With increasingly busy lives, many people regularly find themselves feeling tired and drained. However, if the tiredness you’re experiencing is lifestyle-related, there are lots of things you can do to increase your energy levels.
We found 9 quick and easy tips to up your energy levels — no unpronounceable chemicals required.
1. Work out mid-day:
When that mid-afternoon energy slump rolls around, hit the gym instead of the sack. Studies suggest working out can actually increase productivity enough to counteract that time away from the office.
2. Control stress:
Stress-induced emotions consume huge amounts of energy. Talking with a friend or relative, joining a support group, or seeing a psychotherapist can all help diffuse stress. Relaxation therapies like meditation, self-hypnosis, yoga, and tai chi are also effective tools for reducing stress.
3. Get More Sleep:
Sleep is something that easily gets put on the back burner when you’re busy. From pushing back bedtime to meet a deadline to missing out on a few hours of sleep due to shifts at work, many people cut back on hours that should be spent in a day.
This lack of sleep can result in you feeling lethargic, grumpy and tired. If you often feel this way, you may want to consider whether you’re getting enough sleep. It’s recommended that you aim for around 7 hours of sleep per night.
If you don’t sleep as much as you need to, you can try winding down from your day with relaxing behaviors before bed. This could be taking the time to have a bath, reading a book or getting into bed half an hour earlier than usual.
4. Power nap:
Many people experience a natural increase in drowsiness in the afternoon, about 8 hours after waking. And research shows that you can make yourself more alert, reduce stress, and improve cognitive functioning with a nap. Mid-day sleep, or a ‘power nap’, means more patience, less stress, better reaction time, increased learning, more efficiency, and better health.
5. Lighten your load:
One of the main reasons for fatigue is overwork. Overwork can include professional, family, and social obligations. Try to streamline your list of "must-do" activities. Set your priorities in terms of the most important tasks. Pare down those that are less important. Consider asking for extra help at work, if necessary.
6. Drink some coffee:
We can say from experience six back-to-back cups of coffee is a recipe for instant crash-mode. But one cup is usually just right. It keeps you more alert & energetic throughout your day.
7. Avoid smoking:
You know smoking threatens your health. But you may not know that smoking actually pulls away your energy by causing insomnia. The nicotine in tobacco is a stimulant, so it causes wakefulness, making it harder to fall asleep. And once you do fall asleep, its addictive power can kick in and awaken you with cravings.
8. Eat regularly:
The body needs fuel (aka food) to function, and without it our energy and mood can spiral downward. But regular, healthy meals and snacks can improve cognitive function. Grab some good multivitamin to fill up all the nutritional gaps & keep yourself energetic all day long.
9. Limit alcohol:
