Healthy Living:Improve Your Mood

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10 Ways to Go From Tired to Terrific


Must. Stay. Awake. Yes, it’s the 3 o’clock mantra. And who hasn’t mumbled it while fighting off midday yawns and drooping eyes?

Fatigue and flagging energy seem to be epidemics, especially among women who burn the candle at both ends (and who doesn’t?). Instead of moping, pump up your mojo with these 10 strategies from experts in sleep, fitness, nutrition, psychology, and alternative medicine.

1. See the light
Get the right light, and you’ll have lots more energy. But that can be a challenge, given the poorly-lit offices we sit in and the scant doses of daily sunlight (which contains brain-activating short-wavelength blue light) we get. “Our circadian rhythms are more sensitive to blue light than any other kind,” says Mariana Figueiro, assistant professor at the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y.

To take advantage of that energizing blue boost, lift your shades the minute you get up or take a 30-minute walk first thing in the morning. And go outside as often as you can during the day (especially right before you need to be extra-alert), says Scott Campbell, PhD, director of the Human Chronobiology Laboratory at New York– Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center in Westchester, N.Y. To up your blue light at work, use lamps with “natural” lightbulbs—try Sylvania’s Daylight Extra bulbs (at retailers nationwide), an Ott-Lite, or a light box that uses blue-light technology (our pick: the Sun-a-Lux light-therapy box; $429 at Purenatural.com).

Next page: Get pumped with protein


Last Updated: September 18, 2008
Filed Under: Improve Your Mood
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Comments (6)

The following content represents the opinions of Health.com users. It is not editorially reviewed for medical or factual accuracy. It does not constitute medical advice. See your doctor for medical advice.
  • Jean Quinn

    Thanks so much for the wonderful tips. And, thank you for your rule of “keep it clean”…wish tv followed inforced this.

  • genia78

    Thanks for the tips on white tea and hydration.

  • Lidia Raven

    Wow, they are really simple ideas but i would never have thought of some things (especially the ’self acupuncture’ ;)

  • Lidia Raven

    Wow, they are really simple ideas but i would never have thought of some things (especially the ’self acupuncture’) ;)

  • Undiagnosed

    The self acupuncture one is very interesting, thankyou ! It might also help relieve pain.. hmmmm can only hope
    http://www.undiagnosedillness.org

  • Stanley Hood

    I am certainly going to put your tips into practice.

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