Recharge in Minutes gives the reader a wide variety of easy-to-follow tips for building emotional energy.

Recharge in Minutes, The Quick-Lift Way to Less Stress, More Success, and Renewed Energy! by Suzanne Zoglio, Ph. D.

192 pages. Paperback version published in by 2004 Tower Hill Press, Doylestown, Pennsylvania.

ISBN 0-941668-16-9

The Author

Suzanne Zoglio, Ph. D. earned her doctorate in psychology from Temple University. Writing and speaking in the self-help field, she maintains an active website with an upbeat tone and a generous serving of advice on how to get the most out of life. The light-hearted title of a previous book, Create a Life That Tickles Your Soul (1999) is typical - Zoglio wants readers to find joy in their lives.

Responding to Tickle readers who asked, "How can I put your ideas into action on a daily basis?", "Dr. Sue" wrote Recharge in Minutes. The blurb on the front jacket says, "Don't wait for vacation! Here are 101 ways to rev up your focus, confidence, and energy . . . EVERY day!"

Emotional Energy is Important

The seven-page introduction sends the message that emotional energy is as important to our well-being as physical energy is. In fact, they are related.

The lack of emotional energy can leave you just as drained as being physically tired can. Emotional energy, like physical energy, needs to be regularly refreshed. The way to do this is by engaging in practices, beliefs and behaviours that produce and support positive emotions.

Just like physical fitness, emotional fitness is a "use it or lose it" thing. Through brief daily practice sessions, you can build new habits that create more emotional energy.

"Quick-Lifts" - Manageable Ways to Build Your Emotional Energy

Much of Recharge in Minutes is devoted to the "101 Quick-Lifts", which are exercises to build emotional energy. These are organized into ten thematic chapters, including "I Can't Think Straight! - Finding Focus", and "If I'm So Smart, Why Don't I Know It? - Building Confidence".

Each chapter has about ten pages of tips. On each page, there is the tip title, e.g. Quick-Lift 54 - Consider Your Legacy, from Chapter 6, on "Creating Meaning". A short paragraph explains how the tip creates emotional energy. Then there are two or three action items, followed by a brief statement to reinforce the relevance and importance of the particular tip.

This format is perfect for emotionally healthy people who want to move from average to great, or who have a specific goal, such as dealing with new challenges or making relationships more energizing. The mental hygiene practices suggested are sensible and realistic. They are the emotional and mental health equivalents of getting the recommended amount of aerobic exercise and eating properly every day, for life.

Does It Work?

If a person committed to practicing the habits in Recharge in Minutes, their quality of emotional life probably would improve. For example, Quick-Lift 71, in the chapter on "Boosting Confidence", is called "Keep a Commitment to Yourself".

The tip is to:

• list six things you've been meaning to do
• pick one
• spend fifteen minutes doing it, and
• when you're done, check it off.

So simple, and yet so effective. The fifteen minutes will go by whether you do the work or simply worry about it, but by doing it, you send yourself a message of accomplishment rather than failure.

This type of positive message builds your emotional energy - a recharge, as promised by the book's title.

The Quick-Lifts are simple but not trivial.

This is a self-help book with very easy, engaging, non-threatening pointers on how to care for yourself emotionally. It does not require deep introspection or the unravelling of a complex or unsettling personal past. Zoglio gently lets each reader know that their personal problems are not new, and that we all face and overcome similar issues daily.

A Variety of Ways to Build Emotional Energy

Some Quick-Lifts will appeal more to extroverts, some to introverts. Some are physical (including taking a nap), others can be done mentally. Overall, Recharge in Minutes is an accessible, inviting set of interesting things to try, to give yourself more emotional energy.