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Ask HN: Tips for more energy during day?

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Re: Ask HN: Tips for more energy during day?

#11

Post by Jugurtha »

I used to wake up at 0430, do a workout at home (push-ups, squats, abs, jumping jacks, mountain climbers, etc) for 30 minutes (hundreds of push-ups and squats, etc). Then take a shower. Then breakfast: water, 4 eggs, steak, turkey scallops, half a liter of milk (well, café au lait), fruit).

I'd go out and feel I could slay dragons and bite the moon, and feel that way throughout the whole day. My classmates would get hungry and drowsy by 1100/1130 (they'd drink chocolate milk and eat some treats at 1000), then completely sleepy after eating pizza or sandwitches (I wouldn't get lunch because the food sucked and I still had energy). By 1400, everyone's empty and trying to eat biscuits or something. By 1600, people were dead. I still had a lot of energy. I hadn't eaten anything after breakfast, only drank water.

I would then go home, buy next morning's food (steak, scallops, etc) with the money I saved from not having a disgusting fast food lunch.

I'm considering going back to that regimen. I felt strong and sharp, and working out at home right before taking a shower removed friction as I didn't have to go out, and I did my push-ups and squats right in the bathroom.

Re: Ask HN: Tips for more energy during day?

#12

Post by gamegoblin »

I have two complimentary things I started doing last winter:

- Keep my home’s heat 1 or 2 degrees cooler than I would find optimally comfortable

- When I feel cold, I do a set of pushups to warm myself back up. Usually about once an hour. A set is usually about 20 pushups.

This has multiple benefits:

- The very slight discomfort of the cold keeps you less drowsy

- The pushups are good for you and help wake you up

- Keeping the heating a little lower has a small but non-zero impact on your heating bill

Re: Ask HN: Tips for more energy during day?

#14

Post by c54 »

Jugurtha wrote: post #11

I used to wake up at 0430, do a workout at home (push-ups, squats, abs, jumping jacks, mountain climbers, etc) for 30 minutes (hundreds of push-ups and squats, etc). Then take a shower. Then breakfast: water, 4 eggs, steak, turkey scallops, half a liter of milk (well, café au lait), fruit). I'd go out and feel I could slay dragons and bite the moon, and feel that way throughout the whole day. My classmates would get…

This is pretty inspiring to hear. I really do notice that my productivity is highest in the morning when I get time to have a shower, meditate, walk a short distance (10m) to the office, and have a cup of coffee-- I'm basically at peak performance until I get lunch "because it's lunch time" and then perf wanes from there as I get tired, sluggish, lose will power, etc. God forbid I lapse and have a sugary treat in the afternoon (even the little fun size baggie of M&Ms wrecks me for the rest of the day), eating sugar puts me on a sugar-dependent cycle where I need to re-up every hour or so after breaking the seal.

Exercise, eating healthy, eating when you're hungry rather than when it's time to eat. Avoiding sugar, getting good sleep. Taking it easy on weekends and in evenings. All good stuff!

Re: Ask HN: Tips for more energy during day?

#15

Post by strzibny »

Jugurtha wrote: post #11

I used to wake up at 0430, do a workout at home (push-ups, squats, abs, jumping jacks, mountain climbers, etc) for 30 minutes (hundreds of push-ups and squats, etc). Then take a shower. Then breakfast: water, 4 eggs, steak, turkey scallops, half a liter of milk (well, café au lait), fruit). I'd go out and feel I could slay dragons and bite the moon, and feel that way throughout the whole day. My classmates would get…

You pointed the obvious without maybe realizing it.

I find most people lose energy by eating lunch. So skip lunch or make it super small and light.

Re: Ask HN: Tips for more energy during day?

#17

Post by JimboOmega »

Figure out what motivates you and what drains you. Do you feel drowsy every day regardless of what's going on, whether it's a work day or the weekend?

Do specific things or tasks take energy from you? It might be that meetings sap your energy. Or, if you're extroverted, meetings might give you energy.

Sometimes it's bigger things - like a job that's just not interesting any more. Can you shake it up with different tasks and challenges?

Or maybe it's burnout, which can manifest as constant fatigue. Maybe you need a break. Maybe that break is a small one during a hectic day, or maybe you need a break from your current life situation to recharge.

Physical health absolutely matters, but don't forget the mental aspects. If you just aren't finding your current situation stimulating, that might be a signal about the situation, not just your body.

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