We all struggle with low energy levels from time to time, and its effects can vary from being a little sleepy in the afternoon to feeling exhausted all of the time. If your energy levels are that low, it can start to feel like it’s ruining your life. If you start each day feeling tired, you’ve lost enjoyment and enthusiasm for things that you once loved, you are struggling to focus at work, or you feel ill and lethargic all of the time then your low energy levels are a problem that you should do something about. Let’s take a look at some of the healthy ways to boost your energy levels.

Find the Cause

When it comes to boosting your energy levels, it’s important first to figure out why they are low. Sometimes, it’s obvious. If you’ve been working long hours, hitting the gym or exercising more than usual, staying up late or going out a lot more than usual, you might just need to take some time out, go to bed earlier and start looking after yourself more.

If you are getting plenty of sleep and there haven’t been any significant changes to your lifestyle, and you are still waking up tired every morning there might be a deeper, less obvious problem. It might be a hormonal issue. If that doesn’t seem to fit, visit your doctor for some tests as fatigue can be a symptom of various health issues.

Cut Caffeine

We often have a cup of coffee in the afternoon when we are starting to get tired. Or first thing in the morning to kick start our day. While this can be effective, drinking too much caffeine can start to have the opposite effect. Your body becomes dependent on it, so you’ll struggle to feel right without it. You may struggle to get to sleep when you go to bed, and you might find yourself having massive slumps after the initial buzz. Try reducing the amount of caffeine you drink to see if it makes a difference.

Exercise

Both too much and too little exercise can make you tired. If you’ve recently increased your activity levels, you may feel achy and tired for a while, until your body adjusts. But, it will, and then you’ll feel better. If you are tired and not getting any exercise, try slowly building up your activity. Try walking instead of driving, have a go at the couch to 5k running program, or join the gym. Just remember to build up slowly instead of pushing yourself too hard.

Make Some Bedtime Changes

Going to bed earlier and getting into a sleep routine will help you to wake up feeling refreshed. But, there is more than you can do to make sure you are getting good quality sleep. Change your mattress and bedding, install blackout blinds, leave your phone in a different room and try turning all screens off for an hour before bed.

Fresh Air

Getting outside in the fresh air is a fantastic way to wake yourself up and boost your energy levels. If you start to feel tired, get outside for a short walk to wake up naturally.