"I feel exhausted all the time, no matter how much sleep I get. It's like I'm running on empty."
"I struggle to concentrate at work because I'm constantly fighting off fatigue. It's hindering my productivity."
"No matter how much caffeine I consume, I can't seem to keep my energy."
"I have a million things I need to do, but I just don't have the energy."
Does this sound like you? If you said yes then you'll want to keep reading!
Making Sure Our “Inputs” and “Outputs” Are Stabilized…
We normalize low energy because so many people struggle with maintaining a healthy lifestyle and routines that support high energy levels. This boils down to lifestyle factors and general well-being including:
Energy balance, as you see below, is critical for stable energy levels, meaning we need to make sure our “inputs” and “outputs” are stabilized. We can’t eat a ton of food and never exercise, just like we can’t exercise all hours of the day and eat nothing.
Tips to Boost Energy Levels Naturally
Let’s dive into a few lifestyle factors that you can start improving today to help boost your energy levels naturally.
Sleep
Sleep quality: Uninterrupted sleep is the most restorative. Avoid common triggers for fragmented sleep like eating close to bedtime, drinking alcohol or caffeine, or working out too late which can be wake-promoting.
Sleep quantity: Most adults do best with 7-9 hours per night, but some people may need a little more or a little less. Experiment for a week or two with a little more or less sleep to find what works best for you.
Sleep balance: The equilibrium between sleep quantity and quality is sleep balance. Waking up at 6am every day for work and going to bed at 3am on weekends is not conducive to good sleep balance. Try to go to bed and wake up at similar-ish times on both weekdays and weekends.
Stress
Build stress tolerance and emphasize low stress reactions
- Respond to stress, don’t just react to it. This can look like self-awareness by identifying what emotions are coming up, and/or it can be actionable like journaling or brain dumping.
- Typically low-stress lifestyle: This is not something we can always control, but try to manage your stress load in various life stages. If you have young children but are still working full-time, it may benefit you to hire out some childcare or house cleaning to reduce what’s on your plate (if possible of course!)
Movement
- Don’t sit for long periods of time. Get up and move every hour if you can!
- Exercise for at least 30 minutes four times a week.
- U.S. guidelines suggest at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week.
Exercise is beneficial for energy because it:
- Improves circulation
- Increases endorphin release
- Enhances metabolism
- Reduces stress
- Supports sleep quality
- Increases muscle strength and endurance
- Improves mental focus and clarity
- Boosts mood and motivation
Nutrition
- Eat a plant-forward diet with lots of real, whole foods.
- Drink at least 8 glasses of water daily.
- Eat enough calories.
Nutrition is beneficial for energy because it:
- Provides you with glucose which the body uses for fuel
- Stabilizes blood sugar levels
- Supports weight management
- Fosters mental well-being
Boundaries
Set boundaries where it makes sense. Examples:
- Communicate your schedule clearly and prioritize, that way you’re not staying out too late and sacrificing sleep or missing training sessions or meal planning/preparation
- Offer to be DD or commit to how much you’ll be drinking if you’re headed for a night out
- Advocate for certain restaurants and eateries where you know you can make healthy food choices and modifications
It usually takes more than a few days to notice significant changes to energy levels. Anything newly adopted to improve energy should be assessed after several days or a couple of weeks to verify its effectiveness.
Energy can be difficult to quantify, which is why we track it on a scale of 1–5 for clients in their daily check-ins. Over time we can see patterns and tweak what we need to help clients increase their energy levels.
Sometimes we can’t quite figure out what’s going on with our energy levels unless a second pair of eyes take a look at our habits and lifestyle.
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