How to Boost Your Physical and Mental Energy

What is energy and where does it come from? Start by thinking about the emotional and physical inputs - from good self-care to living a purpose-driven life - that contribute to vitality. Then try your first exercise to become more aware of your body and the signals it is sending you.

Find out why sleep matters so much to your well-being. Research shows that regular sleep provides a range of benefits from better cognitive performance throughout the day to lower risk of disease over your lifetime. Reflect on the barriers to good sleep as well as a few things you can do to improve your sleep.

Your energy level is deeply linked to your breathing, so becoming more aware of how you breathe - and performing a few simple exercises - can truly change the way you feel in your day-to-day life. Here, learn by doing as Dr. Bonura takes you through five breathing exercises to help you regulate your energy.

Most people spend so much time at work that how you feel about your job likely has a significant effect on your overall energy. Consider a few ways to improve your engagement with work, beginning with the establishment of boundaries to protect your personal life and maintain your general well-being.

Good relationships are one of the strongest ways to promote good health and reduce stress. Find out several strategies for building a strong social network as well as ways to deal with challenges that inevitably arise in your closest relationships, including marriage and parenthood. Learn a few exercises to relieve stress.

Mindfulness - living in the present moment - can have a dramatic impact on your energy levels and how you feel about the world around you. Dr. Bonura helps you increase your sense of inner awareness with a series of breathing and meditation exercises. Discover where you spend your energy - and where your energy is lacking.

Your life is filled with choices - what to buy, where to spend time, what to do from one moment to the next - but making so many decisions requires massive amounts of energy. Here, you'll find out how to simplify the process of decision-making and how to build a richer, more satisfying life.

Gain new insight into the relationship between food and energy. The good news here is that counting calories and obsessing over dietary numbers might actually be counter-productive to good health. Instead, learn how to be mindful and follow a few sensible guidelines. End with a powerful lesson on restorative yoga.

George Bernard Shaw once said, "We don't stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing." Dr. Bonura explores the connection between play and energy. See how to add more fun in your life - and why physical play is such a profound source of vitality.

Stress. Anger. Anxiety. Too often people try to repress or medicate away emotions, which treats the symptom but does nothing for the root problem that's draining life-sustaining energy. Instead, Dr. Bonura shows you a strategy for managing negative emotions into positive energy, as well as a loving-kindness meditation to build compassion for yourself and others.

There are no quick fixes for living a more energetic life, but there are a few tactics - from chewing peppermint gum to performing acupressure - that will help you boost your energy levels in the short term. At the same time, it's important to reflect on your life circumstances to lift your long-term energy baseline.

Finally, review key concepts from what you've learned to build a personal action plan for living a more energetic life. As Dr. Bonura explains, an energetic life is a purposeful life, so think about your life's purpose and what success means to you. Then work to create time to relax and restore your mental energy.