How To Have Energy To Do The Things That Matter : 6 Tips To Feel More Energized

How To Have Energy To Do The Things That Matter: 6 Tips To Feel More Energized

You’re not lazy, but you are drained 

If you’re blaming yourself for not doing enough, and you think you lack motivation and willpower

Think again, in many cases, you lack energy 

I had struggled with a lack of energy, tried many things from doubling my coffee intake, journaling, shutting down routine to sleep better and earlier,…nothing fixed it

 And at some point, I gave up on fixing it

But wanting to reach my goals renewed my desire to change

I fixed my lack of energy with simple things i started doing

in this post,i want to share the things that gave me my energy back, simultaneously, my momentum

If you want to get out of the cycle of fatigue and frustration, read this post

What you’ll learn:

• Why do you have low energy?
• The exact things I do have consistent energy to work on my goals

Disclaimer: Don’t make any dietary changes without consulting your doctor first. Anything you try is at your own discretion

Why do you lack energy?

Feeling tired and low in energy has many reasons. You need to identify why you are that way, then find solutions based on that

Below is a list of some of the major reasons. As you read them, think if any apply to you so you can take the tip best suited to you

Some of the major reasons are:

1-a demanding 9-5

2-lack or not having enough sleep

3-lack of nutritious food, thus lack of nutrients

4-living a sedentary life(lack of movement)

5-overwhelm from having too much to do

6-constant stress and burnout

7-mental disorders: depression, anxiety

8-overthinking

9-sleep disorders: sleep apnea, insomnia

10-chronic illness

11-hormonal imbalance, infections,

12-…..etc

Disclaimer: if you have any mental or physical issues or illnesses, seek medical professional help

Things to do to have energy to do what is important

1-nap

I do it midday in the afternoon when i hit my sluggish point

This time after lunch i noticed i feel sluggish and so tired, so I work out and take a short nap after for 30-1h every day

i wake more energized and ready to do something that requires brain energy, like writing

Actually, there is research that supports it: 

Naps help reduce fatigue, improve mood and alertness, improve reaction time and performance and attention

The ideal is to take 10-30 minutes in the early afternoon from 1-3 pm, none after

because that would disrupt night sleep and lead you to feel groggy upon waking up

You can take a 90 min nap if you can fit it into your schedule, because it’s a full sleep cycle

Sources:

1-lone star neurology

2-muse

3-sleep foundation

2-timing your coffee

Here i consider two things: how close it is to bedtime, when it will hit right(give me energy when I need it), also, i drink coffee for the taste so this sometimes doesn’t matter

Here is a breakdown on how I do that;

To do that i drink one in the morning for enjoyment and the first burst of energy and early evening to boost my energy and still not affect my bedtime since I sleep late around 2-3 am

According to research

Don’t take coffee upon waking up since your cortisol peaks, but wait 60-90 minutes before drinking it and coincide with the natural dips that happen

The best time to drink coffee is mid-morning and early afternoon(1–2 pm), as they coincide with the natural dip in energy

Coffee within about 6 hours of bedtime can disrupt sleep quality and affect the next day’s energy

A coffee nap can be more helpful than either alone and you do it by drinking a cup of coffee, followed by a 20-minute nap

Sources: 

1-health.com

2-prevention.com

3-healthline.com

3-energizing snacks

Late evening I found that my energy dips, mind you, it’s just been 2 or so hours since I drank my coffee and for a while thought that i need another cup, so i did

But then, when i started a diet to improve my hair I focused on making snacks a priority to add more nutrients since I eat only two meals, and

replaced that 3ed cup of coffee and when i did i saw that my energy and focus returned, so I stopped drinking coffee late and replaced it with a sncak 

But not any snack would do; it must be nutritious, contain healthy fats, fiber, and maybe protein 

My snack of choice is eating 2-3 fruits+dates+yogurt+handful of nuts

So, pick a nutritious snack when you feel your energy dipping 

Following this formula 

Complex carb(fiber)+protein+healthy fats

Why is it helpful?

According to research, it sustains energy and give long lasting energy than the alternatives

It prevents blood sugar spikes and crashes, slows digestion, and keeps you fuller and more energetic until meal time

Sources:

1-health.com

4-energizing nutritious meals

I started a new healthy diet that focuses on eating protein, lots of vegetables, and complex carbs while focusing on specific nutrients for hair health, which is still inclusive to every other part of my body

which affected my energy and overall focus

Eating balanced and healthy meals that are based on your needs and daily energy needs is key to having more energy

Hers is what the research says about it:

Eating balanced meals that include complex carbs and fiber (whole grains,oats,fruits,vegatables),

lean protein(fish, chicken, legumes), and healthy fats(nuts,seeds,oils, avocados), 

+micronutrients like vitamins Bs,iron, and magnesium help in energy metabolism

slow digestion and give a steady supply of sugar, which will maintain your energy and reduce fatigue 

Also, check this post to learn how to start living healthy

Sources:

1-world health organization

2-season

5-workout/movment

I don’t feel like working out most of the time because I’m tired mentally.

Since that is the case i stopped listening to myself and always remind myself that that won’t change, and when I work out, I’d feel 100% better 

Which boosts my energy and makes it easy to focus and work on things that need big mental power, like creating content, taking photos, and solving a problem

Not to mention the benefits to your overall health

So, pick a workout, walk, stretch, or any type of movement when you feel exhausted, and see your energy returning 

An idea that I came through from a YouTube video is to create small pocket of movement, like 5-minute squats around your desk, or minutes walking around the office

According to research, even light movement (10-20 minutes) can reduce fatigue by increasing blood flow

Regular physical activity is associated with having higher energy 

Walking even for 10 min reduces blood sugar spikes and dips, which keeps your energy steady without the crash you feel after meals

Sources:

1-pubmed

2-pubmed 2

3-frontier

6-match the task to your energy and the time of day when you have energy

It’s as simple as it sounds. Here’s how to do it

Identify when your energy is high, medium, and low, then plan your tasks based on that(while, of course, excluding time of your 9-5 and anything else you can’t change like sleep, eating time,..etc)

Where the tasks that need a lot of mental energy are in your high energy time buckets, tasks require medium energy in your medium energy time buckets, and so on

On a calendar, digital or physical, identify the time of different energy levels, then add the tasks in the time slot that fit the energy they need from you.

If you don’t know, observe and do an audit for a day or two to see

For me, things that require high energy are creating content, learning, planning, coming up with ideas, writing, typically i do it in the morning and late evening

Things that require medium energy are scheduling content, prepping things,.. mostly late evening

Things that require low energy are house chores, workout, .. around the afternoon and early night

Final thoughts,

When things aren’t the way you want, be compassionate and kind to yourself despite everything

Then, tackle this logically, understand why you are tired, fatigued all the time, or when you want to work on your goals,

and then try a solution as an experiment. If it didn’t work, reflect on why and try something else 

Sometimes, for things to click with you, it will take time, and you need to be mentally prepared for that, so you don’t get frustrated

Share in the comments, why do you feel tired? And what are you taking from here to solve it?

You’ve read How To Have Energy To Do The Things That Matter : 6 Tips To Feel More Energized

Wishing you the best

, Wafaa