What do you guys do for energy/staying focused?

The other thread about ADHD/beer reminded me about a question I've been meaning to ask.

I'm trying to figure out if I have some sort of mental thing going on here or if it's something physical related to diet/exercise. I go through these highs and these lows where I'm either focused/energetic/happy/productive or I turn into a hot mess of the exact opposite. Right now I'm in a low where I struggle to get out of bed, can't focus at work, just lack energy and I keep asking what am I doing with life.

I'm a healthy dude, eat home cooked meals, relatively active (depending on time of year) and I try to stimulate my mind when I can. I do eat/drink things that are generally considered bad like cake and beer but very little processed foods and the like. I don't go to the gym but I do my fair share of biking and water sports. I'm assuming that I'm doing something wrong with my diet but I don't understand why my mood/energy would fluctuate if my diet doesn't fluctuate. Maybe I need to supplement with something.

Other than coffee, which I am a big fan of, what do you guys/gals do to stay productive, energetic and focused?

Sleep. That's what i usually need. Except my two jobs have me waking and finishing at 2 ends of the spectrum. 4a.m. start job 1, 9 p.m. finish job 2. My brain is pudding. There's a good chance I'm going to fall asleep at a light one of these days.

I drink a Monster or a Rockstar just about every other day. Just one. I don't think they actually help. I think I've just mentally convinced myself that the placebo is working.

How regular is your exercise? Are you able to get in at least a 30 minute walk 4-5 days a week? It sounds like your metabolism may be fluctuating, which does happen as we get older.

I keep a daily record of what I eat, what I weigh, how much I slept and how I feel energy-wise. It can help track trends and help me see how certain foods and sleep affect my energy levels.

Regular exercise, stay away from added sugar, limit the processed carbs (white bread, white pasta, anything dough-y). Even at that you have to acknowledge that you'll go through ups and downs. Regular sleep patterns help as well.

No matter how good any of us has it, we'll always have times when we feel a little down. Perspective helps.

My dead nights at work I normally drink a NOS Zero and walk away from the desk once an hour.

Ever seen a therapist or psych? Last year we found out my wife was bipolar. Just food for thought.

I am on a few anti-epileptic drugs that can really drag me down. I have been known to drink an energy drink before a nap.
Anyway, each day I start with a Monster, then take my pills, and toss some B6 and B12 pills in there. This doesn't always keep the drowsiness away, but I feel it helps. The B6 is more to compete some of the other drugs effects.
I'd say sleep is the most important, though. I sleep abour 6 hours on week nights, but on the weekends, I get around 10.

As for my ADHD, nothing I can take in this world will ever compete that.

Making sleep a priority helps.
Hell, most days I pass out in the break room for 25 of my 30 minute lunch.
When that doesn't happen, rockstar, redbull, zipfizz, coffee.

Sounds like you aren't very engaged with your workspace or tasks at hand. How you go about fixing that is really your bag; maybe it's finding new facets of your work that you are more interested in or new to. Maybe it's finding a slightly different role in whatever organization you work in. Maybe it's finding new work all together. I kind of doubt that getting tarted up on caffeine or similar stimulants is really going to fix that issue. Band-aids at best.

I'm facing the same sort of issues. Sometimes it's just believing that showing up (in every sense of the term) will help me get to a spot that I'm more excited about. Sometimes it's believing that showing up will help me keep my current job a little longer. It just depends. Everyone's situation is different. I thing if you can get enough sleep and get some good exercise on a regular basis, you'll be in better shape to attack the issues you want to attack, and think more clearly. Sky's the limit after that.

Staying hydrated can do worlds for fatigue

Probably moving to Costa Rica would help.

EastCoastMojo wrote: I keep a daily record of what I eat, what I weigh, how much I slept and how I feel energy-wise. It can help track trends and help me see how certain foods and sleep affect my energy levels.

I really need to do this. Not only for your listed reasons, but to hopefully figure out what foods seem to flip my guts out now days.

Appleseed wrote: Sleep. That's what i usually need. Except my two jobs have me waking and finishing at 2 ends of the spectrum. 4a.m. start job 1, 9 p.m. finish job 2. My brain is pudding. There's a good chance I'm going to fall asleep at a light one of these days. I drink a Monster or a Rockstar just about every other day. Just one. I don't think they actually help. I think I've just mentally convinced myself that the placebo is working.

I'm pretty good on sleep. If I can get home in time I try to make it to bed by 10:30 and wake up at 6:30. If I'm working later than that, I go straight to bed once I get home. I have my share of 1 am work nights but otherwise I think I'm well rested

EastCoastMojo wrote: How regular is your exercise? Are you able to get in at least a 30 minute walk 4-5 days a week? It sounds like your metabolism may be fluctuating, which does happen as we get older. I keep a daily record of what I eat, what I weigh, how much I slept and how I feel energy-wise. It can help track trends and help me see how certain foods and sleep affect my energy levels.

Definitely not that regular. I basically work all week and have very little time to do anything, let alone work out. Once the weekend comes I usually get about 4-5 hours of hard exercise on my bike, sailboat, canoe, surf or whatever the weekend calls for. I used to go for a ride every morning but my new home isn't as great for bike rides and I can't seem to pry myself out of bed in the morning.

CLH wrote: Regular exercise, stay away from added sugar, limit the processed carbs (white bread, white pasta, anything dough-y). Even at that you have to acknowledge that you'll go through ups and downs. Regular sleep patterns help as well. No matter how good any of us has it, we'll always have times when we feel a little down. Perspective helps.

I hear that. I'm extremely lucky to have what I have yet I'm never satisfied. I tend to complain very little because I know tons of people would kill to be in my position. I eat very little white breads, but I do eat pasta (SWMBO has an italian family). I drink my coffee black. I'll see what I can do about cutting out more processed carbs/sugars/sweets. SWMBO definitely keeps more of them around the house now that we live together.

N Sperlo wrote: Ever seen a therapist or psych? Last year we found out my wife was bipolar. Just food for thought. I am on a few anti-epileptic drugs that can really drag me down. I have been known to drink an energy drink before a nap. Anyway, each day I start with a Monster, then take my pills, and toss some B6 and B12 pills in there. This doesn't always keep the drowsiness away, but I feel it helps. The B6 is more to compete some of the other drugs effects. I'd say sleep is the most important, though. I sleep abour 6 hours on week nights, but on the weekends, I get around 10. As for my ADHD, nothing I can take in this world will ever compete that.

I haven't but maybe I should. I don't think I'm bipolar, just not satisfied with working 70 hours a week and not having the time to experience other things I want. It just gets me down because life is too short to sit at a desk all day.

SnowMongoose wrote: Making sleep a priority helps. Hell, most days I pass out in the break room for 25 of my 30 minute lunch. When that doesn't happen, rockstar, redbull, zipfizz, coffee.

fritzsch wrote: Staying hydrated can do worlds for fatigue

I used to be better about that, but I still think I'm plenty hydrated, if not overhydrated.

fritzsch wrote: Probably moving to Costa Rica would help.

Amen, I need to get back there.

Oops, missed this one.

pres589 wrote: Sounds like you aren't very engaged with your workspace or tasks at hand. How you go about fixing that is really your bag; maybe it's finding new facets of your work that you are more interested in or new to. Maybe it's finding a slightly different role in whatever organization you work in. Maybe it's finding new work all together. I kind of doubt that getting tarted up on caffeine or similar stimulants is really going to fix that issue. Band-aids at best. I'm facing the same sort of issues. Sometimes it's just believing that showing up (in every sense of the term) will help me get to a spot that I'm more excited about. Sometimes it's believing that showing up will help me keep my current job a little longer. It just depends. Everyone's situation is different. I thing if you can get enough sleep and get some good exercise on a regular basis, you'll be in better shape to attack the issues you want to attack, and think more clearly. Sky's the limit after that.

I think you hit the nail on the head. This gig isn't part of my 5 year plan (maybe not even my 1 year plan) though it is related. I'm trying to figure out the next step but haven't come up with anything yet. Still working on that.

Enyar wrote:

EastCoastMojo wrote: How regular is your exercise? Are you able to get in at least a 30 minute walk 4-5 days a week? It sounds like your metabolism may be fluctuating, which does happen as we get older. I keep a daily record of what I eat, what I weigh, how much I slept and how I feel energy-wise. It can help track trends and help me see how certain foods and sleep affect my energy levels.

Definitely not that regular. I basically work all week and have very little time to do anything, let alone work out. Once the weekend comes I usually get about 4-5 hours of hard exercise on my bike, sailboat, canoe, surf or whatever the weekend calls for. I used to go for a ride every morning but my new home isn't as great for bike rides and I can't seem to pry myself out of bed in the morning.

How far are you from the office? I bike to work, it does wonders for me.

Enyar wrote: I haven't but maybe I should. I don't think I'm bipolar, just not satisfied with working 70 hours a week and not having the time to experience other things I want. It just gets me down because life is too short to sit at a desk all day.

I've been overworking myself at points. Tension seems to come with the territory. You're not bipolar. That is an extreme.

I got a fortune with lunch the other day. It said:

"Relax and enjoy yourself"

If you pay specialists thousands to diagnose you, they are probably going to come to the same conclusion as a 5-cent cookie. Accept what your job and your life are and embrace them so they don't stress you out. Or commit to changing it so that you enjoy yourself again. Relaxing has proven to be the hardest easy thing to do for me, but the benefits are worth it.

I think you touched on it. Most of your waking hours are spent on something that's not in your plans. People thrive on purpose. When you spend your days on things that don't have meaning or value to you, they tend to suck. Distractions and exercise help make things tolerable.

oldtin wrote: I think you touched on it.

Oh, just go ahead and touch it. You'll relax and enjoy yourself!

It helps you to sleep afterwards. Especially if done regularly.

Man this thread it fun to stitch together!

Remember what the door mouse said
Feed your head
Feed your head

szeis4cookie wrote: How far are you from the office? I bike to work, it does wonders for me.

It would be a 45 minute bike ride for me which is pushing it, especially since I don't want to walk into the office full of sweat and slacks/button down isn't the best on a bike. That and coming home at 11:30pm wouldn't exactly be safe. I do plan on doing it after busy season (whenever that will be) and after the first 3 miles it's actually a really really nice bike ride.

N Sperlo wrote: I've been overworking myself at points. Tension seems to come with the territory. You're not bipolar. That is an extreme.

Overworked is an understatement. We're short staffed with more work than ever so it's been a rough couple years. Management is trying to attract new staff but we've been striking out. I'm all about work hard play hard but it's been all work no play for way too long.

pinchvalve wrote: I got a fortune with lunch the other day. It said: "Relax and enjoy yourself" If you pay specialists thousands to diagnose you, they are probably going to come to the same conclusion as a 5-cent cookie. Accept what your job and your life are and embrace them so they don't stress you out. Or commit to changing it so that you enjoy yourself again. Relaxing has proven to be the hardest easy thing to do for me, but the benefits are worth it.

I'm committing to changing but I haven't learned what I need to change to yet. I have a couple ideas, just nothing solid enough for me to jump in head first yet.

oldtin wrote: I think you touched on it. Most of your waking hours are spent on something that's not in your plans. People thrive on purpose. When you spend your days on things that don't have meaning or value to you, they tend to suck. Distractions and exercise help make things tolerable.

Agreed, by the looks of things I need to get moving a little more.

foxtrapper wrote:

oldtin wrote: I think you touched on it.

Oh, just go ahead and touch it. You'll relax and enjoy yourself! It helps you to sleep afterwards. Especially if done regularly. Man this thread it fun to stitch together!

This is why we can't have nice things around here!

Enyar wrote: This is why we can't have nice things around here!

QFT. It's all his fault.

For energy, well.....I'm sure I injest enough nicotine/caffine to properly do that job. For staying focused......ooooh, shiney......wait what were we talking about?

Sleep. More than you think you need.

Exercise. 5 times a week with at least one session of lifting weights.

Balanced diet. Don't get hung up on this or that fad. Buy stuff from the produce, meat, and dairy aisle. The only thing I eat from a box is pasta. Beer and wine are your friend in moderation.

Doing work that has meaning. It's hard to stay focused when what you do doesn't really mean E36 M3 in the grand scheme of things. Find something that matters to you.

Race, of course.

sleep, exercise. If you don't do the first, you can't do the second.