Energy might be the biggest determiner of our success and happiness. It’s at the core of how we show up in the world.

Want to increase your leadership? Want to be more productive? Want stronger relationships? Want more joy & happiness? Your energy will determine how much you can give to those pursuits. And with high energy, you can do all that simultaneously!

The good news is that we can raise our energy anytime we want. To do that, we must take into account that our energy is created by our thoughts & emotions in addition to our physiology. This means we can raise our energy through mental, emotional, and physical strategies & actions.

Here are ways to increase your mental and emotional energy:

#1. Be social-centric
We know the term “egocentric.” That’s when we’re self-absorbed and in our own minds. Social-centric means that we put emphasis on others.

Dr. Philip Zambardo, a well-known and regarded Stanford psychological research scientist, says to be social-centric we need to give people what they want deep in their biology: make them feel accepted, seen, heard, and believe their identities matter.

A quick action you can take to increase being social-centric is given compliments. Sounds simple. And it is… except most of us don’t do it frequently. Two main types of compliments are external and internal. External are complimenting things that you can see… clothing, things, appearance. Those are fine. What Dr. Zambardo says is even more valuable are internal compliments. Those are based on who someone is or what they do. Examples are “That’s a really interesting question.” “You are really funny.” These are even more effective because it gets to the core of who someone is.

#2. Find lessons and take action
A general belief from neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) teaching is that there’s no failure, only feedback. In short, it means that we do not “fail” anything; we simply learn something. As an NLP-trained coach, this is among the tools that I get to give to clients for their toolbelt.

When you really internalize this statement, it’s really empowering. You no longer have to fear failure because you can no longer fail. You will learn, and learning is actually exciting.

With that backdrop, go out and do something. Take risks. Have fun. When you do, your energy raises naturally because your self-confidence is kicked in high gear. Setbacks are merely lessons and don’t carry the emotional blow of a failure. Go learn something today!

#3. Listen to your gut
Intuition is commonly referred to as your “gut.” It’s obvious why… many of us physically feel our intuition in our stomachs.

Intuition is primarily unconscious that becomes conscious through a feeling. Many times the feeling is physiological – like the gut. It’s also really wise because it’s less influenced by our conscious thoughts which can bend unwarrantably negatively.

So, go with your gut – especially on small things. Make the phone call, tell someone how much you care about them, go rest, do the work project now. You’ll find that when you tap into your intuition and act on it you’ll experience the natural side effect that comes with action – joy.

Many times increasing mental and emotional energy will automatically raise physical energy. Consider your physical energy when you feel sad vs. happy.

We also need to be able to raise our physical energy as well. Here are my favorite, simple ways to raise physical energy.

#1. Move
As simple as it sounds… move. Go for a walk, do jumping jacks, do yoga, work out, etc. Increase your heart rate, get more blood flow and energy will increase along with it.

#2. Eat a healthy snack or meal
Food is fuel. Simple as that. What you put into your body, you get back out. You don’t need a degree in nutrition to know that! Yet, when we need an energy boost, grab the apple, not the candy. Eat the lean meal, not the cheeseburger. The nutrients in good food work with your body to increase your energy levels.

#3. Get outside
For me, getting outside is a natural booster. We spend most of our time indoors in a climate-controlled environment. Breathe fresh air. Feel the sun on your face. Smell the rain coming in. Energy naturally increases when we experience natural environmental elements.

There you have it, friends… 6 ways you can increase your energy on mental, emotional, and physical levels. My coaching challenge to you right now is to choose 1-2 in today to practice. Do it and message me on Instagram @Coach.CarterW with what you experienced.