? If so, would they be willing to find some small, easy ways to freshen things up a bit?

  1. Ask clients to consider their typical daily routine. What could they shift around a little and do differently?
  2. Share some examples like those in 4) Revamp Your Daily Routine.
  3. And use the 3 questions (or your own versions of these questions):
    • What could I STOP doing?
    • What can I CHANGE up, or change WHEN I do it?
    • What new routine or ritual could I START?

I hope that, if you work with clients, you found this helpful! Let me know in the comments below 🙂

Image of High energy colourful dog on Surfboard by Javier Brosch via Shutterstock

8 Comments

  1. Virginia

    As always Emma-Louise, you offer specific, easy to do steps to make a quick and useful difference. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Emma-Louise Elsey

      Dear Virginia, that is lovely to hear! Thank-you so much for taking the time to let us know your thoughts <3
      Emma-Louise x

      Reply
  2. avy hattingh

    Thank you Emma-Louise, your energy is just beautiful. I thoroughly enjoying receiving your news, advice and tools, you are so inspiring!

    Reply
    • Emma-Louise Elsey

      Hi Avy, that is such a lovely comment 🙂 I’m so glad to hear you love our newsletters etc! Emma-Louise x

      Reply
  3. Wess

    Thank you so much Emma-Louise! I always appreciate and enjoy receiving your newsletter. Very inspiring and motivating.

    Reply
    • Emma-Louise Elsey

      Dear Wess, that is so lovely to hear! Thank-you for taking the time to let me know <3 Emma-Louise x

      Reply
  4. Sandra Bartman

    Will you be offering 2024 goal setting worksheets? I look forward to your e-mail.

    Reply
    • Emma-Louise Elsey

      Hi Sandra,

      Yes we will! I’ve been working full tilt to get our new Kindness gift finished and ready—and will be updating the Annual Goal-Setting Worksheet (hopefully) this week.

      Reply

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