We all have those days when it’s a struggle to get things done because we have no energy. It’s natural to have off days, but if you find yourself consistently struggling with low energy then you may want to find a way to get past that. First, make sure that no underlying physical or mental health issues are the cause of your low energy levels. If none of those is the main issue, then you may need to change up some of your daily habits. Here are four tips that will help you gradually increase your energy.
Boost Your Emotional Energy
Sometimes, we may not realize that emotional exhaustion is the cause of our lack of energy. We tend to ignore our lack of emotional energy and not give it as much importance as physical fatigue. For example, as soon as we feel physically exhausted, we make sure to rest our bodies. However, when we feel emotionally drained, we rarely do anything about it or believe that we should persevere and keep pushing ourselves.
A great way to deal with emotional exhaustion is to do things that emotionally energize us. For example, you may feel ready to take on your daily tasks after watching your favorite show. If that’s what energizes and motivates you, then include that in your daily routine. Lack of energy and lack of motivation frequently go hand in hand, so increasing one of them can help with productivity.
A walk in nature, listening to your favorite song, and talking to a loved one are only a few examples of small things that can emotionally energize you. Whatever works for you, do it every day even if you feel like you don’t have to. You want to take care of yourself and avoid getting emotionally burnt out in the first place. If you severally struggle with energy and motivation, then doing that task before your day starts is a great way to fire you up.
Take Shorter Naps
This may sound counterproductive, but avoid longer naps if you don’t want to feel lethargic throughout the rest of your day. If you’re a nap person, then I’m sure you’ve experienced feeling even more tired after taking a nap. It isn’t the nap itself that’s the issue but rather how long you sleep for.
According to an article from Insider, Dr. Martin Reed, a certified clinical sleep health expert, states that “If you nap for too long and wake abruptly from a deeper stage of sleep, you can feel groggy and lethargic upon awakening.” A ten to twenty-minute nap is the ideal power nap and you should feel energized after. If you’re not a nap person, then try it out for a few days to see if that improves your energy levels. You can nap anytime, but it’s best to earlier in the afternoon so it’s not too close to your bedtime.
Rest Your Mind
Overthinking can be mentally and physically exhausting. A lot of times, we exert most of our energy on thinking of all the things we have to do rather than actually doing them. Think back on those days when you got little to nothing done but still felt extremely exhausted at the end of it. Our minds constantly racing is tiring.
The best thing to do is not think too much about all the steps you have to take to get something done. Just focus on completing the task and look at the bigger picture. Breaking things down in our heads too much can actually make us lose a lot of energy and make us anxious. Anxiety can also make us physically and mentally tired. If you do find yourself overthinking, immediately distract yourself by either getting work done if it doesn’t require too much mental strain, or doing something enjoyable like going for a walk. Whatever it is, make sure that it doesn’t involve too much thinking. The goal is to rest your mind just like you would your body if it were exhausted.
This sounds easier said than done, but just like with anything else, it takes practice. It may be difficult to not overthink at first, but over time it will keep getting easier. And once you realize how much more energy you have, it will be worth it.
Have A Balanced Diet
It’s no surprise that diet plays a major role in our energy levels. It may be common knowledge, but many of us could be making some diet mistakes that we aren’t aware of. For example, according to NHS, carbs are a great source of energy, so if you’re cutting carbs out of your diet for nonmedical reasons, then try incorporating them back in. Iron-rich foods like “red meat, green vegetables and fortified foods such as breakfast cereals” are crucial according to NHS as iron deficiency can be a cause of low energy.
If you’re the type of person that needs a sugar rush to get through your day, you may want to change that. When that sugar rush wears off, you’ll crash and feel even more lethargic. What you can do according to NHS, is consume healthy sugars like fruit rather than added sugars in drinks and sweets. Also, prepping your meals can help you ensure that you’re consuming a balanced diet even while busy.
Rest is Productive
Doing too much and exhausting ourselves doesn’t make us more productive. In fact, in the long run, we will become less productive due to burnout. Resting emotionally, physically, and mentally is super important. Taking measures to ensure that we don’t reach that level of fatigue is even more crucial.
Increased energy won’t happen overnight. You have to work towards it but it will be worth it as it’s a long-term solution. You don’t want a quick fix that will easily wear off and leave you with less energy than before.
Exercise:
1- What’s one thing you enjoy that you can do every day to increase your emotional energy?
2- Take short naps during the day. Set your alarm so you don’t nap for more than twenty minutes.
3- How can you balance your diet? See what you can add or remove from your diet to improve your energy.
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