20 Ways I Boost My Chi (And How You Can Too)

20 Ways I Boost My Chi (And How You Can Too)

By Jacqui Burfoot

Okay, let's talk energy. Not the fake "I've had three coffees and I'm fine" kind of energy — I mean real, deep, life force energy. Chi. The kind that makes you walk into a room and feel like yourself. The kind that gets you through the hard days without completely falling apart.

I'm a certified yoga teacher, I've studied the mind-body connection for years, and honestly? I've also been through enough chaos to know what actually works and what's just noise. These 20 things changed everything for me. Some are simple. Some will feel weird at first. All of them are worth it.

Here we go.

1. At some point today, name ten things you're genuinely grateful for.

I do mine during transit — on the train, in an Uber, waiting at the lights. You don't have to be sitting cross-legged on a yoga mat at 5am. You just have to do it. Before you scroll, before you let the noise in — find a quiet pocket in your day and name ten things you're genuinely grateful for. Not surface-level stuff. Go deep. Your health. The people who actually show up for you. The fact that you woke up today. Ten things, every single day. It rewires your brain over time and I don't care how sceptical you are — just try it for two weeks and tell me I'm wrong.

2. Drink water like it's your job.

I'm not going to overcomplicate this. Most of us are walking around chronically dehydrated and wondering why we're exhausted, foggy and snapping at people. Two to three litres a day. Warm water with lemon first thing to wake your digestive system up. Your chi literally cannot flow when your body is running on empty. This is the cheapest, easiest thing on this list and most people still don't do it properly.

3. Get outside every single day.

Natural light, fresh air, bare feet on grass if you can manage it. We were not designed to live under fluorescent lighting staring at screens all day. Even ten minutes outside changes your nervous system state completely. Do it in the morning if you can. It sets your circadian rhythm, boosts your mood, and costs absolutely nothing.

4. Cut the energy vampires.

Whether it's certain people, social media accounts, or group chats that leave you feeling worse every single time — quietly exit. Your chi is precious and finite. You do not have to explain yourself, justify yourself, or apologise for it. Just step away from anything that consistently drains you. You'll feel the difference almost immediately.

5. Turn off the news.

I said what I said. The news is designed to keep you anxious, outraged, and glued to a screen. That is not an accident. You can stay informed without marinating in doom all day. Pick one time to check headlines if you must, then close it. Protect your mental energy like it matters — because it does.

6. Ditch the coffee. Try matcha or herbal tea instead.

I know, I know. Hear me out. Coffee spikes your cortisol, jacks up your adrenals, and gives you energy that crashes hard. Matcha gives you a slow, clean, sustained lift without the anxiety spiral. Herbal teas like tulsi and peppermint support your nervous system instead of flogging it. Your adrenals will thank you. Your sleep will thank you. Give it two weeks before you judge it.

7. Protect your sleep like it's sacred.

Because it is. I do not care how busy you are — sleep is when your body repairs, your energy replenishes, and your nervous system resets. Phone off or on flight mode by 9pm. Cool, dark room. A proper wind-down routine. If you are skimping on sleep and wondering why you feel terrible, there is your answer. Nothing on this list works properly if you are running on four hours.

8. Eat dinner before 7pm and let your body rest.

Give your digestion time to finish before you go to sleep. When your body isn't still processing a huge meal at midnight, it can actually focus on repair and restoration overnight. You will sleep deeper, wake up lighter, and your energy in the morning will be completely different. This one simple shift made a massive difference for me.

9. Cut the sugar and watch what happens.

Sugar spikes and crashes are basically chi in a blender. The highs last twenty minutes and then you are flat on the floor wondering why you cannot function. I'm not saying never eat it — I'm saying notice how it makes you feel and start making more conscious choices. Within two weeks of significantly cutting sugar, most people report better energy, clearer skin, better sleep, and a more stable mood. The evidence is in your own body.

10. Stop saying yes when you mean no.

Nothing drains chi faster than constantly overriding your own needs to keep other people comfortable. Every time you say yes when your gut is screaming no, you leak energy. Boundaries are not mean. They are not aggressive. They are basic self-preservation. Start small if you need to — but start. Your energy is not a free resource for everyone else to use up.

11. Meditate on what you're grateful to be, not just what you have.

This one goes deeper than the morning list. Sit quietly and feel genuine gratitude for your actual qualities — your resilience, your humour, your capacity to love people even when it is hard. This builds a kind of self-worth energy that is incredibly powerful and that nobody can take from you. Five minutes. Incredibly worth it.

12. Declutter your space.

Your physical environment is a direct reflection of your energetic state and vice versa. Clutter is literally stuck energy. You cannot feel clear and alive in a chaotic, messy space. You don't need to go full minimalist overnight — start with one surface, one drawer, one room. Notice how differently you breathe in a clean, intentional space. Then keep going.

13. Learn something new regularly.

A stagnant mind is a low-energy mind. Whether it is a skill, a course, a podcast, a language — keeping your brain engaged and growing keeps your chi fresh and alive. Curiosity is one of the highest-energy states there is. The moment you think you have nothing left to learn is the moment you start going backwards.

14. Practice gratitude for the hard things too.

This one is confronting but it is genuinely transformational. The difficult relationships, the painful experiences, the things that didn't work out the way you planned — they have all shaped you into who you are. When you can sit with those experiences and find something to be grateful for in them, you stop haemorrhaging energy into resentment and regret. That is chi reclamation at its most powerful.

15. Come back to your body throughout the day.

We spend so much time in our heads — thinking, planning, worrying, scrolling — that we completely lose touch with our physical selves. Set a reminder three times a day to stop, take three deep breaths, feel your feet on the floor, and check in with how you are actually feeling. This keeps your energy grounded and present rather than scattered in ten directions at once. It takes thirty seconds and it genuinely works.

16. Eat dinner before 7pm and fast until morning.

Give your body a proper overnight break from digestion. Intermittent fasting is not a diet — it is giving your system the rest it actually needs. When your body is not constantly processing food, it redirects that energy toward repair, clarity, and restoration. You will wake up genuinely hungry, genuinely energised, and with a completely different relationship to food.

17. Spend time with people who energise you.

Not just the people you are obligated to. Not the ones you see out of habit or guilt. The ones who leave you feeling lit up, inspired, and more like yourself. Energy is contagious in both directions — be deliberate about whose energy you are absorbing. Your circle either raises your chi or drains it. Choose accordingly.

18. Call someone you love. Actually call — don't text.

A real phone call with someone who matters to you does something for your nervous system that a text message simply cannot. You hear their voice. You laugh. You feel connected in a way that is genuinely nourishing. We have replaced so much real human connection with typing on screens and we are all lonelier and lower-energy for it. Call your person today.

19. Go window shopping — or try things on just for fun.

Yes, I am putting this on the list and I am not apologising for it. Getting dressed up, trying on beautiful things, getting a bit of inspiration — it is genuinely energising. It is playful. It gets you out of your head and into your body. You do not have to buy a single thing. Just go and enjoy it. Joy is chi. Play is chi. Stop treating fun like it needs to be justified.

20. Do one thing every day purely for joy. I don't care what it is.

Dance around your kitchen. Watch a ridiculous reality show. Draw something terrible. Sit in the sun and do absolutely nothing. Buy yourself flowers. Whatever it is — do one thing today that has zero productivity attached to it and zero justification required. Just because it makes you happy. Because happiness is not a reward you earn after you finish your to-do list. It is fuel. It is chi. It is the whole point.

---

These aren't hacks. They're habits. And habits take time. But if you start even five of these consistently, you will feel the difference within weeks. Chi isn't some mystical thing reserved for yogis — it's your life force, and it's available to all of us when we stop running on empty and start actually taking care of ourselves.

You deserve to feel electric. Start today.

— Jacqui x