“I’m so tired, let’s go grab a cup of coffee”, - is one of the most frequently repeated phrases in this era of hustle culture. Sometimes you feel tired without knowing the root cause, but most of the time you are running on a few hours of sleep and your body is stressed.
Talking about boosting energy, one of the successful approaches is to follow the law of conservation of energy that states, "Energy remains conserved; it can be transferred from one form to another form." If we can apply this in our practical life, we can boost our energy levels.
The human body is an example of the bioenergetic system. Bioenergetics, a field of biochemistry dealing with the energy flow through living systems, determines how living organisms obtain energy and how they transform this energy to perform various biological activities. If we study bioenergetics, we can learn the methods to increase energy.
We all experienced exhaustion around 2-3 pm due to a low level of energy. This fatigue may be caused due to low sugar levels, disturbed sleep cycle, consumption of unhealthy food, lack of hydration, refined sugar, and much more!
Energy can be obtained from breathing, movement, food consumption, and sunbath, among other ways. But do you need an energy boost if you are tired, exhausted, foggy, and groggy? This article will help you understand different ways to increase your energy short- and long-term.
Factors Affecting Energy Levels
Several things can affect your energy level; some of them are:
- Lack of sleep
So many of us gaze at TV and other devices for hours; we fall asleep with our TV remaining on; we watch Youtube videos and send text messages late at night; we bedtime procrastinate in order to get more “me” time during the busy days - it’s called “revenge bedtime procrastination”.
- Unhealthy food
Eating unhealthy foods such as simple carbohydrates and refined sugar spikes your blood sugar levels, making you feel fatigued and sleepy.
- Lack of hydration
Water makes up between 50% and 70% of your body, thus depending on water to survive. Nevertheless, we simply forget to drink enough water dehydrating our body - tiredness may be one of the dehydration symptoms.
How to boost energy?
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Let's start finding ways to guide you to boost your energy. Of course, the method that works for you depends on the cause of your lack of energy in the first step, so awareness is vital.
Exercise to raise your heart rate
Different cardiovascular exercises, including walking, running, and dancing, increase heart rate, improve blood circulation, and help deliver oxygen to your tissues faster, thus giving you an energy boost. Your body becomes like a rechargeable battery. One thing to keep in mind is that too much exercise, or when you are feeling stressed and too tired is counterproductive - it makes your body even more stressed. Your best bet is to get a nap and focus on resting up.
Reduce carbohydrate intake
Reduced carbohydrate intake increases the body's energy level and keeps you energetic and alert because your blood sugar doesn’t spike as much. If you feel fatigued after eating chocolate or other junk food, and you are aware that you need to cut down, try to consume your treat right after the main meal that includes other two macronutrients - protein and healthy fats. When doing so, you are keeping your blood sugar stable and energy doesn’t drop throughout the day.
Nap
Adequate sleep helps the physical, mental, and behavioural changes to follow regular cycles. These cycles are affected by light and dark environments. So, if you sleep at a reasonable time, it can help to grow your body and boost your energy.
A short nap in the daytime can go a long way, too - just a 20-min nap will increase alertness, reduce anxiety, increase perception level and accuracy, refreshen your mood, and make you feel alive again!
Stay hydrated
We often neglect hydration by waiting until we get very thirsty even though more than half of our body is water! It means our body needs a constant flow of water to function perfectly. A simple hack is to buy a perfect reusable bottle, keep it filled throughout the day, and drink water when you exercise, sweat, or are just thirsty.
Test your Vitamin D, Iron, Thyroid Function, and Magnesium levels
If you are extremely exhausted and it affects your daily life, the solution may be not as straightforward as it seems. There could be several reasons for fatigue:
- You are deficient in Vitamin D; even though it’s easy to get vitamin D if you live in countries like New Zealand, according to the most recent data (which is unfortunately from more than a decade ago) “ Around 5% of adults in New Zealand are deficient in vitamin D (Adult Nutrition Survey 2008/09). A further 27% are below the recommended blood level of vitamin D”
- You are low on iron; iron supports the transportation of oxygen in your blood whereas insufficient iron causes iron deficiency anemia - less oxygen is reaching your tissues making you tired and short of breath; supplementation will help to resolve the problem;
- You have thyroid issues; an underactive thyroid slows down your metabolism and makes you gain weight; go and get checked if you suspect that’s what you have.
- You are low on magnesium; magnesium helps convert glucose in food into energy;
Ask for a blood test to find the answer and solution.
Do something kind
On a rotten day, do something kind to make it productive. It can make you vibrant through inner self-satisfaction. This act rewards you with a soothing effect on the body's energy level. It can be as simple as offering a hug or a smile to someone who needs it the most.
Practice meditation
Meditation helps replenish your energy. Meditation helps to eradicate all distractions from your mind and teaches you to focus your energy on your most incredible goals.
Go for a barefoot walk
Try to go out for a barefoot walk. As the earth's surface has a negative charge, many people believe you can absorb negative charge ions by walking barefooted on beaches and forests.
And, finally, grab that cup of coffee!
By increasing alertness and concentration, and improving your mood, caffeine will make you “last” longer if there’s no other way to restore your energy. However, it’s a short-term solution (and too much caffeine can make you anxious).
Final Words
Once you integrate these hacks into your daily life, they become second nature. Analyse the causes of lack of energy and pick the practices that help you produce and consume energy better within your mind and body. Try to have a healthy living routine, eat healthy, smile, dance, laugh, make a bond through touch, listen to your body, meditate, and stay energetic and vibrant!
References
Bioenergetics: The Chemistry of Energy Production
Revenge Bedtime Procrastination: Definition & Psychology | Sleep Foundation
High Blood Sugar: Symptoms, Spike, and More (healthline.com)
Water: How much should you drink every day? - Mayo Clinic
Vitamin D | Ministry of Health NZ
Underactive thyroid | Health Navigator NZ
