It’s okay to be caught in a slump—we’ve all been there before. The past few years have changed a lot of our daily routines, and if you’re just getting back into the swing of things, it can be hard to recapture the energy you once felt. Whether you need a couple disruptions in your routine, or you want to change your entire life path around, here are eight ways to bring the energy back.
1. Take stock and organize your emotions.
If you’re starting a new project at work, it’s important to get organized first. You work through the project brief, gather the resources you need to complete the project and create a timeline with goals and milestones to help you get there. In order to re energize your life, consider taking the same approach. Meaningful change doesn’t happen overnight!
Set aside time to ask yourself: what do I want out of life? What kind of person do I want to become? Is there anything that’s causing me to feel down? Are there parts of my life that bring me significant joy? The answers to these questions can help guide your next steps. If you’re not sure how to visualize or contextualize how you feel, consider using Pinterest to create a board of images that represent where you want to be. Use this as inspiration, and consider sharing it with a trusted friend for support or accountability.
2. Develop a new hobby (that’s just for fun).
Often, the hobbies we develop have a habit of turning into income. That’s not always a bad thing, but sometimes we need to recharge with activities that don’t have the pressure of money or clients. For example, if an individual loved to cross-stitch, they might open an Etsy store to share their creations. Over time, that love of sewing may be overshadowed by excessive orders or picky customers. To bring energy back into your life, develop a new hobby that is exclusively for fun.
In 2020, many individuals turned to video games to help take the edge off a stressful year. According to a recent survey, of those who got online, 73 percent noted an improvement in their social life, general mood, anxiety and stress. If you start to play video games, you might be tempted to begin streaming on Twitch—that’s totally okay, but for now, keep your focus on doing your hobby because you love it. Not because you can get recognition or income for it.
3. Join a local social group.
There’s a specific energy that comes from getting together with individuals who have similar interests. Clubs, teams or social gatherings can feed our passion or remind us why we love doing what we do.
If you’re introverted or have social anxiety, you don’t always have to make your friends IRL. There are plenty of groups online that create Facebook pages, Instagram accounts or sub-Reddits to share their love of a specific interest. Put yourself out there and connect online for a few minutes a day, sharing something new or even asking for recommendations on how to expand your interests.
4. Volunteer your time.
One of the best ways to bring new life back into your daily routine is to donate your time to others. Volunteering in your community can help you build meaningful connections with others and help you see beyond your own day-to-day routine.
Keep in mind, there are volunteer opportunities for everyone! There’s not one way to give back to the community. If you’re good at sports, consider donating your time to coach children at the YMCA. If you have a knack for cooking, help out at a local soup kitchen or eatery to serve those who need food. In addition to the value it provides to those around you, volunteering is also been linked to significant improvements in participants’ depression, anxiety, happiness and self-confidence. If you’re not sure where to find the right volunteering option, consider checking your city’s community page or using a tool like VolunteerMatch.
5. Improve your morning schedule.
The way you start your day has a strong impact on how you finish it. Build a daily routine with intention, and create opportunities to recharge as you go about your routines. Think of it this way: every morning when you wake up, you have the opportunity to set your personal intentions for how you’re going to go throughout the day. Are you setting yourself up for success?
Consider meditation as a good place to start. Spend three to five minutes clearing the mind of work problems, relationship worries or tasks you need to complete—center yourself and your mind before doing anything else. After your meditation, review the boundaries you’re going to set for yourself to protect your energy, as well as the goals you have for the day. A simple realignment in the morning can make all the difference.
6. Change your home environment.
You’d be surprised how much of an impact our environment has on our mood, but think of it this way: how do you feel when you walk into a rock concert versus a yoga studio? Each of these places evoke different emotional experiences. While a rock concert might hype you up, a yoga studio will likely make you relaxed. Both of these experiences are inherently good, but notice how in each case, the environment dramatically affects how you feel. Whether you live alone or with roommates or family, try to find meaningful ways to improve the environment you’re in. This can be as extensive as finding a new apartment or as simple as rearranging your room.
Create a space for yourself that brings you energy. Keep in mind, what you like may be completely different from the person next to you, and that’s completely normal. Focus on what’s best for you and where you can make the most significant impact.
7. Focus on self-worth and self-support.
Sometimes, a lack of energy stems from a lack of love for ourselves. Do we show ourselves the same care that we show those around us? Are we living in a way that feels authentic to who we want to be? The confidence we have in ourselves can go a long way—it can even help us achieve our dreams.
Brittany Packnett, educator and influencer, shared in an NPR interview that, “We make it easier in this society for some people to gain confidence because they fit our preferred archetype of leadership. We reward confidence in some people, and we punish confidence in others. And all the while, far too many people are walking around every single day without it. For some of us, confidence is a revolutionary choice, and it would be our greatest shame to see our best ideas go unrealized and our brightest dreams go unreached all because we lacked the engine of confidence. That’s not a risk I’m willing to take.” Take your own risks and choose to be confident in who you are and what you believe in. That alone is the best thing you can do to regain the energy you’re missing!
