Feeling bored? Are you dragging yourself around? Do you wander into the kitchen to entertain yourself or perk up your mood? Try one of these energy boosters—without the negative effects or addictive qualities that come from food or lots of caffeine:

• Stretch your chest. Stand in the middle of a doorway and place your palms flat against the wall on either side of the doorframe. Make sure your back is straight. Lean forward through the doorway without moving your hands. You should feel a stretch across your chest. Move your hands higher or lower to stretch different areas of your chest.
• Stretch your arms. Stand facing a solid wall. Place your right hand flat against the wall, and lift your left leg slightly so that most of your weight is in your standing leg and some weight is supported by the wall through your arm. Tighten your abdominals and keep your back straight. Lightly touch the fingers of your left hand to the arm pit of your right arm, then reach out and up until your left arm is reaching straight overhead, fingers pointing toward the ceiling. Keep your right shoulder blade down. Hold for 5 seconds and repeat 10 to 15 times. Switch sides.
• Breathe faster. This will get your oxygen pumping.
• Change your scenery. Your senses can get accustomed to your surroundings, and simply changing environments can perk them up.
• Enliven your legs. Lie on your back and raise one leg and then the other till they are both in the air. Now shake them for a minute or two.
• Mindfully drink green tea. A cup of green tea has properties that are proven to boost alertness (Chacko et al. 2010; Yoto et al. 2014).
• Stand instead of sit. Sitting is the new smoking—long-term sitting can sabotage your health. Step away from your desk whenever you can, since sitting still for too long can drag you down. Standing up can help counteract the effects of inertia. You can alternate sitting and standing for a minute at a time to get your blood flowing.
• Chew gum. Gum has been shown to stimulate the brain waves that ignite concentration and focus. In fact, studies show that chewing gum can shift your brain waves to a state of relaxed alertness (Allen, Jacob, and Smith 2014).
• Self Massage. Begin by sitting upright in a chair. Then, roll your foot over one of the following: A frozen water bottle, a broom handle, or a tennis ball. Or buy a foot roller/massager from a natural health store.

There are many other tips that are just as simple and effective in my new book, 50 More Ways to Soothe Yourself Without Food. Click here to pre-order it.