Do you ever feel run down, lacking the motivation or the energy to do anything? Of course, you do. Studies suggest that two-fifths of Americans are tired for the majority of the week and only 15 percent of the nation can get through an entire working week without waking up on at least one day lacking energy.
Most people’s solution to the problem tends to be coffee and lots of it. It is true that coffee can give us an energy boost that has a temporary effect, but there are far better ways in which we can change our lifestyles and diets in order to feel more energetic and therefore more productive.
Here are seven ways to naturally boost your energy levels.
Get your stress levels under control
Stress-induced emotions consume a huge amount of energy, and it almost becomes a vicious cycle of stress, tiredness, stress, tiredness, no energy. When you’re stressed, your worries can keep you awake at night, and when you tired, you become more stressed as a result.
Breaking that cycle is important if you want to boost your energy levels. You need to manage stress by tackling it head-on. There are many ways to do so, ranging from self-help techniques such as meditation and yoga through to just talking to a friend about your worries or seeing a medical professional.
Exercise
It might seem counterproductive to burn up the small amount of energy you have by exercising, but getting out and taking part in physical activity will actually boost your energy levels in more ways than one.
Firstly, yes, exercise will tire you out, but that guarantees you’ll sleep more soundly and the better night’s sleep you get, the more energy you’ll have the following day. Secondly, exercise circulates oxygen, and that means more energy is flowing through your blood and into your cells for them to burn.
Finally, exercise causes the body to release epinephrine and norepinephrine which are stress hormones that in modest amounts can make you feel energized. By doing as little as taking a brisk walk or cycle to work rather than jumping in the car, you’ll be boosting your energy levels for the day ahead.
Eat correctly
You are what you eat they say, and that is certainly true when it comes to energy levels. What we fuel our body with has a huge bearing on how productive we can be. It’s rather like putting the wrong fuel in your car – you’ve got to give the engine the right stuff to burn. Otherwise, you’ll be going nowhere.
Small meals and snacks every few hours are much better for you than three meals a day. By eating regularly, it will reduce feelings of fatigue because your body will be getting topped up with nutrients on a regular basis rather than having to wait to consume lots in one go on just three occasions.
In order to maximize the energy you get from food, concentrate on eating substances with a low glycemic index.These are foods whose sugars are absorbed slowly and so give you a steady stream of energy as opposed to one big hit. Foods such as whole grains, high-fiber vegetables, nuts and healthy oils such as olive oil are all low on the glycemic index and will help you sustain energy levels over a longer period of time.
Drink water
For all the fancy energy and sports drinks on the market, the proven best drink to re-energize the human body remains to be water. If your body is short of fluids or dehydrated, the first sign it will give is a drop in energy levels.
Constantly drinking water ensures that you are hydrated, the brain is working well, and it reduces the chances of fatigue kicking in.
Stop smoking
Everyone is well aware of the health complications caused by smoking, but did you know that another effect of the addiction is that it saps your energy levels? The nicotine contained within tobacco is a stimulant which speeds heart rate, raises blood pressure and stimulates brain-wave activity, all of which makes it hard to sleep at night. It’s addictive properties also mean that it can wake you up from a deep sleep with cravings.
All of that will make you more tired. Quitting smoking will, therefore, have a huge boost to your energy levels. One such way to go about kicking the habit is by taking on vaping instead of cigarettes. You can click here to learn more about vaping and what to buy.
Limit alcohol
If you’ve ever lived the life of luxury and enjoyed a few cheeky drinks at lunchtime, you’ll know that by mid-afternoon or early evening you can feel incredibly drowsy. It won’t come as a surprise then to learn that limiting alcohol can have a big boost to energy levels.
It is particularly important to avoid those aforementioned lunchtime drinks as the sedative effect of alcohol is especially strong around midday. If you want to have energy for the evening, you should likewise avoid any 5pm cocktails after work. Essentially, if you are going to have a drink, do so at a time when you know you aren’t going to require energy anytime afterward.
Restrict your sleep
Now this will sound completely counterproductive, so bear with it for a minute. Restricting your sleep can actually help boost energy levels in the long run. Taking naps during the day reduces our ability to sleep at night, and if we don’t sleep well at night, then we’ll feel less energized for the following day.
You need to work out the optimum level of sleep you need to feel fully rested. For most people, it will be between the recommended seven and eight hours a night.
To discover what your optimum amount is, restrict yourself to six hours sleep one night. If that felt good, add on half hour the following night. Keep doing that until you find the point where you are no longer in a deep, restorative sleep and that should give you the amount of sleep you need to be getting per night to work at your very best.
