On Monday morning, I sat on the edge of my bed for a few minutes before dragging myself up to face the day. My energy levels have been particularly low lately, which made for a difficult start.
Lacking energy makes every task seem like a big, ugly chore. It makes us find little enjoyment in things that we would otherwise like to do. And, frankly, it’s not good for our waistlines, either. When I’m tired or sluggish, the last thing I want to do is go to the gym or take the dogs for a walk,
The answer to feeling tired or sluggish, though, should not be hyper caffeinating yourself with Red Bull or other sugary energy drinks that only leave you feeling jittery. Energy drinks can be bad for you.
There are several natural ways to energize yourself:
Exercise
I know it’s hard to drag yourself to do any sort of physical activity when you have no energy to begin with, but if you can handle forcing yourself into it, exercise is a great way to gain natural energy.
When you work out, endorphins are released in your brain, which give you an energized, happy feeling that lasts long after. It’s best to get your exercise in earlier rather than later in the day. This will help you feel energetic all day, without messing with your sleep cycle at night.
Green Tea
Green tea has naturally occurring caffeine, so it’s automatically better for you than most energy drinks, and it also is a proven method of weight loss. Green tea can speed up your metabolism slightly, which helps you temporarily burn calories more quickly (however, this should be supplemented with a healthy diet and exercise to achieve any sort of results).
Green does not have too much caffeine in it, so it doesn’t typically make caffeine sensitive individuals jittery.
Water
Dehydration makes us lethargic, and the moment we feel thirsty we have been dehydrated for some time. If you drink the recommended 8 glasses of water per day, and you will notice a substantial difference in your energy levels.
If you have a hard time remembering to drink water, make it part of your routine or set a reminder on your phone. Remember that caffeine and alcohol are considered diuretics, so if you are a heavy consumer of either, you should be drinking even more water to compensate for that.
Sleep
This may seem obvious, but many of us wonder why we are so tired, and then go to bed at 2:00 AM only to wake up at 6:00 AM. Adults need anywhere between 6-8 hours of sleep per night, depending on the activity level and age of the adult.
Try to get some deep, uninterrupted sleep and you will feel much more energized and refreshed in the morning.
Further to good sleeping habits, to beat lethargy it is important to go to sleep at around the same time each each night. Irregular sleeping patterns can be detrimental to your energy level. With irregular sleeping habits, your circadian clock is disrupted and that can make you groggy and lessen your ability to fall asleep at night.
Food Choices
There are some foods that are naturally energizing, and some that make us listless. Eat citrus, mint, lots of fruits and veggies, and lighter meals with lean fish and meat to keep your energy levels up. Avoid heavy, carbohydrate laden food to avoid the mid-day slump.
Also avoid sugary treats during the day. These can impact your blood sugar levels negatively, causing a spike in insulin which makes you feel energetic initially, but can leave you tired and sluggish later on.
There are many natural ways to energize yourself. If you are struggling with your energy level, try these methods before turning to energy drinks.
Great tips! For me getting enough Sleep and taking time to exercise are the most important ways to myself. And, taking power naps whenever you already feel so drained will certainly help, that is, of course, if you’re working at home.
I find that sleep patterns are most important. Going to bed and waking at around the same time especially. Personally I find I am at my peak with 6-7 hours of sleep, so I schedule accordingly. On another note, I disagree about the water intake. I have read studies that day the only thing that drinking water when you’re not thirsty will do is make you pee more. I’m not saying it’s bad to drink more water, but I don’t think it is better than only drinking when thirsty.
For me, it is always exercise! I find that the longer I sit the more tired I get. In my clasroom, I have to keep moving although when I finally sit down, I realize I am tired.
Its been bitterly cold over here in the UK so there has been a tendency for yours truly to hunker down and add another jumper. Time perhaps to snap out of this and prepare for spring. After all, that’s what it’s meant to be isn’t it? Spring!
Sleep is so important. I’m always shocked when I hear colleagues saying they only got a few hours of sleep (and they work with high-energy children during the day!) I know that couples with kids get fewer hours (they always need to get stuff done at night when the kids are in bed) but most people require at least 6 hours, if not 7. I, myself, require 8-9 hours of sleep on a daily basis.
lately, the days have been getting longer, and it`s usually sunny when I get up in the morning, which has resulted in more energy. This week I decided to stay of sweets (candy, chocolate, sweet buns, etc) and rather eat a lot of fresh fruit. I`ve also been to the gym twice, which was great, and although I`ve only been doing this for 4 days, it feels great!
Having a healthy life and having enough energy for the day doesn’t really have to be costly. We just have to be disciplined enough to do what is right for our body.
On Monday morning, I sat on the edge of my bed for a few minutes before dragging myself up to face the day. My energy levels have been particularly low lately, which made for a difficult start.
Great tips! For me getting enough Sleep and taking time to exercise are the most important ways to myself. And, taking power naps whenever you already feel so drained will certainly help, that is, of course, if you’re working at home.
These are great. Exercising and drinking water almost always make me feel better!
I find that sleep patterns are most important. Going to bed and waking at around the same time especially. Personally I find I am at my peak with 6-7 hours of sleep, so I schedule accordingly. On another note, I disagree about the water intake. I have read studies that day the only thing that drinking water when you’re not thirsty will do is make you pee more. I’m not saying it’s bad to drink more water, but I don’t think it is better than only drinking when thirsty.
Thanks for the tips! Would be interesting to judge the above methods with different lengths of sleep. Great post.
For me, it is always exercise! I find that the longer I sit the more tired I get. In my clasroom, I have to keep moving although when I finally sit down, I realize I am tired.
Its been bitterly cold over here in the UK so there has been a tendency for yours truly to hunker down and add another jumper. Time perhaps to snap out of this and prepare for spring. After all, that’s what it’s meant to be isn’t it? Spring!
Sleep is so important. I’m always shocked when I hear colleagues saying they only got a few hours of sleep (and they work with high-energy children during the day!) I know that couples with kids get fewer hours (they always need to get stuff done at night when the kids are in bed) but most people require at least 6 hours, if not 7. I, myself, require 8-9 hours of sleep on a daily basis.
lately, the days have been getting longer, and it`s usually sunny when I get up in the morning, which has resulted in more energy. This week I decided to stay of sweets (candy, chocolate, sweet buns, etc) and rather eat a lot of fresh fruit. I`ve also been to the gym twice, which was great, and although I`ve only been doing this for 4 days, it feels great!
Having a healthy life and having enough energy for the day doesn’t really have to be costly. We just have to be disciplined enough to do what is right for our body.