Are you feeling sluggish and unfocused? Before you reach for another cup of coffee or soda, take a step back and analyze where your tiredness is coming from. There are other ways to help boost your energy without any sort of supplement. Here are some of the best ways to easily improve your energy without caffeine.
Make Sure You’re Getting Enough Sleep
If you find that you are constantly tired, the simplest explanation may be that you’re not getting enough sleep each night. The amount of sleep that each individual needs vary from person to person, but most experts agree that the average adult needs at least seven hours of sleep per night.
If you’re exercising a significant amount, or dealing with any high-stress or emotional issues, aim to up this number to at least eight. The body (and mind) take to recover and repair at the end of each day. If you short yourself on sleep, your mental focus will suffer, but so will the actual performance of your body. Without consistently getting enough sleep, your body will get run down, and you may begin to feel sick, which no amount of caffeine will be able to remedy.
If you think that lack of sleep may be the primary reason for your lack of energy, take a quick power nap to re-energize. Even twenty minutes of sleep can help helpful!
Drink More Water
Instead of reaching for another cup of coffee, consider grabbing a glass of water instead. Oftentimes, the body feels sluggish and lethargic due to dehydration. Without proper hydration, the body’s normal biological processes aren’t able to function at optimal levels, which makes you feel tired.
Aim to drink 8 ounces of water per hour on a regular day, and more before and after exercise. Remember: if you’re feeling thirsty, you’re likely already dehydrated. By drinking water regularly throughout the day, you’ll feel more energized without needing caffeine.
Avoid Sugar & Processed Foods
Another culprit for low energy is the food you eat. Take a look at your diet. Are you eating a lot of sugary and processed foods regularly? They may be zapping your energy.
While sugary foods and drinks may provide an immediate burst of energy, or a sugar rush, after several minutes, your blood sugar drops, which leaves you feeling tired. To fight energy lapses from poor food choices, aim to eat protein and complex carbs at every meal, and lots of fruits and vegetables. Also, snacking on smaller meals throughout the day, instead of eating fewer, larger meals, will help keep your energy levels consistent.
Cut Back on Alcohol Consumption
Equally important as looking at the food you’re eating is taking a look at the drinks you’re consuming. Do you consume a lot of soda and sugary drinks? They may be causing blood sugar spikes and drops that are wreaking havoc on your energy levels. Are you drinking a lot of alcohol on a regular basis? Alcohol dehydrates the body, impairs physical and mental functioning, and has lasting effects that carry over well into the next day after imbibing.
Even if you’re only drinking alcohol at night, it can definitely affect your energy the next day and beyond. More importantly, if you feel that your alcohol or drug abuse may be causing bigger problems than just lack of energy, help is always available. Use an online treatment center finder to discover a path to recovery near you.
Go for a Walk
If you find that your energy drops when you’re at work for long periods of time, fight fatigue by breaking away from your desk and going on a quick walk. A quick bout of light exercise can help you feel more awake and energized, since the movement and time outdoors stimulates alertness in the brain.
Plus, exposing yourself to natural light outside reminds your body that it’s time to be awake, and will reinvigorate your senses.
Add in Some Exercise
If you have more time to spare, consider expanding your outdoor walk into a workout. Even doing some yoga moves or light stretching near your desk at work can provide an energizing effect. Aim to do some inversion-like poses to shake up the body’s natural positioning. These poses will help re-stimulate blood flow in the body (including to the brain, to help you with mental clarity and focus).
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