Restoring energy in mind, body and spirit
Energy sustainability is foremost in everyone’s mind these days as we all are forced to accept that our demand for fossil fuels has outstripped our planet’s supply. We would need around eight planet Earths to provide the energy resources for the nearly seven billion of us to all live like the average American citizen. The rush is therefore on to find alternative sources of energy, preferably ones that won’t run out or ruin our planet, so we won’t have to revert to a stone-age lifestyle.
But what about our own energy levels? In many ways what is happening to our planet is also happening in our own bodies and spirits. Many of us live highly stressed, sleep-deprived lives, finding it harder and harder to slow down, relax and ‘smell the roses’. Energy deficits are run up and we resort to stimulants and quick fixes to allow us to continue such lifestyles. One cup of coffee is no longer enough for that much-needed pick-me-up and caffeine-loaded energy drinks like Red Bull are now commonplace. Alcohol and various prescription and recreational drugs help us to relax or keep going artificially and become increasingly important crutches as we forget how to do these things naturally. Like our planet’s situation this cannot go on indefinitely and sooner or later homeostatic mechanisms come into play which attempt to bring our systems and lives back into balance. This either happens through an illness, an accident or some sudden life change which forces us to reassess our lifestyles and values. But why wait for it to happen?
This forthcoming series of articles is going to explore ways of energizing our physical, emotional and mental lives in ways that are sustainable and safe. Every possible aspect will be covered from the role of foods, vitamins and minerals in the production of energy to the effects of exercise, touch, colour, smell, sound, thoughts and actions on all aspects of our lives.
The good news is that the main causes of non-specific fatigue and loss of vitality can be addressed on many different fronts easily and quickly. For instance one of the most effective ways to become happy, and stay happy, is to smile a lot. We all know that when we feel happy we smile but it seems the reverse is also true. According to an area of research known as proprioceptive psychology getting people to smile or nod their heads makes them instantly feel happier or more agreeable. So if you want to cheer yourself up, behave like a happy person and your physiology will do the rest.
Like our rush to now harness the energy that is freely around us – sun, wind, waves – so we need to see that our personal energy solutions also lie in what is freely available. We just have to learn how to do it.