Tired All The Time
Feeling lethargic or lacking energy from one day to the next is a common occurrence in most adults. Many factors contribute to low energy levels; poor nutrition, poor planning, high-stress levels, long working hours, and inadequate exercise are a select few.
Sometimes you might feel exhausted and lack the energy you require to perform your duties during the day. This is how to increase your energy; drink plenty of water, get enough sleep, eat a well-balanced diet, and exercise. Being social and avoiding stress can also help you feel more energized and improve your overall health.
Sustaining positive energy levels throughout the day is a skill you need to master to succeed in all areas of your life. To start with, you should begin to understand your own body and behavioral habits.
As you start to investigate why you always feel tired or lack energy, you should focus on understanding five areas of your health profile; Nutrition, Exercise, Sleep, Internal factors, and external factors. This may seem like a challenge at first, but it is essential to understand the changes you need to make that are personal to you.
Your Health Profile
To truly understand your current health status, you first need to look at your lifestyle as an outsider objectively. Take a step back and investigate each of the five areas listed above.
Write down key points and the answers you discover about yourself:
Nutrition
How often, and what do you eat? Do you eat three times per day or more?
Exercise
When do you exercise? What activities do you do? (Yes, walking counts!)
Sleep
How much quality sleep do you get? Is it consistent?
External Factors
How many hours do you work each day? How far away is your place of work? How do you get there?
Internal Factors
Do you live with others? How do they impact you? Are you responsible for a sibling or family member?
Asking yourself simple questions, while acting as an outsider will paint a picture of your life, the same way you would connect jigsaw pieces.
First, you must understand your current habits and routines before making any changes.
Understanding Your Habits
We are all creatures of habit. The above self-analysis technique will begin to show the patterns that occur in your daily life, some of which you may not be aware of, for example. Your analysis may reveal an inconsistent eating habit. Instead of set mealtimes, you snack on and off throughout the day, and never actually sit down for a complete meal.
You may discover this is a result of an internal or external factor, such as working overtime at the office or caring for a family member. The more in-depth understanding you have of your routines and habits, the more informed and clear decisions you will make.
Nutrition
Your body is no different from a car or truck. It needs the correct fuel to function. For example, poor nutrition will result in poor performance or a lack of energy. An elite athlete needs to ensure proper hydration and consume sufficient food before participating in an event to give them the best possible outcome.
Imagine, if Eliud Kipchoge (World Record Marathon Holder) failed to eat properly in the weeks leading up to a race, the chances of him winning would dramatically reduce. Being consistent with our nutrition is one way on how to gain energy fast. Give your body the fuel it needs. A healthy diet is a balanced, diverse one.
Exercise
Your self-analysis may reveal you should be exercising more often. Exercise is a fantastic way to energize our body as it stimulates various brain chemicals, improves your mood, promotes better sleep, and boosts self-esteem. On average, you should be exercising at least 150 minutes per week. If you struggle to find the time to exercise, try heading for a lunchtime walk each day while at work, or wake up 20 minutes earlier each day and head for a morning walk. Be more active.
Sleep
Keeping track of how much sleep you get each day is essential. Sleep allows our bodies to heal and our minds to recharge. If your self-analysis reveals you get less than the recommended 7 to 8 hours per day, this can significantly affect your daily energy levels. If you’re spending the day longing for a nap, likely, you’re not getting enough sleep.
Small changes can make significant differences. Try sleeping in the evening 15 minutes earlier each day and waking up 5 minutes later the following day. This does not seem like much, but a combined extra 20 minutes is a lot, adding up to two and a half hours extra sleep per week. If you struggle to get to sleep, try reading how to fall asleep faster.
If You Smoke, Consider Stopping
You’re aware that smoking is harmful to your health. However, you may not be aware that smoking depletes your vitality by producing insomnia. Because nicotine is a stimulant, it increases heart rate and blood pressure. It also boosts brain-wave activity linked with wakefulness, making falling asleep more difficult. And when you do fall asleep, the drug’s addictive properties may kick in, causing you to wake up with cravings.
Limit Intake of Added Sugar
When you’re fatigued, it’s tempting to grab a sugary, sweet snack. However, while sugar can provide a short-term boost of energy, it quickly wears off and leaves you feeling even more fatigued than before.
Eating lots of added sugar can increase the risk of diabetes type 2, obesity, and even heart disease. Limiting your intake can help your energy levels and overall health. Consider reducing your intake and instead focus on consuming whole foods that boost energy.
External Factors
For most of us, external factors such as work or traveling can profoundly affect our energy levels. Working nine to five-plus overtime zaps our energy levels. Repeating this process five or six days per week can leave us feeling deflated throughout the week and on our days off. Too much stress from external factors can lead to depression.
One of the most accessible but most challenging approaches you can take is to ask for help or advice! Don’t be afraid to ask for help at work or chat with your line manager about your workload if it’s too much.
Being open about your struggles with a friend or family member is sometimes difficult for us to do but, it’s the first step to becoming less stressed, and it’s putting you first, which is the most crucial factor. You will instantly feel better after talking through your struggles and, in turn, become more energized. Be in control of the external factors in your life.
Internal Factors
Internal factors such as family commitments or the home environment can play a significant role in your energy levels. Your self-life analysis may reveal more time is spent looking after a young family member or caring for an elderly one than you thought.
It can be tough to make a change in this area without compromising the quality of life for others, but you do have options. Say you look after your children from 6 pm every evening, making them food and teaching them the ways of life. You are devoted to them 100 % of the time and are swept off your feet from the moment you arrive home from work. It may seem there is no way you can change any aspect of this, let alone improve your energy levels for the next day.
Planning ahead can be your knight in shining armor. Being proactive and organizing for you and the family to attend a cinema showing or for a family friend to look after your children will give you the time and space you need to recharge and re-energize.
Final Thoughts
If you’re feeling fatigued, examine your lifestyle to discover what healthy changes you can make to increase your energy level and feel better. It’s time to get your energy level up and get back to work.
