Do you feel tired on some days, or even on most or all days? That’s no fun, but it sure is common. When you’re tired, the demands of work and life can be too much to handle, and you may not even have the energy for fun things in life. What can you do?
Feeling drained is, well, exhausting, but there are things you can do to feel better. Here are 10 ways to boost your energy and how Netrition products can be there for you as you work to feel better.
If you’re low on energy, the solution may be as simple as getting more sleep. Adults need about 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night, but many report being short on sleep sometimes or often. A good quick check of whether you may need more sleep can be to notice what time you wake up when you don’t use an alarm clock. If you sleep in more than an hour past your normal weekday waking time, you may need more sleep.
These tips can help you get more sleep.
- Go to bed earlier.
- Have a consistent bedtime and bedtime routine.
- Turn off your phone overnight, or put it in another room.
- Sleep in a cool, quiet, dark room.
- Turn off electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
Netrition has a wide variety of Sleep Aids with natural ingredients to help with normal relaxation and sleep cycles. They come in tablets, patches, gummies, and even tea. When you catch up on sleep, you may notice your energy levels increasing.
A nap can also be effective at increasing energy. It can clear your head, get you through the day, and make you feel much better. As little as 15 minutes can help. If you sleep for too long, say, more than an hour or so, you might find that it interferes with your night-time sleep. It’s best to try different lengths of naps to see what works for you.
It may sound funny, but getting active can increase your energy levels. In part, it’s because getting moving wakes you up and gets your body going, but there’s more to it than that. When you get fitter, your heart and lungs work better and your muscles are stronger. Daily life is easier, and that can leave you feeling less tired and more energetic.
Most people can start a walking program safely, but ask your doctor if you’re unsure or if you have any health conditions. Other activities can include cycling, swimming, aerobics, tennis, gardening, and dancing. Anything that gets you moving can help increase energy. The general goal for most adults is to get at least 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity activity, such as brisk walking.
Magnesium is an essential mineral for bones, but there’s way more to magnesium than that. It’s necessary for hundreds of reactions in the body, including reactions that produce energy and reactions that allow your muscles to contract and relax. Knowing that, it’s little wonder that a magnesium deficiency might make you feel tired.
These are some good sources of magnesium.
- Whole grains, such as bran cereal and shredded wheat.
- Nuts, such as hazelnuts, cashew nuts, and almonds.
- Fish.
- Dark chocolate.
Although magnesium is in a variety of foods, not everyone gets enough from their diet. Netrition has Magnesium Capsules with different ingredients; ask your healthcare provider which may be best for you.
If you’re exhausted, consider whether you may be wasting valuable energy on unimportant things in life. Are some issues taking more of your effort than they deserve, leading you to feel too tired to deal with the things that actually matter to you?
It’s a good stress management technique to identify what you can control, and let go of the rest. That can help reduce anger, as well. The result can be letting you channel your limited energy supply to where it’s truly needed. Deep breathing, visualization, and progressive muscle relaxation techniques can all help manage stress.
What do millions of Americans do on a daily basis to wake up? They drink coffee! Coffee reduces feelings of fatigue, including when you’re not getting enough sleep. That’s why students drink it to pull all-nighters! The daily limit for caffeine for most people is about 400 mg per day, or about 4 cups of coffee, but it’s best to ask a healthcare provider what might be a safe amount for you. You can watch for signs of too much caffeine, such as trouble sleeping or increased anxiety.
Coffee increases energy not only in the morning when you’re first waking up, but anytime you have it. It can even help get you through a workout, but be aware that caffeine also stimulates your digestive system and can lead to an upset stomach while you’re working out hard. It’s also good to be aware that caffeine increases your heart rate, so you may want to check on a safe amount to have before exercising.
Netrition has all kinds of coffee, including Alex’s Acid Free Coffee if you’re on a low-acid diet, or High Protein Coffee to help boost your intake. If you’re looking to reduce calories, try your coffee with Sugar Free Syrup and Unsweetened Almond Milk instead of sugar-sweetened syrups or whole milk.
Water prevents dehydration, but there’s more to it. Drinking enough water can help prevent fatigue and headaches that are associated with mild dehydration. If you often feel tired in the mid-afternoon, there’s a good chance you’re experiencing the results of mild dehydration. Mid- and late-afternoon are times when many people don’t drink enough and feel tired.
You can get more benefits from drinking more water if you reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages at the same time. You’ll experience fewer sugar highs and lows, which can lead to more stable energy. You can also lose weight, which boosts energy. Avoiding alcohol also helps, since alcohol can make you feel drowsy but at the same time, interfere with sleep.
Breakfast is the first meal of the day, and it can come after your body has been without food for a long time. If you don’t eat breakfast and you’ve been feeling tired, it could simply be that your body doesn’t have enough energy to get through the morning. A healthy breakfast could help.
A “healthy” breakfast is one that is high in nutrients and moderate in calories. It is good to include fiber and protein to prolong your feeling of fullness. Also, it’s good to limit sugar and refined starch, since they can cause blood sugar to spike and then fall, leading to more fatigue.
A good breakfast for you also has to fit into your lifestyle, so if you’re in a rush in the morning, a freshly made, hot breakfast may not be an option. A quick or portable breakfast, such as Egg in a Cup, single-serve Protein Oatmeal, and Microwaveable Keto Muffins in a Cup, could be more feasible.
Speaking of nutrition, what about those carbs? Some are way better than others for energy levels. Sugar, for example, is a type of carbohydrate that your body digests quickly. It enters your bloodstream and can give you that famous “sugar high,” but it doesn’t last long.
That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy sweet foods anymore. Netrition has all kinds of Sugar-Free Foods, including chocolates, candies, cookies, cakes, syrups, and fruit spreads. Whole grain options include Steel Cut Oats, Whole-Grain Bread, and Sugar-Free Granola.
Snacks can boost energy. That’s what they’re for! But not all snacks are equal. A sugary snack can make you feel hungrier and less energetic. A snack with protein can help keep you going for a while. High-protein snacks include Protein Chips and Puffs, Protein Cookies, string cheese, Jerky and Meat Bars, Salmon Snacks, and Nut Butters.
Sometimes, people get tired because something’s out of whack. Thyroid disease is a common problem. An underactive thyroid, or hypothyroid, can make you feel lethargic. You might also feel abnormally cold sometimes. It’s easy to test your thyroid function. Your doctor can write an order, and you can get it done with a non-fasting blood test in any lab.
Other common causes of low energy include nutrient deficiencies that cause anemia. Iron is an essential mineral for healthy red blood cell formation. It’s part of hemoglobin, which is the protein in red blood cells that deliver oxygen to the cells in your body so they can produce energy. Being low in iron can make you feel tired, and it increases risk for more infections.
Vitamin B12 is another nutrient that your body needs to produce healthy red blood cells. A deficiency can also cause anemia. A complete blood cell count test can give your healthcare provider clues about whether you might have one of these deficiencies.
If you do, you may need to take supplements to overcome them. Ask your doctor if you may need Iron, B Vitamin, or other supplements.
It’s definitely no fun to feel low on energy, but there are a lot of things you can try to feel better. Netrition is here to support your efforts. Be sure to ask your doctor if you think your lack of energy may be a sign of an underlying health condition.
