We’ve all been there… You work hard all morning, stop to break for lunch and then can’t seem to get motivated again to regain your productivity. But while it’s natural for energy levels to rise and fall throughout the day, there may be external factors that exacerbate the fatigue you feel. To banish them once and for all, give the following tips a try:
Tip #1 – Go for a walk
According to the Mayo Clinic:
“Researchers have linked sitting for long periods of time with a number of health concerns, including obesity and metabolic syndrome — a cluster of conditions that includes increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist and abnormal cholesterol levels.”
The bottom line is that sitting for long periods of time is actually harmful to the body – and yet, that’s how many professional workers in the United States spend their entire day! To minimize the fatigue that sitting still can cause (in addition to the reducing the health risks that are associated with this behavior), set a timer on your computer that reminds you to get up and go for quick walks outside or around the office at least once an hour.
Tip #2 – Avoid sugar and caffeine
Though sugar and caffeine may provide a temporary boost of energy, these substances only artificially mask fatigue – leading to a serious energy crash later on.
Instead of relying on sugar and caffeine to get you through your fatigue, replace them with snacks comprised of lean proteins and healthy whole grains. They might not be as satisfying initially, but they’ll help to regulate your blood sugar levels and modulate your energy throughout the day.
Tip #3 – Improve your sleep at night
Think of your body like your smartphone. If you wear down your battery without recharging it, your phone will begin to fail – just like your body will if you don’t adequately rest it at night.
Receiving inadequate amounts of sleep at night has many of the same effects as alcohol intoxication, leaving you feeling fuzzy and fatigued. To become more productive throughout the day and improve your quality of life, it’s imperative that you find a way to address the factors that prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep every day.
Tip #4 – Take a power nap
Can’t get as many hours of sleep at night as you’d like? Taking a quick nap might seem like an indulgent luxury that today’s busiest professionals can’t afford, but increasing amounts of scientific research indicate that a brief “power nap” taken in the mid-afternoon can help fight fatigue by making up for lost night-time sleep.
Gregory Belenky, MD, the Director of the Sleep and Performance Research Center at Washington State University, states that, “The beauty of naps is that they add to total recuperative sleep time. It is even possible that divided sleep is more recuperative than sleep taken in a single block.”
Give napping a try if you’re able to – just be careful not to sleep too long. Rest periods of more than 30 minutes are likely to leave you feeling more fatigued and groggy than before!
Tip #5 – Drink more water
Dehydration is an insidious problem that can present with a number of different symptoms. Have a headache? Instead of popping a few aspirin, try a glass of water instead, as dehydration could be the culprit. Feeling tired? It might not be the funny way you slept last night – it could be dehydration knocking at your door.
So instead of reaching for an energy drink or sweet treat, drink a glass of water whenever you feel fatigued. Not only will doing so help you to avoid the sugar and caffeine issues described earlier, it’ll help reduce the role dehydration could be playing on your energy levels.
Tip #6 – Try a few yoga poses
Another great “go to” move for addressing fatigue is yoga. In the practice of hata yoga, there are postures designed to help with a number of different issues – including digestion, posture and even the release of energy.
One specific pose to try when you’re feeling fatigued is adho mukha svanasana – also known as, “Downward facing dog.” This popular posture releases muscle tension and improves the flow of blood to the brain, both of which can be instrumental in helping to banish fatigue.
Tip #7 – Lose weight
Finally, keep in mind that carrying excess weight causes the body to work extra hard in order to keep up with the physical demands of everyday life. Everything from carrying groceries into the house to climbing stairs becomes more difficult while overweight, so although it might not be as easy to implement as the tips described above, losing even 10% of your current body weight can make a huge difference in your overall energy levels.
Obviously, these are just a few of the different techniques that have been demonstrated to result in improved energy levels. If you have any other energy-boosting ideas, share your recommendations below in the comments section!
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