As we race through the year (hard to believe it is June!), it may be timely to conduct your own review of mental and physical energy for a mid-year check-in. As high performers, the natural approach is nonstop effort and maximized minutes in the day. It’s likely you power through fatigue, and consistently deliver the best results. While this level of output is important for success, it can also have reverse effects if we don’t recharge the battery every once in a while.

I know for myself, I have a hard time turning off and prioritizing balance. I feel as though I am not getting enough done if I take a break in the midst of a workday or read a book on the weekend. Every once in a while this approach has led me to exhaustion. My productivity suffers and physical wellbeing takes a dip. I have also found my personal relationships to be hindered when I expect high energy from others, all the time. Silence was few and far between in our rowdy family, but it sure is important.

Fortunately, there are several ways to reboot our battery without having to dedicate too much time or sacrifice our work and other competing priorities. While there is no perfect balance in life, there are strategies we can put into place that create a gentle shift-opening up space to become an even better version of ourselves.

Technology has an interesting effect on the brain. It actually induces feelings of happiness, delivering a temporary lift in the hormone dopamine, followed by a trough. We first receive the superficial happiness hit (Instagram like, email notification, text message). The notification signals the brain to produce dopamine, providing a sense of gratification. This would be fine if this process was few and far between. Since we receive hundreds of notifications in any given day, dopamine production quickly becomes out of balance.

The negative effect of this process results in a numbness to the notifications, requiring more hormone production to feel joy. When too much dopamine is being produced, it becomes harder and harder for the brain to get back to baseline. An easy comparison is alcohol. When our body gets used to consuming alcohol, it can take more and more to feel the same effect as it had for the first time. Similar to dopamine, it takes more to get back to feeling that hit of happiness and even when we do, it is not nearly as satisfying.

A study by Oxford University conducted brain imaging that showed dopamine reward circuits are activated by social media in the same response to addictive substances, such as cocaine and sugar. It is now clear that behaviors can trigger the same neural pathways as addictive substances.

“Small, frequent, and unpredictable rewards with low investment (sometimes known as the “slot machine effect”) are the most effective form of habit reinforcement. Such rewards have been built into social media functions, keeping the user engaged for longer. Not only that, but our dopamine levels increase with just the anticipation of a potential reward. So checking our social media feeds to see what’s new or how many likes we have can easily become a dopamine-driven compulsion.”

While technology is not going away, it can be helpful to understand the effect it has on the chemistry of the brain. “There’s growing evidence to suggest that some individuals can develop a dependency on social media that’s not unlike an addiction to alcohol or drugs,” says Paul G. Simeone, Ph.D., Vice President and Medical Director of Behavioral Health at Lee Health. “Their overdependence on social media has led to symptoms typically associated with substance-use disorder.” With this information, we have the power to reset our happiness level and create sustained feelings of satisfaction.

Just like with meetings, dinner parties and trips, we can set specific times to participate in the technology we enjoy. Instead of giving it an ongoing presence throughout each day, it can be very helpful to choose times to check the desired apps. Mark it in the calendar similar to a meeting. This creates significant productivity in the workday by avoiding the 30 second distractions that add up to feeling like we’ve done everything and nothing all at the same time.

In addition to technology consumption, lack of movement can lead to burnout. It may sound counterintuitive considering low energy levels do not necessarily motivate action. That said, the endorphins experienced by any type of workout can transform the feelings of fatigue and create lasting energy for the day.

“To begin with, cellular-level changes occur inside your body when you exercise. Exertion spurs your body to produce more mitochondria inside your muscle cells, which are essential for both mental and physical energy levels. Exercising also boosts oxygen circulation inside your body. This increase in oxygen not only supports the mitochondria's energy production, it allows your body to function better and to use its energy more efficiently.” - Hope Ricciotti, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch

Here are a few workouts you can do from anywhere, ideal for all levels.

Food and beverage can either be utilized as fuel to power or deplete the body and mind. When we consume packaged foods high in sugar and processed oils, blood sugar becomes out of balance and inflammation increases. This has a number of effects over time including; weight gain, lack of sleep, risk of chronic disease and feelings of lethargy.

While we can’t always cook, it can be helpful to swap our snacks with foods in their whole form. Below are a few quick swaps and reasons why...

Each of these swaps provides a refreshing option to soda without all of the negative effects. Matcha green tea has the added amazing bonus of delivering a potent antioxidant called EGCG that has been shown to greatly reduce inflammation and may help ward off inflammatory diseases.

In a recent study conducted by Stanford University, researchers found that matcha shifted cancer cells towards a quiescent metabolic state and stopped their spread at a relatively low concentration. They also found that matcha could affect the signaling pathways that promote cancer stem cells.

All of the above provide protein and fiber that curbs cravings, lowers blood sugar and provides the brain with healthy fats essential for cognitive performance.

Dark chocolate stimulates the production of serotonin and helps curbs cravings. The reason is that dark chocolate is a top source of tryptophan-precursor to serotonin.