Feeling tired? 7 Ways to Enhance your Energy and Restore your Zest for Life!
Hello Everyone,
I hope you are all well, and feeling the energy of Spring. As I write, it is the Spring Equinox and the temperature is just about zero here. I’m feeling the shift of the season in an energetic way, which I love. However, the huge mounds of snow on my backyard don’t really fit with the vibe! So I have some delightful pink tulips on my counter, as a more fitting visual.
Today I want to focus on tiredness. The new season is calling for more outward energy, which is wonderful. Winter is long, and while the inward energy of that season is useful and necessary, many of us crave the lighter, brighter energy of spring. However, some winter fatigue may still be present and tiredness is something we all experience, whether it’s seasonal, health or just plain stress related. At times it can feel a little like a hamster wheel of too much to do and not enough time for rest, sleep or to just adopt some self care habits that may serve to combat our tiredness and fatigue. Exhaustion can become a cycle. So get comfortable for a short while, grab a cup of something warm and relaxing to drink, and let’s take a deeper look into why we are so tired, and how to invite some simple self care habits to energize and restore our zest for life. Let’s get started.
Spring vibes on my counter today!
Firstly, it is very normal to occasionally feel tired or sluggish during the day; we all have the odd night of less than optimal sleep, or have stresses that use our mental energy and cause feelings of overwhelm, which drain and exhaust us. However, if you feel that tiredness has become your default, then it could be time to make some lifestyle changes, and adopt some new self care habits that will serve as ways to boost your energy and create more focus in your life. Now, if you have a known medical condition that causes fatigue, or if your exhaustion is taking a toll on your mental and physical well-being, it is probably worth speaking with a medical professional to address this. Lifestyle changes can really improve your quality of life, but you may wish to get come clarification from a medical professional initially. So, how can we jump off the hamster wheel of the endless to do list, and the constant sense of never catching up which promotes that feeling of tiredness that just won’t quit? Here are 7 ways to improve your energy and retrieve your zest for life:
Early Nights - Going to bed a little earlier seems so simple and obvious, but training your body over a number of evenings to go to bed earlier really does impact how you feel the next day, and can increase energy levels over a period of time. Studies have found that people who sleep longer find it easier to wake up in the morning and stay alert during the day. There is also evidence to suggest that those who go to bed earlier have better blood sugar levels the next morning. This control of blood sugar leads to less likelihood of blood sugar spikes and dips, which can play into feelings of fatigue throughout the day. If you are feeling tired consistently, this is the first tip I would suggest trying for a few weeks to find out whether you truly are just lacking good quality, consistent sleep. Bringing your bedtime forward by as little as 30 minutes can make a huge difference for many people. Give it a try!
Move More - Exercise does seem to be one of the cure all ideas for many health and wellness related issues, and quite honestly, it often is. With regards to the topic of tiredness and fatigue, it absolutely is one of the best ways I know to naturally boost energy. Many studies have shown that a moderate amount of exercise per day improves sleep quality and reduces stress, which is often one of the causes of poor or highly interrupted sleep. Humans were meant to move, a lot! Our ancestors moved so much more than we do today, often working highly physical jobs, and moving so much more out of sheer necessity. Try adding a little more moderate exercise to your day and see if you notice a boost in your energy levels. Choose something that you enjoy and that easily fits into your day. Creating more stress by trying to get to the gym everyday, when you just can’t manage it will not help your cause. Even just a brisk walk at lunch time can make a real difference to your energy during the afternoon. Unless you are extremely exhausted and in need of rest, creating energy by movement is a really great way to break a tiredness cycle.
A brisk walk can make a huge difference to your energy levels throughout the day.
Hydrate - This seems to be another remedy for many issues, but again, it is often the most simple things that are overlooked. The simple truth is that many of us are trying to navigate our days while being dehydrated. Dehydration causes fatigue and irritability, and remaining dehydrated for longer periods of time can contribute to a cycle of extreme tiredness and fatigue. Most people need to consume at least 2 litres of water per day, and due to busy lifestyles and being constantly on the go, we simply forget to drink. Try increasing your hydration by adding more water, herbal tea or green juices to your day and notice how you feel. I like to put a large jar of filtered water with some fruit added at my workspace, where I can see it so I don’t forget to drink! Also adding more foods with higher liquid content to your diet can be a great way of increasing hydration. Soups, broths, smoothies, fruits like melon and orange and vegetable such a cucumber and celery, all have high water content and they are all healthy and nutritious. Be consistent with your hydration and you will notice a difference in your energy levels.
Morning Sunlight - When my son was a baby who didn’t love to sleep at night, I read that early morning sunlight exposure helped to regulate sleep patterns. So I started to take him outside for a short time right after breakfast, and it did help with his and my sleep at night. When full spectrum sunlight (which is only available outdoors) enters the eyes, the entire brain lights up. The pituitary gland is activated and in response, it releases hormones. The bright morning light signals to your body to increase cortisol production in a healthy way, along with serotonin. The pineal gland metabolizes serotonin into melatonin, the hormone which regulates sleep and wake cycles. The serotonin produced by early morning daylight exposure also improves mood and this, in combination with improved sleep pattern, is an excellent way to boost energy and break a tiredness cycle. Give it a try. Try a brisk walk once the sun is up, or just take your morning tea or coffee outdoors and feel the sun on your face for a few minutes. Now my son is almost sixteen and I still get out right after breakfast - my day doesn’t seem quite right if I don’t!
Early morning sunlight exposure is a great way to start your day, and it also helps to regulate sleep patterns.
Stress Less - Or at least try and identify and manage your stress, in order to reduce the anxiety which can prevent good, restorative sleep. When stress builds over time, sleep patterns can become disturbed and this can lead to a cycle of constant fatigue. Yoga and meditation are excellent places to start for reducing stress. If you are finding that stress is playing into your ability to fall and stay asleep, try my Guided Meditation for Deeply Restful Sleep. You can listen here on YouTube: https://youtu.be/zyh19p9FfAc or here on Insight Timer: https://insighttimer.com/jillsinnott Other great ways to reduce stress are :
Journalling - get it out of your head and onto the page
Exercise - can significantly lower stress levels
Yoga - Try this Restorative Practice: https://youtu.be/GMOqvB5_yOM
Daytime meditation - Try this Guided Meditation to Calm and Centre: https://youtu.be/mzB0uusy-jk
Restorative yoga is a wonderful practice for reducing stress and promoting more restful sleep.
Eat for Energy - Starting your day with a meal that will set your body up for success in regards to energy level, is really important. Although mornings can be hectic, finding enough to time to eat something nutritious and balanced is key to how your day with proceed. Many studies have found that eating a breakfast high in protein, good fats or complex carbohydrates will maintain blood sugar control and prevent spikes and dips which can lead to feelings of fatigue and the cravings of sugary foods throughout the day. Some breakfast ideas to eat for energy throughout your day are:
Avocado on good quality, high fibre toast
Steel cut oats made with coconut milk. Add some nuts, seeds and berries for extra nutritious goodness.
Overnight oats with chia seeds. Add toppings of almond butter, seeds and fruit.
Eggs on good quality, high fibre toast, with fruit on the side.
Better Beverages - Beverages with alcohol or caffeine content can be the cause of sleep disturbances and low quality sleep in general. Reducing your intake of caffeine is always a good place to start if sleep cycle problems that lead to tiredness and fatigue in the day are present. Limit caffeine to one cup of tea or coffee in the morning for a week or so and see if your sleep, and therefore your energy improves. Also, switching out coffee for something like chai or matcha tea, which have a lower caffeine content might be something to try. You might just love matcha tea and feel so much better after it’s more zen-like caffeine quality. Alcohol has also been linked to poor sleep quality and limiting your intake for a week or two, could also be an excellent way of improving your sleep pattern and feeling more energized generally.
Try a delicious matcha latte instead of coffee and enjoy the zen-like lower caffeine qualities.
It’s incredibly normal to feel tired from time to time. Busy work schedules, parenting, even having fun at the weekend, such as a great day out and about, can leave us tired; and it’s all perfectly normal. Here is a short yoga practice to quickly boost energy when you are feeling tired, or have tired legs after a busy day: https://youtu.be/fT34fsgF60A
However, if you are feeling stuck in a cycle of fatigue or constant tiredness, trying some or all of the above ideas will help you break the cycle. It is often the smallest changes, when woven into your daily routine, that create the greatest impact. The very simple lifestyle changes of going to bed a little earlier, finding time to add some exercise that fits easily into your day, getting that little bit of sunshine on your face first thing in the morning, eating an energy boosting breakfast, drinking water throughout your day, taking a look at your caffeine and alcohol intake, and managing stress, can all go a long way to enhancing your energy and creating a new zest for life. Almost everything feels difficult if you are tired and depleted. So give some or all of these a try and let me know how you feel. I would love to know if these easy self care tips helped you.
Feel free to chat with me in the comments below, or send me a message on the Connect with Me page of this website. I am available to answer any questions you may have regarding this blog post or any of the health, yoga and wellness topics I cover here on The Be Well Blog. You can also find me on Instagram and on YouTube. Come practice with me there, I would love to see you!
And as always if this inspired you today, please share it with a friend; it might inspire them too!
Until next time...Be Well!