“If you want something done, ask a  busy person to do it.” 

This quote was traced back to several publications from the 1800s, though in more recent years it was attributed to Lucille Ball. Regardless of its origin, the message holds. Just as life begets life, energy begets energy.

There is a time to do less. But if we have lingered in the “do less”  mode for too long, lethargy sets in. We become passive, and even minor tasks feel monumental.

So how do we shift the energy when motivation is nowhere to be found?

When you feel stuck, the simplest way to change your state is to get your blood flowing. There are two places to begin: the physical and the mind.

Getting Physical 

Movement stimulates the chemicals in our brain- especially the feel-good ones like Serotonin. The good news is that activating them doesn’t require running a 10k or climbing a mountain. What matters is moving our energy.

Shake.

Shaking gets our blood flowing and helps release stored stress. Shake your booty, shake your whole body. Like animals shaking off water, imagine yourself as a rag doll. Shake your hands, flick your fingers as if they’re sticky, and flex and point your ankles repeatedly. It’s simple, it’s silly, and surprisingly effective.

Thump your Thymus: The Thymus sits beneath the collarbones, behind the breastplate, and supports the immune system. It begins to shrink early in life, so keeping it stimulated matters. Tapping our thymus is also said to boost courage. 

Some believe the word “thymus ” derives from the herb thyme because of the shape of its leaves. And the ancient Romans, Greeks, and Scottish Highlanders believed thyme gave them courage before a battle. Coincidence? Maybe, but the symbolism is beautiful.

Confidence and courage are natural instigators of our energy. While you are tapping your thymus, go ahead and tap your whole body – arms, legs, buttocks, lower back, anything you can reach. It wakes up your entire system.

Spin (not on a bicycle).

Children instinctively spin to balance their brains and develop coordination. As adults, we stop because it makes us dizzy. But spinning can be grounding and energizing.

Start slowly, look over your outstretched arm to help focus. Start with 3-5 rotations and build up from there.

Other ways to move.

If you cannot get to the gym, walk, dance around the house, do yoga or tai chi, do band work, jump rope, or do calisthenics. Explore free online classes. Set an attainable goal – 15 mins a day -then build from there. Invite a friend to join you, or use it as sacred alone time.

An accountability partner can help. When we commit to someone else, we’re less likely to back out. And it can be more fun.

Getting Mentally Active

Metal clutter can weigh us down just as much as physical stagnation. Anything that isn’t moving us forward is holding us back. Making room for the new begins with clearing the mind.

Clean up loose ends,

Paperwork, phone calls to return, documents waiting for a signature; every unfinished task becomes an invisible energy siphon. We don’t notice it until it becomes so heavy we feel paralyzed.

Be aware of inner dialogue.

We can’t move forward if our inner voice keeps offering excuses. We must retrain it to speak differently to. Change your words, and your life will change.

Stop talking and get doing.

Talking about what we plan dissipates the energy needed actually to do it. It also signals to the universe that we are not serious. Action is the language of manifestation.

Stop worrying about what you can’t control.

Worry is just an energy leak. Save your energy for what you can influence.

Shift your mindset.

Our lives reflect our thoughts. If we label something a struggle, it becomes one. If we approach it as something doable- even pleasurable,  the mind adjusts.

Energy Begets Energy

Energy attracts like energy. Once we begin moving, we signal to the universe that we are in mtion, and new opportunities will arise.. Getting our blood flowing may feel daunting at first, yet no one can do it for us. The desire to change sparks the willingness to act. If you want it badly enough, you can transform your willpower.

It only takes one step.

As Newton’s first law of motion says, “An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion.”