vim
noun

- robust energy and enthusiasm

- great energy, liveliness, or vigor; ebullient vitality

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Merriam-Webster, Oxford English Dictionary, Wikipedia

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WORD ORIGIN

The word "vim" comes from the Latin accusative case vim (from the nominative vis), meaning "force, energy, power, or strength." It often appeared in the phrase "vim and vigour" (a redundant pairing emphasizing energy and vitality).

The word maintained its Latin accusative form rather than the nominative vis and is related to other English words derived from the same Latin root: violent (via Latin violentus), violate (via Latin violare), and inviolate (unangetastet, heilig, unantastbar).

In modern usage, "vim" specifically connotes energetic enthusiasm or liveliness, somewhat narrower than the broad Latin meaning of "force”. The word enjoyed particular popularity in the 19th and early 20th centuries but remains in use today, especially in the classic alliterative phrase "vim and vigour" or to describe someone's energetic spirit.


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SLUGGISH TO SHARP
Check out these unusual suggestions for quickly increasing vim & vigour:

1. HAND CLENCH
Clenching or repeatedly flexing the hand activates the motor cortex, sympathetic nervous system, and releases noradrenaline. This produces a brief rise in alertness, readiness, and mental energy, similar to other isometric contractions. Athletes, surgeons, and performers use this intuitively before demanding tasks.

2. CHEW GUM 
Masticatory-Induced Arousal: Chewing gum—especially mint‑flavoured —has been shown in clinical studies to increase cerebral blood flow and stimulate the autonomic nervous system. This process activates the reticular activating system, the brain’s "ignition switch" for alertness.

3. BLUE LIGHT
Studies show blue or blue‑enriched light can suppress melatonin, increase alertness, and improve vigilance and reaction times. Stare at full-screen blue for 15-30 seconds. (YouTube search: “online blue light to induce wakefulness”). Use as a daytime/early‑evening performance tool, not a pre‑bed habit as blue screen can disrupt normal sleep.

4. BINAURAL BEATS
Listening to audio tracks with "Beta" frequencies (13–30 Hz) encourages "brainwave entrainment," pushing the brain into a state of high-level alertness and concentration. Because binaural beats require the left and right ears to receive slightly different frequencies to create the "beat" in your brain, you must wear headphones for these to work. (YouTube search: “Harmonic Frequency - Fractal Forest [Music Video] by Psybrations).

5. SMELL A LEMON
Olfactory Stimulation: Smelling peppermint or citrus essential oils has been shown in studies to stimulate the trigeminal nerve, which increases alertness and lowers perceived physical effort.

6. UPBEAT MUSIC
Research shows that listening to energetic music at 140-180 Beats Per Minute (BPMs) pushed the brain into a state of high-level alertness and concentration. Our favourite on YouTube: Flight of the Bumblebee - Rimsky-Korsakov (arr. Rachmaninoff)

7. AI PEP-TALK

Ask your favourite AI to write a 15- or 30-second personal, energising motivation script. Read and/or record it yourself,… or render it in your favourite famous voice. Listen-in when you start feeling flat.

When our energy is low, it's tempting to immediately reach for caffeine or to push through on willpower, but a handful of small, smart interventions can shift our state surprisingly fast. Combine two or three to nudge body and brain back into gear,... and tackle tasks with renewed vim and vigour.

Helga & Paul Smith

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SYNONYMS

animation, bounce, brio, bursting with energy, charge like bull, dash, drive, dynamism, élan, energy, enthusiasm, esprit, fire in belly, fizz, full of beans, full steam ahead, get-up-and-go, go great guns, gusto, high spirits, hit the ground running, hustle and bustle, keep ball rolling, like a house on fire, liveliness, oomph, panache, pep, pizzazz, raring to go, sail with wind, spark, spirit, spunk, verve, vigour, VIM, vitality, zest (for life), zip

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SMUGGLE
 OWAD into a conversation today, say something like:<

“How do you keep up VIM and vigour during midday slumps?”

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P L E A S E   S U P P O R T   O W A D