Do you ever feel like your energy supply is getting lower and lower by the day? With more responsibilities added to our lives, it’s easy to find ourselves needing all the caffeine and a nap (or two) just to get through our daily routine.
While your favorite coffee drink and naps are never bad ideas, there are things you can easily implement into your life that will allow you to stay naturally energized throughout the day. Here are a few of them.
Take things off your plate.
There’s nothing wrong with being busy, but there comes a point when busy could easily translate to burnt out. After all, there’s a difference between “busy” and “productive.” One of the best ways to keep your energy bank full is to keep your priorities in check and make sure you’re not focusing on the “urgent” instead of the “important.” People who identify as “workaholics” oftentimes feel like delegating responsibilities is a sign of weakness, but it’s essential to your sanity.
Ways to Take Things Off Your Plate:
- Delete: Not worth doing.
- Delegate: Not worth doing or better suited for someone else.
- Backburner: Worth doing, but not now. This is especially important when something matches your goals and values for your life.
Limit your added sugar intake.
If you feel like you have no energy, it might be time to examine the foods you’re putting into your body each day, particularly added sugar. When we’re feeling lazy, the last thing we want to do is get up and make ourselves a semi-nutritious meal. However, reaching for the sugar-filled snack isn’t the answer.
In the past, you may have heard of a concept called a blood sugar spike. This happens when sugary foods cause your blood sugar levels to rise quickly. Your body then has to release insulin to bring your blood sugar back down. This is why you’ll often feel a surge of energy shortly after eating something sweet, only to crash soon after.
If you have a major sweet tooth, don’t worry … there are lots of recipes out there that can serve as great alternatives to your favorite sugary snacks. Use this list as a reference the next time you feel your craving starting to creep in.
Sit up straight.
It’s not something we would commonly think about, but improved posture could actually help you stay more energized throughout the day. Kara Griffith, exercise psychologist at Colorado Canyons Hospital & Medical Center, says that when your bones and joints are in correct alignment, your muscles don’t have to work so hard to do what they’re intended to do. This will cause less fatigue and more energy.
If you tend to slouch a lot while sitting at a desk all day, you may want to look into making the switch to a standing desk. These are all the rage right now and there are so many different kinds to choose from. Take a look at three of the top standing desks here.
Try taking a cold shower.
This may not appeal to everyone, but if you really want to wake yourself up, immersion in cold water could do the trick. As you could probably imagine, cold water serves as a type of shock to your system that will help you feel more alert. In fact, many professional athletes and trainers use this technique. Whether it be a cold plunge at your gym, the spa, or at home, there are so many fantastic benefits (check them out here!).
If a cold shower seems a little intense for you (no judgment), there are a couple of tactics you could try. You could start by alternating between hot water and cold water every 30-seconds or so. Another idea is to start your shower with hot water and then slowly decrease the temperature throughout.
When it comes to improving your energy levels, there are so many small changes you can make to your daily routine that might help. We all have those days where we are just flat-out tired, but before you reach for a quick fix, use our tips as a reference to see if there’s something you can do to wake yourself up naturally first.
Looking for more ideas from us to improve your daily life? Read our blog post here on three mental breaks you can take to hit the reset button during a stressful workday.
