Many cases of tiredness are due to stress, not enough sleep, poor diet and other lifestyle factors. Try these self-help tips to restore your energy levels.
If you feel you're suffering from fatigue, which is an overwhelming tiredness that isn't relieved by rest and sleep, you may have an underlying medical condition. Consult a GP for advice.
A good way to keep up your energy through the day is to eat regular meals and healthy snacks every 3 to 4 hours, rather than a large meal less often.
Read more about healthy eating.
You might feel that exercise is the last thing on your mind. But, in fact, regular exercise will make you feel less tired in the long run, so you'll have more energy.
Even a single 15-minute walk can give you an energy boost, and the benefits increase with more frequent physical activity.
Start with a small amount of exercise. Build it up gradually over weeks and months until you reach the recommended goal of 2 hours 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, such as cycling or fast walking, every week.
Read more about starting exercise.
Find out the physical activity guidelines for adults.
If your body is carrying excess weight, it can be exhausting. It also puts extra strain on your heart, which can make you tired. Lose weight and you'll feel much more energetic.
Apart from eating healthily, the best way to lose weight and keep it off is to be more active and do more exercise.
Read more about how to lose weight.
Many people don't get the sleep they need to stay alert through the day.
The website of the Royal College of Psychiatrists has information on sleeping well.
Tips for sleeping well include:
Stress uses up a lot of energy. Try to introduce relaxing activities into your day. This could be:
Whatever relaxes you will improve your energy.
Read more about how to relieve stress.
There's some evidence that talking therapies such as counselling or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) might help to fight fatigue, or tiredness caused by stress, anxiety or low mood.
See a GP for a referral for talking treatment on the NHS, or for advice on seeing a private therapist.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists recommends that anyone feeling tired should cut out caffeine. It says the best way to do this is to gradually stop having all caffeine drinks over a 3-week period.
Caffeine is found in:
Try to stay off caffeine completely for a month to see if you feel less tired without it.
You may find that not consuming caffeine gives you headaches. If this happens, cut down more slowly on the amount of caffeine that you drink.
Although a couple of glasses of wine in the evening can help you fall asleep, you sleep less deeply after drinking alcohol. The next day you'll be tired, even if you sleep a full 8 hours.
Cut down on alcohol before bedtime. You'll get a better night's rest and have more energy.
The NHS recommends that men and women should not regularly drink more than 14 units a week, which is equivalent to 6 pints of average-strength beer or 10 small glasses of low-strength wine.
Try to have several alcohol-free days each week.
Read more about how to cut down on alcohol.
Sometimes you feel tired simply because you're mildly dehydrated.
A glass of water will do the trick, especially after exercise.
Read about healthy drinks.
By Emily Cronkleton on December 3, 2018
It’s common for people to become tired or even fatigued in our fast-paced modern world. Many times, you may find yourself running from one activity to the next, not pausing to take the time you might need to ground, balance, and soothe your soul.
It’s not always easy to pinpoint the exact reason you’re feeling low in energy. If you’re feeling tired persistently or for reasons that aren’t apparent, make an appointment to see your doctor. It could be the sign of an underlying condition, especially if it’s interfering with your daily life.
Signs that tiredness could be something more serious include unexplained pain, fever, and headaches.
Continue reading to learn about some of the causes of tiredness and simple changes you can make to put a bit more pep in your step.
One reason to follow a healthy, balanced diet is that you’ll boost energy levels.
Ensure you’re getting enough nutrients by eating whole, fresh foods from a variety of food groups. Pair unrefined carbs with protein for sustained energy levels. Include plenty of fiber and anti-inflammatory foods.
Following a balanced diet also promotes healthy digestion, which helps to clear and cleanse your body. In fact, research has linked irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) to chronic fatigue. Certain foods might even help to prevent and manage IBS, which could be zapping your energy.
The benefits of regular exercise are widely recognized. Exercise releases endorphins that naturally boosting your energy levels. It can also lead to more high-quality sleep.
A 2008 study found that regular exercise can reduce symptoms of fatigue. In the study, 36 sedentary young adults did either low-intensity or moderate-intensity exercise over a period of six weeks. Both groups saw improvements in energy levels.
Do at least two hours of moderate-intensity exercise each week. To make it easier to stick to an exercise plan, find a workout buddy or hire a personal trainer.
Stay properly hydrated to keep your body running at optimum levels.
Dehydration can lead to low energy levels. It can also have a negative impact on your sleep by drying out your mouth and nasal passages, and can lead to snoring, hoarseness, and leg cramps. Plus, it can make you less alert and mentally clear the next day.
According to a 2014 study, increasing water intake in people who don’t usually drink enough water was found to have beneficial effects on energy. People who decreased their water intake had fewer feelings of calmness, satisfaction, and positive emotions. Feelings of fatigue and inertia were also reported in this group.
Lowering your caffeine intake can give you more energy in the long run. Though caffeine may give you an initial boost of energy, after it wears off you may be left feeling depleted.
Slowly reducing your caffeine intake will help to reduce feelings of withdrawal as you balance out your natural energy levels.
Avoid caffeine after dinnerso you can naturally wind down for a restful night of sleep.
Proper rest is essential if you want to maintain energy levels throughout the day. Relax before going to bed, possibly doing some gentle stretches. Improve your sleep area by keeping it clean and maintaining an appropriate temperature.
Other tips for better sleep include:
Alcohol throws your body off balance and leads to poor sleep, especially if you’re dehydrated. Even though alcohol may seem to help you fall asleep, you won’t sleep as deeply.
When you do have alcohol, drink in moderation, and try to have as many alcohol-free days as possible.
The chemicals released by your body to combat allergic reactions can cause you to feel tired. They can bring on inflammationof your sinuses, airways, or digestive system. Accompanying head and nose congestion can cause you to sleep poorly.
These factors can contribute to brain fog, making it difficult to concentrate and complete your daily activities.
Avoid known allergens as much as possible. Keep a diary and try an elimination diet to help identify triggers.
See your doctor to determine the cause of your allergies if you’re unsure. They may recommend allergy medications or shots.
Stress can zap you of the mental and physical energy needed to carry out your day with ease. Stress hormonescan have a negative effect on your sleep patterns, bodily systems, and overall health.
Reduce stress in whatever way your heart so desires. Go to the spa for a pampering treatment or having a massage.
Mindfulness practices such as tai chi, meditation, and yoga are great options. Or curl up on the couch with your favorite book or television show.
Check in with yourself to establish what mental patterns may be causing low energy levels. Anxiety symptoms include feeling worried, irritable, and nervous. Symptoms of depression include feeling sad, restless, and hopeless. Both conditions can lead to unhealthy sleep patterns and cause tiredness.
Consider seeing a therapist for talk therapy, known as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This method helps you to get to the root cause of emotional issues so that they can be addressed and overcome.
Get up, get moving, and get your energy flowing. This is especially important if you spend a lot of time sitting.
Include short bursts of activity throughout the day, especially when you’re feeling pressed for time. Get into the habit of exercising regularly. Making simple changes such as parking your car a little bit farther away, taking the stairs, or walking to do errands are easy ways to sneak in a bit of exercise.
Anemia is an iron deficiencythat can lead to tiredness. This is due to low hemoglobin levels, which make it more difficult for oxygen to be carried to your tissues and muscles. It also weakens your immune system, making you more likely to develop illness and infection.
Anemia is more common in women than in men. Sometimes it occurs due to pregnancy or heavy menstruation. It can be treated through diet or medication.
Here are some iron-rich foods to include in your diet:
In terms of energy levels, eating smaller portions more frequently throughout the day may be more beneficial than eating a few large meals. That’s because it keeps your blood sugar levels stable.
Eating every three to four hours will make it less likely that your energy crashes, and in turn you’ll be less likely to reach for unhealthy food.
Avoid overeating at meals, and stop eating before you are entirely full.
Smoking can deplete your energy by reducing your oxygen levels, and making breathing difficult.
Quitting smoking is an attainable goal, and there are resources to help. Over-the-counter and prescription medicationsare available that may help you quit. These medications are more effective when combined with counseling.
Consider trying one of the many smoking cessation apps available. Discover tips from people who successfully quit smoking. Keep a journal so you can have some type of inner reflection during this time.
Take the time to completely unwind, relax, and let go.
Deep breathing techniques, gentle stretching, and meditation are excellent ways to unwind. Yoga nidra is the perfect way to replenish your energy.
Finding peace in nature is another way to nourish your soul, or you can simply enjoy the beauty of doing nothing.
If you feel your tiredness is unusual in some way or is coupled with other symptoms, it may be time to see your doctor.
Feeling low in energy could be the result of an underlying health condition, and it’s best to check out this possibility.
Conditions that can cause fatigue include:
Make lifestyle changes to your routine to increase your vitality. Start with what is most appealing to you, and go from there. You’ll likely start to improve your energy levels so you can feel your best on a daily basis.
Above all, honor your body and how you’re feeling. Take a break and allow yourself time to rest when you need to. Avoid pushing yourself beyond your limits, and commit to a healthy plan of action.
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We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.
(2013). 5 ways to fight fatigue with food.Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.
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Dec 3, 2018
Written By
Emily Cronkleton
Edited By
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By Emily Cronkleton on December 3, 2018
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Irina Khakamada ,
guest Verba Mayr
“Energy is always in motion. And in motion should always be both the brain of a person, his soul, and his body, which must be maintained for endless energy. You need to do this consciously, understanding that it is your tool for achieving success. Many work day and night, drive themselves for the sake of any large-scale goals, but in the end this leads to absolute burnout. When the goals are achieved, it turns out that there is no health anymore, depression fills the whole soul and brain, and this is where it all ends. Success is the gymnastics of the brain, on the one hand, and on the other hand, a decent body that does not interfere with the work of the brain.
This in no way means a fanatical healthy lifestyle and constant diets and sports. The secret is in balance and occasional pauses for respite and self-care.”
Advertising on RBC www.adv.rbc.ru
Improve sleep patterns
The growing popularity of radical biohacking can cause serious harm to health. Elon Musk-esque characters who advocate 30 minutes of sleep every six hours instead of a full night's rest completely fail to take into account that such dangerous practices are suitable for a small number of people.
Svetlana Kovaleva, a neurologist at the Verba Mayr Center, is sure that the circadian rhythms that are responsible for sleep are laid down at the genetic level, and for personal effectiveness, most people need high-quality six to eight hours of sleep at night.
It works like this: with the onset of night and darkness, the production of melatonin, the “sleep hormone”, is activated. In the morning, light enters the retina of the eye through the eyelids, instead of melatonin, serotonin and cortisol begin to be produced - the very ones from which “I want to live and work.
” Moreover, at night, the active production of somatotropin begins, which serves as a natural fat burner, and also starts the anabolic process - the process of energy accumulation in cells. Following this million-year-old program is one of the most effective deep restorative sleep solutions. The degree of fatigue also affects falling asleep: a lack of activity during the day or, conversely, overwork can prevent you from falling asleep at the right time.
Good health and a stable mind support a well-established daily routine. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time on weekdays and weekends. Thus, the habit will be fixed in the brain, it will be easy for you to fall asleep and it will be pleasant to wake up.
Take care of the work of the stomach and intestines
Dr. Alex Vitasek, President of the International Association of Meyer Therapists, pointed out that the causes of chronic fatigue are often indigestion. The same pursuit of high performance and personal efficiency leads many to skip meals, spend less time on lunch, choose useless foods, overeat, or, conversely, eat too little.
Often the only opportunity to eat well is late in the evening. Accumulated hunger and fatigue make it difficult to control appetite, which increases the risk of overeating, including sweets - the most affordable antidepressant. This overloads the gastrointestinal tract, prevents you from falling asleep and fully resting, worsens your well-being, lowers the protective functions of the body and performance in the future.
According to Vitasek, in order to get rid of chronic fatigue, it is important to normalize your diet: give up sweets and starchy foods, avoid gluten, eat foods rich in amino acids (Omega-3 and Omega-9) and green vegetables. And so that all digestive processes end before going to bed, Alex Vitasek advises to refuse dinner. Of course, such strict restrictions are a temporary measure. When the problem of chronic fatigue is resolved, you can again introduce light and healthy dinners into your daily practice.
Get enough nutrients
Gastroenterologist Anna Borisova, in her turn, suggests to monitor the correctness and balance of the diet.
The problem with our diet is that our eating habits have changed for the worse. The basis of the diet began to be not useful and important microelements for the body, but carbohydrates and “useless” food. Therefore, the first step to replenish energy should be a diet rich in all the necessary elements.
In order to get them, the doctor advises adding the following products to the grocery basket: meat and poultry, fish, dairy products, nuts and, of course, fruits and vegetables. Also, a varied menu is important for good nutrition. Optimizing your diet to some standard buckwheat-chicken-cucumber combo would be a poor choice. It is not enough to eat the same set of useful products: in this case, an excess of some trace elements and a lack of others may form.
Trying new foods, experimenting with recipes, and updating your shopping list regularly is a good way to get everything you need and feel energized.
Dealing with inner conflicts
We can indeed become debilitated due to lack of sleep and malnutrition.
But our energy is also spent on resolving internal conflicts. If every day you do what you don’t like, or what seems unnecessary (in a personal or professional field), one day moral exhaustion may occur, a feeling of depression and apathy may arise. This is a psychodynamic state that needs to be corrected with the help of various mental practices, meditation, work with a psychologist or psychotherapist. The body is a system that cannot be fooled. And even if you convince yourself that everything is fine, but in reality it is not, then he will answer you with violations of the internal systems, increased anxiety and other unpleasant signals.
Having resolved internal conflicts, you will be able to prioritize and direct all your strength and motivation to what is really important to you.
Normalize energy exchange
“Energy cannot appear from emptiness and disappear into emptiness” — says the law of conservation of energy. It must be drawn from a variety of sources, and the body, in turn, is able to absorb the best that the environment and food give us.
All the resources it receives are converted into energy, the cells are enriched with oxygen, and the work of mitochondria is accumulated. With a lack or excess of glucose and fatty acids, which produce energy, a failure occurs in the body - energy deficiency develops. It brings constant fatigue, drowsiness, weakened immunity, so it is necessary to solve problems.
It's easy to normalize energy exchange - proper and regular nutrition again comes to the rescue. An effective technique is playing sports: regular training activates the necessary processes, enriches the cells with oxygen and “restarts” the body. As a result, the charge of vivacity increases, the mood improves.
Restart immunity
The health of the immune system also directly affects our general condition and energy reserves: it is impossible to be active if you always suffer from colds and walk around broken. A sedentary lifestyle, an unhealthy diet and an excess of unnecessary medications weaken the natural barrier against viruses and bacteria.
Therefore, its protective properties must be restored.
An effective way is to contact specialists who help the body recover at all levels. For example, the Verba Mayr center has two programs aimed at strengthening the immune system - "Detox + Immunity" and "Immunity Strengthening". The programs were created by the doctors of the center in close partnership with colleagues from Austria and Germany and are aimed at an integrated approach in order to strengthen the protective properties of the body. Cleansing the intestines, removing toxins, stimulating the immune system through infusions and natural mechanisms increases the body's resistance to viruses. Therapeutic nutrition, walks in the coniferous forest and light physical activity complete an effective program: they are useful for both the immune system and the nervous system. Diseases are better prevented than treated.
Verba Mayr is an Austrian health center in the Moscow region. For those who want to find the true causes of their fatigue and restore their strength for a long time, the center offers special programs lasting 3, 5, 8 or more days.
All programs of the center are based on the Mayer therapy method (Austria) — a healing and healing process of cleansing and restoring the body, which leads to a general improvement in well-being, strengthening immunity and general body tone.
September 22, 2015Productivity
It's hard to stay energized and focused for eight hours at work - there is often a decline in productivity in the afternoon. We'll show you where to get your much-needed energy for work, how to make the most of your moments of maximum focus, and how to get through your day's productivity dips.
Iya Zorina
Lifehacker Author, Athlete, CCM
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0 “It's just unrealistic to expect you to be at work all day,” says Carson Tate, author of a book on productivity. “Just as you wouldn’t expect to be able to walk at a fast pace for eight hours straight, don’t expect yourself to be completely focused and strategically thinking for such a long time.
”
What's worse, some of us still don't get enough sleep: we come to work with less than six hours of sleep a night. This is clearly not enough for high productivity during the day, and the consequences of lack of sleep can greatly harm the work.
Here are some tips to help you feel more energetic during your work day.
“There are several optimal times for creative tasks and work that requires concentration,” says Christopher Barnes, assistant professor of management at the University of Washington Business School. “Most people think better in the middle of the morning and late in the evening.”
You must adjust your circadian rhythms and work schedule, make a list of tasks depending on the ups and downs of activity during the day.
Tate advises doing "any job that requires attention to detail," such as writing, making big decisions, or programming, during high energy hours. And during a decline in energy, you can take on tasks that do not require special concentration: checking mail, filling out expense reports, making phone calls.
In other words, perform tasks that can be done automatically.
Any physical activity temporarily increases alertness and energy levels.
Move for just 10 minutes and your energy and ability to concentrate will increase significantly.
Carson Tate
You can walk around the office building, go up and down the stairs a few times, jump or push up a few times, stretch right at your desk. The main thing here is the movement, which helps to fill the body with oxygen and relieve fatigue, both physical and mental.
If you have a meeting scheduled, you can do it on the go, taking your employees or partners for a walk. And think about how you can build physical activity into your weekly schedule. "If you move regularly," says Burns, "your normal energy level goes up."
Steve Jobs did this for many years. Ray Dalio, head of the world's largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, said it makes him feel like a ninja in combat.
What is their secret weapon? Meditation.
Concentration exercises are a great way to recharge during the day. Research shows that even a few minutes of meditation a day can reduce stress levels and increase a tired brain's ability to concentrate. This is a period of rest during which people stop worrying, which in turn saves a lot of energy.
It is also important to watch your breath during meditation. Five to seven deep belly breaths will provide enough oxygen to keep you alert and energized.
Drinking coffee often seems to help with afternoon sleepiness. "Coffee doesn't really give you energy," Burns says. “Caffeine just masks lethargy and low concentration by blocking the chemical reactions in the body that make you feel tired.”
Although it works for a while, caffeine, like other drugs, soon wears off. You get less and less effect, and you need more and more coffee just to work normally.
So don't get addicted to coffee, use it rarely, only when you really need extra energy, for example at an important meeting once a month, if you hardly slept the night before.
Coffee at three in the afternoon should not become a habit.
Music is a great way to both cheer up and calm down. Just as you use music to keep you energized during your workout, you can energize yourself with your favorite track at work.
Which music is best suited for this depends on your tastes. Someone prefers fast rhythms to maintain energy, someone prefers calm compositions that help clear the mind and concentrate.
If lyrics distract you, try listening to instrumentals in different styles. Sooner or later you will find your ideal "working" tracks.
If you sit at your computer, tablet or smartphone at night, you will have less energy the next day. Blue light from the screens of gadgets and computers reduces the production of melatonin, a substance that provides the body with healthy sleep.
“It's very important to avoid using your smartphone or tablet two hours before bed,” says Burns.
“The worst thing you can do is use your smartphone while lying in bed.”
If you need to do something important at night - check your mail or read something, use apps like Twilight for smartphones, and f.lux for computers, so that the display turns red instead of blue at night. Or buy orange Uvex glasses or similar models from other brands that block blue light from the screens.
This is a simple rule that you can't do anything about. To feel energetic and cheerful during the day, you need to sleep well at night.
"If you want to be good at something, go to bed," says Tate.
“Sleep is the number one predictor of success,” agrees Burns. “People think that five or six hours of sleep is enough for them and everything will be fine. But even a small lack of sleep will have a noticeable negative effect.”
A study conducted in 2009 found that people who sleep five hours a night for four days, significantly inhibited cognitive function.
When performing the simplest tasks, they showed the level of efficiency typical for drunk people with an alcohol level of 0.6 ppm (for men of average weight, this is two bottles of beer).
On the other hand, if you regularly sleep eight hours a night, energy drops will be less severe and it will be easier for you to control them.
Let's summarize the main principles.
What to do:
Do's and Don'ts:
And now for some real examples of how the above methods helped to cope with fatigue during the day and get more done.
Dan Scalco often struggled with afternoon fatigue. As the CEO of Digitalux, a digital marketing company based in Hoboken, NJ, Dan worked 12-hour shifts, managing customer situations and managing his team.
He tried taking supplements and multivitamins, going to the gym, even trying occasional short naps in the office to regain his energy. But nothing helped him cope with the afternoon fatigue.
Then he became interested in what strategies helped successful businessmen, and found that many of them use meditation practices.
At first he was skeptical, because he always saw meditation as a frivolous activity that only hippies are interested in. But the more he read about its benefits, the more he wanted to try it.
The effect of the meditations was immediate. Dan felt more energized, his stress levels decreased, and his focus increased while interacting with clients and the team.
Now he tries to meditate for at least 15-20 minutes, usually between 2:30 pm and 3:00 pm. He sits on an office chair, puts his hands on his knees, closes his eyes and repeats a mantra to himself.
“It's like taking a 20-minute vacation every day,” he says. “Afterward, I feel like my brain has been recharged. I can honestly say that meditating at least once a day has changed my life. She gave me inexhaustible reserves of energy and greatly increased my productivity.
Ryan Hulland was terribly tired. Vice president and co-owner of Monitoring Management (MonMan), an electrical and HVAC supplier, he spent long weeks at work trying to expand the business. And in the evenings, he helped put his three-year-old child to bed, after which he again returned to the computer to finish the work.
He started drinking more coffee and energy drinks, but found that they did not provide a consistent effect over time.
Ryan tried to go for a walk regularly, usually after lunch. He realized that physical activity helps him to be more alert and encourages creative ideas. But when he returned from a walk refreshed and full of energy, he often had to solve routine tasks from his to-do list, which instantly negated the positive effect of the walk.
Then he began to write his to-do list on an office whiteboard and divide it into three columns. The first column, "Fun," included activities that required creativity, such as writing articles for the company's blog. The second column, "Stuff," included more routine tasks that didn't require concentration or much mental activity, such as filling out paperwork. And the third column - "Urgent" - included things that needed to be done, no matter how he felt.
I tried to relate the things on my list to how I feel at a particular time. When I have a lot of energy, I like to do interesting creative tasks, and when fatigue sets in, I do boring, routine things.
