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Yesterday I woke up tired. I hadn’t stayed up late, but my ass was ragged. I still had to report for work. I was nearing my limit of UPT (unpaid time off). Hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to work we go.

What you begin to learn about real quick with a retail 9-5er is how to manage and manipulate your own energy. An organic grocery store is the perfect lab to understand more about your own energetic DNA.

When I’m exhausted I have a number of options:

• more sleep
• more caffeine
• alternative stimulants
• more enthusiasm for life (anti-depression)

And when I’m heading into an eight-hour shift with two ten-minute breaks, I’d better get my shit together quick. At the grocery store I have all the best options for nutrition and energy supplements. There are endless variations of coffee and energy drinks, kambuchas, and yerba mate concoctions.

Here’s how I’m discovering my energetic fuel optimization. Yesterday I didn’t have the option of more sleep or a walk in nature. I clocked in after my normal routine of coffee, organic milk and a hint of organic maple syrup. I was enthusiastic about my shift and was put directly on a cash register within 30 minutes of my arrival.

As the morning wore on, I could feel my happiness becoming depleted. I had almost every option of drink, supplement, and tonic available to me. So, I tried one. Yesterday I went with one of my favorites, an almond-protein drink with 11o mg of caffeine from cold brewed coffee.

And here’s the process. Ingest your tonic and wait. How do you feel in 5 minutes? 30 minutes? 3 hours? In this way, I’m beginning to find my fuel, sugar, protein, superfood mix. You have to pay attention to the results. If I need another caffeine boost in an hour, my initial tonic did not work. If I find myself anxious or jittery, I know I’ve gone too far.

Pay attention to your energy. Listen to your body. What does it need? And within the limits of your circumstance learn what works for you.

I hope to see you soon!

[Listen to the Deep Dive explore the concepts of The Happy Cashier.]

The hope I see in others
becomes the hope I have for myself,
my life, and my own journey.
– The Happy Cashier

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ALT: Botisatva’s Bookshelf | The Happy Cashier Podcast

Please check out my latest book on mindfulness and daily practices.