Your morning alarm goes off, and you struggle to prop your eyes open. Upon slowly grasping your way out of bed, your daily energy struggle beings. From this moment on, you will be in a consistent battle with finding more energy, and you’ll lose miserably every time. From getting coffee to crashing in the afternoon and barely managing to keep your eyes open on the drive back home, what gives? Are people supposed to be this tired all the time? No, and here’s what you can do to not only address the symptoms but actually fix the root causes.
You should first understand there are many different causes of low energy among people. While it would be nice, there is not a one size fits all solution. So, you’ll need to incorporate each of these seven tips for the best bet in increasing your energy.
1) Get proper sleep
Easier said than done, right? Believe it or not, the simple act of sleeping “wrong” or not getting the right amount of sleep is the most common reason for low energy. Make sure you are getting the proper amount of sleep each night. You should be sleeping anywhere from 7 to 9 nine hours every single night. Keep in mind most people’s bodies are happy with 8 hours. Too little and surprisingly too much sleep will leave you feeling tired all day long.
Along with sleep, make sure to get up at the same time every morning, regardless of how much sleep you had. It seems contradictory, right? No! The whole point is to establish a more consistent sleep schedule and to help your brain regulate it’s hormones better, keeping a consistent schedule will help.
2) Remove stress
Many studies on mental health have conclusively linked the feeling of being tried with stress. Much like getting more sleep, this sounds easier said than done. After all, you have a job, maybe a kid or two, a house, and a partner to keep up with, not even including hobbies, friends, family, exercise, and more.
Yet, the simple act of meditating, doing yoga, or even going on a peaceful walk for 15-20 minutes per day will drastically affect your stress. Not only does it decrease stress in that movement, but it also improves your ability to deal with stress in other moments.
3) Get the blood flowing.
Regular exercise has been shown to increase energy levels. The problem is if you have low energy, you probably don’t feel like you have enough energy to exercise, it’s a catch-22. However, you may be misunderstanding the word “exercise.” Researchers suggest that even walking around for 30 minutes can constitute exercise, so reduce the time you sit around and do nothing.
Progress slowly towards being more active, and you’ll get more energy over time. It will also help reduce your risk of heart issues and possibly reduce depression if you have it.
4) Eat a bountiful diet.
Variety in your diet is hugely important for energy. If you eat the same things all the time, then your body likely is not receiving the full gamut of nutrients it needs. Try your best to include as many vegetables, fruits, and other leafy greens as possible in your meals.
5) Stay hydrated
Your body is made from nearly 75% water. If you lack your most common ingredient, then you will also lack energy. Studies have shown that being dehydrated can reduce your energy levels as well as reduce your brain function as well, yikes. So, make sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day, even if you don’t feel thirsty, take little sips of water from time to time. You could also carry around a water bottle to remind yourself to drink more.
6) Avoid artificially and added sugars
Not all sugars are alike. The sugar you get from consuming an apple is very different than the sugar you get from added and artificial sources. Foods high in added sugars will cause an initial spike in your blood sugar level. Your body consequently releases large amounts of insulin to balance out this effect. The result? After the insulin blast, your body will “crash,” and you’ll be tired. In other cases, the benefits of dynamine may also help alleviate some energy problems as well.
7) Dig into your health history
Besides the tips already mentioned, some people do struggle with legitimate medical conditions that cause a lack of energy. Depression and thyroid issues are among the most common. If you are following the other tips and still feel tired, then it may be time to speak with a doctor. They will refer you to a specialist. From there, you can get your thyroid levels checked and more.
If your level is low, you may be prescribed a certain diet or even medication to rebalance your thyroid. In other cases, depression or an imbalance of hormones in your brain could be causing it as well. In that case, anti-depression drugs may be prescribed.