When everything’s happening so fast around you, it’s naturally challenging to maintain energy and focus. Whether you work long hours, juggle multiple responsibilities that require physical strength and mental focus, or just try to keep up with life’s demands, finding natural ways to recharge is vital. Fortunately, incorporating small habits into your daily routine can make a big difference in your ability to stay focused, alert, and energized. For example:
Eat Functional Foods
There are many functional snacks out there, such as granola bars with superfoods, trail mixes with nutrient dense nuts and seeds, and energy bites with adaptogenic ingredients. One interesting option is to try mushroom-infused chocolate bars, as these bars combine rich flavors with functional mushrooms like lion’s mane, reishi, and chaga.
Lion’s mane mushrooms are known to boost memory and cognitive function. Reishi mushrooms help the body manage dress and support endurance during high intensity tasks. Chaga mushrooms strengthen the immune system and overall resilience. When you combine these ingredients with premium chocolate, you get a snack that’s both satisfying and health-focused.
The Golden Door Chocolate Bar is a great example of this combination. It indulges and serves a purpose by combining premium chocolate with functional mushroom extracts. There’s also no energy crash from sugar snacks. A word of caution about this chocolate bar: it does contain psilocybin, a psychoactive compound, and it may work differently depending on your tolerance. However, the presence of psilocybin also means you get a rush of serotonin-like chemicals, which make you feel good and help relieve stress as well.
Hydrate with Infused Water
Water regulates body temperature, transports nutrients, and supports brain function. On the other hand, dehydration causes fatigue, headaches, and decreased concentration, so staying hydrated is vital for busy professionals. Infused water is a flavorful and nutritious way to stay hydrated and get extra benefits.
Infused water is made by soaking fresh fruits, herbs, or vegetables in water to extract their natural flavors and nutrients. Popular combos are lemon and mint, cucumber and basil, or strawberry and lime. Ingredients like citrus fruits give you vitamin C for an immunity boost and herbs like mint and basil give a refreshing and calming touch.
Take Short Mindful Breaks
Research has shown that mindfulness reduces cortisol by a lot. Cortisol (the stress hormone) causes depression, and too much of it impairs cognitive function. On the contrary, mindfulness slows down heart rate and lowers blood pressure, which creates an unbeatable state of mind that calms mental fatigue and brings clarity of thought and focus.
Mindful exercises for a few minutes can fire up the prefrontal cortex, one of the most important areas of the brain that controls performance in high level thinking, like cautious decision-making, sustained attention and emotion regulation. When it’s active, it’s been shown to improve problem solving and competence with complex and difficult tasks. That amazing state of mind can be achieved in as little as a few minutes with mindful breathing or guided imagery.
Endnote
Maintaining energy and finding ways to combat stress is important to thrive in today’s demanding world. It doesn’t have to be difficult though, especially if you develop a habit of staying hydrated, choosing smarter snacks, and taking mindful breaks. Take smaller steps and it will get easier to achieve balance and vitality naturally.
