Here are our 8 tips on how you can boost your energy naturally and feel better all around!
Control Stress
Stress can suck your energy reserves and leave you feeling heavily depleted. Check in with yourself throughout the day, if you’re starting to feel overwhelmed you might want to add some relaxation items to your tool kit, such as a moving mediation, talking to a friend or loved one, going for a walk, getting out in nature, or seeing a professional, like a psychologist.
Lighten the load
An addition to stress and overwhelm is feeling like you have too much to do and not enough time to do it. The best thing to do is to write down your to do list and prioritise the items that deliver the best value for the smallest amount of effort. Everything else can either be put on hold or removed for now. There is nothing wrong with asking for help when you need it, a problem shared is a problem halved.
Exercise
Exercise is important for sleep, as your body burns energy and circulates oxygen. The more you sleep the better your energy the next day. Exercise doesn’t need to be strenuous; it can be as simple as going for a walk-in nature, gardening, moving house. Just move your body, as this will lead to higher brain dopamine levels, which elevate your mood and energy.
Avoid smoking
The nicotine in smoking is a stimulant and can siphon off your energy by causing insomnia. It speeds the heart rate, raises blood pressure, and stimulates brain wave activity associated with wakefulness. This is a recipe for poor sleep, and when you finally get to sleep the addictive tendency of nicotine can push you back awake. We understand it isn’t easy cutting back or quitting, that is why it’s best to tackle it with some support.
Restrict you sleep
Seems counterintuitive, but the purpose is to reduce the time in your bed not sleeping. This will help your body recognise that bed is a place to sleep not a place to be restless. To redistrict sleep, you should avoid napping during the day. On the first night aim to get 4 hours of sleep, if you feel that you got a solid 4 hours, gradually add 15-30 mins on each day. If you continue sleeping well each night you can continue to add more hours in until you have mastered 7-9 hours per night.
Eat for energy
Food that takes longer to break down in your system will give you more sustained energy throughout the day. This includes lower glycaemic index foods including fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and meat. Highly processed foods including fast food, cakes, biscuits, vegetable oil, are higher in glycaemic index and will give you a short spike in energy followed by a big drop.
Use caffeine to your advantage
Overuse of caffeine, especially after 2pm can cause insomnia in some people. It’s important to use it sparingly and monitor how you feel after 2-3 hours, if you feel like you have a drop in energy, then it might be worth quitting for a week to see how you feel without the large spike and big drops in energy.
Limit alcohol
Alcohol is considered a sedative; therefore, it is recommended to not drink during lunch if you have a bit to do in the afternoon. It’s also important not to drink in excess as this does interfere with sleep, which also impairs energy the next day.
Drink water
If the body is dehydrated it will fatigue. Staying hydrated with 2-3 Litres of water a day is cost-effective and simple addition to your daily routine.
Source: Harvard Medical School August 30, 2020
