Hello everyone,
Lately I've been feeling drained quite often, as if I have less energy than before.
Yes, I do have stress at work and yes, I exercise regularly. I guess that work stress has a lot to do with it but I was wondering if anyone has any tips how to tackle this.... I won't be able to cut down substantially on the work stress for a good while so I'll have to find other ways.
Any ideas?

Hey Babaloo,

I am always thinking of ways to keep my energy up too!

Hmmm, so the first thing I would suggest is looking at your sleep patterns and seeing if you can make any changes there.

Making sure your getting enough water is key too. Sometimes this can be more than the recommended amounts, so pay attention to your body and learn to recognize its signs for "more water, please:)".

Next, I would suggest some nourishing teas that can help support your nervous system and your body in general. My two favorites are stinging nettles and red clover. These are different than stimulating herbs such as ginseng and mate, in that they help bouy up your body's building blocks instead of just stimulating your body's systems (not to say that stimulating is bad;)).

You could also try Rhodiola Rosea, the herb I reviewed just recently, which really helped me with sustaining my energy levels.

Next, I would try to have on hand some energy boosting snack foods like any kind of nuts, carrots, sunflower seeds, and yogurt. All of these can give you short and long-term energy when you need a boost.

Yoga stretches and breathing exercises really help to instantly rejuvenate you as well. Michael Boyle has a great "Desk Job Survival Toolkit" in his e-newsletter that includes some of these exercises. You can find it and sign up to receive it at http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/MindfulBody/

Michael is around here often:)! To Michael: I hope you don't mind me posting your link!

So Babaloo, Hope this helps!

peace and good vibes,
Leah :music:

Hi Leah,
Thanks for the suggestions!
I had heard about Rhodiola rosea before and today I actually went and bought it.
I've been thinking and the only thing that comes to mind and that could cause the low energy levels would be sleep. For the past few weeks I have been sleeping less - simply because it's so bright in the morning and I wake up earlier than necessary and then can't go back to sleep again. I actually kinda like it as it's nice to stay in bed for an hour and have coffee there!
I'll see whether Rhodiola works for me. Will keep you updated!
B.

I think Leah covered all the good suggestions I would think of, and more.

If you try everything and still feel dragged down, and can't pinpoint the problem, you might consider receiving some form of energy work (like Reiki, Healing Touch,... even Reflexology). Sometimes a 'tune up' is just what you need. ;-)

BTW, Leah, I'm glad you found something in the newsletter you can pass along. I hope it helps.

I'm sure I'll want to refer to something at your site from time to time. I hope you don't mind me returning the favor, with a link in my newletter occasionally. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> Take care.

Hello Leah and Michael,
Thank you for all the suggestions.
I went to get a lovely massage last week and I think I'll go regularly now, it's really worth it. The guy I go to is trained in a lot of techniques and I think it's going to help a lot as I feel more energised afterwards - and relaxed at the same time.
Also I'm taking the Rhodiola now and taking up exercise again.
I have looked back over the past month and in addition to the work stress I also had a bad cold and as a consequence didn't exercise a lot as I felt bad for about 2 weeks.
Me feeling so low in energy was probably a combination of a lot of things. Things are looking up again!
B. <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Hey Babaloo! How are things going with the exercising and rhodiola? I definitely agree with you about the benefits of a massage! They are wonderful indeed! Have you been able to go again? Well keep taking care of yourself!

good vibes,
Leah :music:

Hi Leah,
Thanks for asking! I'm feeling great!
I've been taking the Rhodiola now for almost 2 weeks, the same goes for the exercise and massages (I'm going once a week). I've definitely noticed a difference. Even though I have even more stress at work than before I feel less drained. Obviously I'm tired some evenings but that's normal tiredness after a day of work, nothing like before.
I was wondering - how long can I keep taking the Rhodiola? Are there any guidelines to take them no longer than X weeks?

Hi Babaloo! Great to hear that the Rhodiola is working for you! According to the "Rhodiola Revolution", R. Rosea is safe to take over extended periods of time. In fact, Dr. Gerbarg, one of the authors, takes R. Rosea everyday.

From reading the book, it does seem as though the body can become dependent on R. Rosea's action, so I would suggest doing a few weeks on and a few weeks off of the herb. This would help you and your body become adept in creating the effects that R. Rosea helps you create so to speak. Also, it would be a great way for you to clearly see exactly how R. Rosea is helping you by being able to see what changes when you are on your off weeks. Eventually, you want to be able to experience the same levels of energy and vitality during your off weeks by making lifestyle changes, eating better, dealing with other issues, etc. In this vein, I tend to think of R. Rosea as a bridge to help you get back on track:).

Hope this helps! and Sorry it's taken me a second to get back to you about it!

Take great care of yourself!

Leah :music:

I have three things that I know I need to focus one when I have low energy - hours of sleep, protein intake and water <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Those generally help me a lot! Right now it's sleep I need.

That makes a lot of sense Aime! I find that those three things are important to me as well. Also, my state of mind makes a huge difference. When I am totally focused on how much fun I'm having in my life and how much joy it brings, I tend to be able to go on full speed a lot longer then when I'm focusing on the things that make me frown, lol. Your focus really does matter it seems:)

<img src="/images/graemlins/heart.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/music.gif" alt="" />