By: Steve Olson

Quit the cup. Switch to plain water to get energized in the morning.

Simple habits can get your day off to a great start. They may seem obvious–but most of us fail to do simple things that can make us feel better. We don’t take the time to live and be conscious, because we’re too busy. But, in fact, it doesn’t really take too much for us to find quality time for ourselves–as long as we have the energy for it.

Here are seven energy-boosting moves you can do in 30 minutes or less:

1. Stretch first thing in the morning. Do you wake up with aching muscles? Start stretching your legs. If it’s painful, you’ve probably let yourself go too long, but if you start slowly and stick with it, it will improve the way you feel for the rest of the day. Take two to three minutes to do a series of moderate stretches every morning.

2. Exercise immediately after you stretch. You don’t have to run five miles or do a full body workout at the gym. Start with something simple that takes a couple of minutes like 20 push-ups and 30 squats and work toward 100 push-ups and 100 squats. It only takes a few minutes–but the benefits last all day.

3. Drink two glasses of water Nighttime dehydrates us, and the first thing most of us drink is coffee, which makes it worse. A major cause of fatigue is dehydration. I’ve discovered that if I drink two glasses of water just before breakfast it gives me a bigger boost than coffee ever did.

4. Eat a whole foods breakfast. Never skip breakfast, but give up processed food. Put away the Froot Loops and the Eggos. Avoid doughnuts and bagels. Instead, eat a bowl of fresh strawberries or blueberries and an egg or two. Even bacon and sausage will serve you better than breakfast cereal (be sure to eat only grass-fed nitrate-free meats). You might think this is time consuming, but it isn’t. If I prepare the night before, it only takes 5-10 minutes to eat a healthy breakfast. Eating a healthy breakfast, low in refined sugar and flour, can boost your IQ by 15 percent.

5. Skip the coffee. Think you’ll die without your morning coffee? You won’t. You’ll feel better without it. Sure, it will give you a kick for a couple of hours after drinking it, but you will crash hard later and nothing will pick you back up. Your energy levels stay much higher during the day when you avoid coffee. Instead of peaks and valleys, you will have a consistent good feeling all day.

6. Do a standing meditation. Every morning, walk outside and stand silently for a few minutes. Try to observe without thought, without worry, and without judgment. Feel the the universe surrounding you. It will calm you. It will expand your conscious awareness. It will help you think clearly later.

7. Turn off the news and talk radio. This might seem a bit off subject, but it isn’t. The ideas you allow into your mind, especially in the morning and just before bed, will affect your energy levels. During your commute, turn off the morning shock jocks and political talk radio. They push negative emotional buttons, a heinous crime you can’t do anything about, a corrupt politician, or some horrible injustice. Sitting in a car pumping negative garbage into your mind is a lousy way to start your day. Instead, get an iPod and download some podcasts or get a good audio book on audible.com. Absorb some actionable information, information you can use, information that inspires. Start your day with something positive. I recommend the Alan Watts Podcast.

Remember that the time to energize your life is now. You never know what tomorrow may bring, so make sure that you have enough energy to seize the day.

Credits: Photo by Vojko Kalan, courtesy of Public Domain Pictures.

The author is a blogger, IT manager for Ergotron.com, and entrepreneur. He is also a technology, marketing, and personal growth enthusiast. But, his biggest passion is helping people achieve freedom in their lives. On his personal blog, For People Pursuing Freedom, he covers personal finance, entrepreneurship, education, self-improvement, business, ethics, and emotional intelligence.

Suggested Resource: To find out how to get energized the right way, sign up for Simpleology 103: The Simple Science of Personal Energy and get clued in on more energy-boosting tips and resources.

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