It's nice to enjoy a lazy, do-nothing day occasionally. The body and mind need to rest and repair. You're entitled to some much-deserved downtime. Sometimes though, we feel lazy when we know we have things to do. The next time that happens, use the following tips to pump up your energy level.

1.  Get Moving!

Physical movement is the archenemy of being lazy. Any medium to strenuous physical activity or exercise triggers a release of chemicals that lead to positive emotions and reload your energy levels.

2.  Do Something You Enjoy

Your brain rewards you with endless energy and a feel-good state when it recognizes you love whatever you are doing. This energized state makes addressing the "have to do" items on your to-do list easier.

3.  Team up with an Accountability Partner

Try to find an accountability partner who also wants to boost their energy. An accountability partner can help keep you motivated even when you feel like you don't have the energy to go on.

4.  Protein Provides a Preventive Approach

Eat protein at every meal. Enjoy a handful of nuts or a hard-boiled egg as a snack. Protein-rich foods increase your energy and help stabilize your blood sugar so you experience less sluggishness and laziness. Eat protein regularly, and you'll defeat a do-nothing attitude by avoiding it altogether.

5.  Get Outside

Move outside if your lazy mindset strikes indoors. Just 15 minutes of communing with nature and getting sun boosts happiness and energy levels. If you can enjoy some exercise or other physical activity at the same time, all the better.

6.  Start Keeping a Motivation Journal

A motivation journal can compel you to push through laziness when you need to get things done. Certain memories can energize you, no matter your current mindset or energy level. Write them down in a journal and refer to them regularly. Turn to this energy booster whenever laziness threatens to turn you into a couch potato.

7.  Enjoy a Cup of Coffee
   Sweet, sweet nectar of energy! A cup of coffee is often a guaranteed energy boost. Maybe a hot cup of tea is your preferred caffeine delivery mechanism. Either is a fine choice for an energy boost. Be careful adding sugar, though. The short-term burst of energy sugar supplies can often lead to a crash.

8.  Just Go for 10 Minutes

This is a sneaky way to defeat laziness. When you know you should choose action over sitting around and doing nothing, perform some activity for 10 minutes. Promise yourself that you can stop and return to your state of inertia when the time is up. You'll probably keep going after your 10-minute session. Acting energizes you to keep going rather than returning to an inactive state.

9.  Challenge Yourself

Create mini-challenges throughout the day that inspire you to battle your laziness. Look at the clock and set a goal to accomplish something within a specific timeframe. If you meet that deadline, reward yourself and create a new challenge. You might even end up having some fun!

FAST-ACTION STEPS

1. Write down a few motivational messages to yourself that you can refer to when you're about to slack off.
2. Schedule physical activity and outdoor time into your daily routine.
3. Who would make a good accountability partner? Reach out to them.