Instant Energy Boosting Trick Anytime Anywhere

A friend called recently and asked if I could help with a recurring problem they’ve been having.

I inquired as to what’s up and received the following explanation:

“So, here’s almost a daily occurrence in my world, at least on weekdays... It’s late in the day, and still, a few items remain on my task list. I’m feeling the drain from the past several hours of focused work and I’m fading fast. I need a boost to carry me through the next hour or two but don’t want to jeopardize my sleep later so caffeine is out of the question. Plus, I’ve already taken my fill of supplements and vitamins for the day, I need that X factor! What do I do?”

What would you do in this scenario?

My suggestion was to do some breathwork exercises to boost oxygenation to the brain and body. Because according to Dr. Daniel Amen, the world's foremost brain health expert:

“Slight changes in oxygen content in the brain can alter the way you feel and behave.”

I recommended a few rounds of breath of fire, a technique that calls for rapid, rhythmic, and continuous breathes in and out of the nose while expanding the diaphragm on the in-breath and contracting it on the out-breath. Breath of fire is, simply put, one of the best and quickest ways to instantly boost energy in the body naturally without ingesting any substances and without jeopardizing sleep. To be sure my friend understood what I meant, I also directed them to this link for a quick instructional video, and off they went.

(Disclaimer: When performing this exercise, make sure to blow your nose thoroughly beforehand and keep tissue close by to avoid a snot bomb all over your workspace or people close to you, unless of course, that is your desired effect, haha.)

After hanging up the phone, the thought occurred to me, “It’s late in the day for me right now and I really need a boost.” I don’t know about you, but oftentimes when I’m tired or experiencing fatigue, less than my best work comes through. Also, I can be a bit irritable and more emotional.

Sound familiar?

So I went ahead and performed a couple of rounds of breath of fire myself. And guess what? Yup, that’s right. It worked perfectly to supercharge my system and energy levels soared which in turn propelled me to finish out the workday strong. Wow, what a game changer!

And the best part for me is, this exercise boosts my energy and helps me achieve greater clarity to prioritize and execute with no risk of upsetting my circadian rhythm or worrying about getting to sleep at the end of the day.

Now I keep a sticky note reminder on my screen to prompt me whenever I’m feeling tired or experiencing low energy, “Do Fire Breath!” And breath of fire is now a habit that’s become part of my normal afternoon routine.

What’s your go-to remedy to boost productivity late in the day?
What’s your experience with breathwork?

Comment below and let me know.