There are workdays when everything seems to go just right. You wake up in the morning and jump eagerly out of bed. You move tirelessly through your “to-do” list, enjoying your achievements as you go along. Small crises may arise, but you are able to jump right on them, handling each without losing your cool.

But then there are the other days, when you feel like you’re dragging from the minute the alarm rings. It takes all your will power to push through from one task to the next, and even small problems may seem like too much to manage.

So do those “other” days come along more than your good days? There are many factors in your work life – from budget pressures to unreasonable bosses – that you can’t do much about, at least in the short run. But you can do a lot to change the way that you cope with the tough parts of your job.

You already know that you are more likely to be at your professional best when you are feeling healthy and fit. Maximizing your health, however, means more than managing your weight and fighting off disease. You can move closer to peak form if you go a bit further and begin to consciously manage the level of your energy.

While there’s no consensus on just how the energy in our body should be defined or measured, there many approaches that might help you to feel more energetic. If you want to get your energy flowing, consider these options:

• Acupuncture. Acupuncturists stimulate the flow of “vital energy” known as “qi” and often pronounced “chi.” Proponents believe that by balancing qi practitioners are able not only to address pain and ailments but also to promote the patient’s sense of well-being.
  
  
• Yoga. While Americans may take up yoga because it promotes strong and flexible bodies, this ancient system actually is intended to promote spiritual and intellectual health, as well as physical fitness. Yoga postures, known as “asanas,” are intended to ensure the even distribution of bio-energy, or “life force.” A complete workout is structured to activate energy in all seven of the centers, or “chakras.”
  
  
• Other exercise. While your trainer at the gym may not structure your workout with a yogi’s energy goals in mind, substantial research suggests that you can increase your energy and intellectual prowess throughout the day by building your physical capacity. If you work out regularly you also may sleep better and handle stress with greater ease, which could further enhance your energy level.
  
  
• Therapeutic touch. This healing approach is rooted in the idea that, when we are healthy, Life Energy flows freely in and through our bodies. Although the word "touch" is part of the modality's name, physical touch is not necessary when practitioners offer a treatment. By holding their hands near your body, healers will attempt to influence your energy flow, remove blockages and bring balance to your system. Nurses developed this approach, and research into its effectiveness tends to focus on patients who are recovering from surgery or serious trauma.
  
  
• Feng shui. If it feels like your office is bogged down in bad energy, you might want to look for a practitioner of feng shui (pronounced “fung shway”). The approach is rooted in the ancient Chinese practice of promoting the flow of qi by placing furniture and objects and arranging space to achieve harmony. Modern practitioners may be cross-trained to identify indoor pollutants and combat the “sick office” syndrome.
  
  
• Take notice. The first step in managing your energy may be to acknowledge that, while there are many aspects of your work life that you cannot control, there is much you can do to change the quantity and quality of your available energy. And know that energy of one type seems to flow into other areas of your life. So, for example, if you stimulate spiritual energy through prayer or meditation you may inspire the flow of new creative energy when you sit at your desk.
  
  
  Want to Read More About Managing Your Energy?

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  The Power of Full Engagement – Managing Energy, Not Time, is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal, by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz, 2003.

  The thesis here is that energy is our most precious resource. The book describes the Corporate Athlete® Training System, a program that was developed to enhance the performance of professional athletes and has evolved to help executives create and balance energy.

  The challenge of a great performance and a fully engaged life, the authors say, is to manage four sources of energy: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. And you can stimulate all four kinds of energy by methodically building positive habits or “rituals.”

  This is a good how-to book, if you are looking for a way to become more fully engaged in your job, more positive about your life and more energetic throughout your day.