9 ways to finally get your spark back

Everyone talks about regaining childlike wonder, but what about your spark? The one that lights you up, gets you in a silly mood, fuels you to create, to hit up a friend and plan a trip.

No one wants their light to feel dimmed, so how can you regain that spark through nutrition and lifestyle? That's what we'll be going through in this article, with practical tips to help.

So if the dog in you currently feels like a 12-year-old Chihuahua, read on, let's get that spark reignited!

1. Get Your Vitamin W

When was the last time you won something? Unfortunately, for a lot of people the answer is never, or maybe once when they were very young. Winning or at least overcoming a difficult challenge, is incredibly important to the human psyche.

This is why sports and milestones matter so much for regaining that spark. A not-so-humane study done on mice showed that when mice were rescued just seconds before drowning, they went on to keep swimming for hours, compared to those placed in the water with no rescuing who only last minutes. It shows how powerful it is to have a win under your belt, those rescued mice felt that win, they had hope and faith it would come again, in other words they had that spark, fight, call it what you will to keep on going.

When we win, our brain releases feel-good chemicals, dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin and endorphins, all of which are massively important in regaining that inner spark (but only when earned through a genuine win).

If you don't currently play a sport, setting yourself challenges and engaging in competition that isn't too easy or too difficult can really help boost your levels of vitamin W, which so many people are chronically deficient in.

If you've ever won something or completed a difficult challenge, you know how good that feels. If you want to get your spark back, chase that feeling again.

2. Break routine deliberately

Routine is great, we need it to stay organised, feel a sense of calm, and see progression. But as good as routine is, it does come with costs... excitement, spontaneity, freedom. When you know exactly how every day will pan out, things can get a little boring.

So be sure to change things up. Spontaneously head somewhere new, seek out novelty (another mental micronutrient most of us don't get nearly enough of). Studies have shown how important new experiences are for brain health and for avoiding conditions like dementia and Alzheimer's. Some people think it's wild to just go on an impromptu trip, but see it as part of your health, because it is.

Don't plan it. Just do it.

3. Heal your gut

Healing your gut is one of the best things you can do for your health. So many factors are downstream from gut health, it's a pillar of health that must never be pushed aside or sacrificed.

When you finally heal that gut lining, start actually absorbing nutrients again, clear out the bad bacteria, help the good bacteria flourish, and address overgrowths and pathogens, the change in your energy is remarkable. Aside from all the other benefits of better gut health (skin, hair, energy levels, sleep, the list goes on), the biggest shift is that you feel a weight lift off your shoulders and your spark come back.

If you're just getting started, keep it simple... eat organic whole foods, avoid seed oils and alcohol, always read ingredient labels, and get plenty of bone broth, raw honey, organ meats, and collagenous cuts of meat.

4. Stop fearing carbs

There is so much fear-mongering over carbs, and especially natural sugars. The thing is, our body's main source of energy is carbohydrates, the moment we abandon them in pursuit of weight loss or "better energy," we start to stress the body out and, in turn, dim our spark.

We may experience an initial hype after cutting carbs, but this is often tied to adrenaline and cortisol.

To best support our metabolism, thyroid and therefore our spark, we need clean whole carbohydrates, fruits, potatoes, fruit juice, maple syrup, root veg. Embracing the carbohydrates is another instinctively known thing to do but often turned against. 

5. Get sun

The giver of life has become so demonised over the past few decades that many people actively avoid it. But we all know how good it feels to see the sun again after a long stretch without it and it's not just about seeing it either.

The sun is an incredible source of vitality and health: it boosts vitamin D levels, provides infrared light, supports skin health, and more. Everyone feels better after a proper tan, this is well known!

Of course, don't be silly with it and avoid burning, but do get sunlight in your eyes first thing in the morning, prioritise sun bathing the way you would a workout, and get outside.

6. Get real animal nutrients back in

We can never feel our best when we're malnourished. When the nutrients we need aren't coming in, long-term deficiencies cause adaptations  and yes, you guessed it, one of those adaptations is a dimmed spark.

When I first added organs into my diet, having never consumed them before, I felt incredible. A clear sign my body had been severely lacking nutrients, not synthetic multivitamin equivalents, but real food packed with nutrients my body could actually make sense of and use.

Stop fearing red meat. Eat organs such as liver and heart, bone broth, bone marrow, butter, raw milk, you can't go far wrong with these in your diet.

7. Pick up a non-screen hobby (put your phone down)

You've probably heard this a million times, so instead of just telling you to put your phone down, I'm suggesting you pick up a hobby that requires no screen, ideally outdoors, but it doesn't have to be. Something that engages you fully and pulls you away from technology, screens, numbers, and productivity.

Working in the garden, making something with your hands, bird watching, all of these and more can really reset dopamine levels and help your mind work clearly again.

8. Get proper sleep and rest

Unfortunately, far too many people never experience that deep, restorative sleep, where you fall asleep quickly, stay asleep all night, and wake up feeling genuinely refreshed and energised.

Sleep, like gut health, is a huge pillar of health, yet it's so often sacrificed. People turn to caffeine, sleep trackers, and memory foam, but none of these are the real answer.

Sleep actually starts the moment you wake up, meaning what you do, how you eat, and your night-time routine all feed into it. Move your body during the day, don't spend it stationary. Avoid caffeine for the first 90 minutes after waking to prevent a crash later, and cut it off after 2pm. Eat a whole foods diet, work out, and then for your night-time routine: block blue light after sunset, try to only use candles or salt lamps close to bedtime, remove all technology from the bedroom, turn the Wi-Fi off, ensure your magnesium is topped up, sleep on natural materials only, and keep the window open.

9. Relax

When you're overthinking every aspect of your health and every toxin around you, you're not exactly going to feel carefree. When you focus on what you can control and let go of the rest, you take a massive weight off your shoulders.

Yes, the world is a toxic place, and yes, we should be focused on improving our health, but don't let it become a stressor, something that drags you down.

Ditch the shackles and only concern yourself with what you can actually fix.

Bottom line

Regaining your spark is all about returning to a state of health that is more pro-metabolic, giving your body what it needs and removing what is weighing it down. This mental shift becomes so much easier when you allow your body to thrive. So start adding nutrients back in, get your vitamin W, be more spontaneous, and be a little more carefree!