Get More Energy

Tired of being tired? Do you wonder why you are so sluggish during the day, imagining how to have a full day's worth of energy plus some to spare? Here is some basic but essential advice on getting more energy anyone can take.

Steps

Fueling Up With Diet

1. Eat breakfast, even if you're not hungry. Breakfast is probably the most important meal of the day in terms of energy. It gets your metabolism going and is probably the one meal that you can afford to splurge on. Breakfast primes you for the rest of the day. Researchers have even found that a little breakfast cereal in the morning is linked to lower amounts of the stress hormone cortisol.
   • If you're worried about weight, don't skip breakfast. Have a complete breakfast, a smaller lunch, and perhaps a snack for dinner. Eating in the morning is far preferable to eating at night for people trying to lose weight.
2. Eat about every four hours to prevent a spike and dip in blood sugar. Eating three large meals spaced out five to six hours can take more energy to digest, causing a huge surge in blood sugar, followed by a fall off a cliff. The idea is to keep blood sugar levels stable all day instead of letting them rise and fall.
   • Eat foods that will sustain you. At every small meal, choose either carbs (preferably complex), protein, or healthful fats (omega-3, monounsaturated, etc.). These foods will help keep you from feeling hungry an hour or two after eating.
   • Eat the same amount of food every three to four hours, or go for healthful snacks in between smaller meals. Examples of energizing but healthful snacks include:
     
     • Nuts
     • Olives
     • Yogurt
     • Fresh fruit
     • Legumes
3. Don't go overboard on caffeine after noon. Just because a little bit is good doesn't mean that a lot is better. Just ask the over-caffeinated person who has trouble getting to sleep at a reasonable hour at night because they've consumed more caffeine that is healthy or balanced. 200 to 300 milligrams of caffeine should be your upper limit — any more and you'll be bouncing off the walls at night and slugging out of bed in the morning.
4. Stay hydrated with water during the day. Doctors and scientists alike believe that drinking water is a key component to being healthier and feeling more energized during the day, although there is some disagreement about how much is needed.
   • One camp says that you should drink enough water to stay satiated. Drink whenever you're thirsty, but be aware of the color of your urine: if it gets too yellow, up your fluid intake (especially water).
   • Another camp says that humans should drink between {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} (for women) and {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} (for men) per day.
   • Know that alcohol or caffeine can make you dehydrated, so you'll probably need more water to compensate. If you do drink alcohol or caffeine regularly, be aware of that.
5. Get more fiber into your diet. Fiber releases energy at a slow, steady rate, unlike simple carbohydrates, for example, giving your body more energy to work with over a longer time. Some foods that you might consider eating or snacking on that are high in fiber:
   • Breakfast cereal such as raisin bran, or oatmeal
   • Beans or legumes such as black beans or edamame
   • Popcorn
   • Pear or apple, with skin
   • Whole wheat pasta
6. Eat plenty of healthy fats. People are scared of fats, and sometimes justifiably so. But not all fats are created equal. Omega-3 fats especially, but also monounsaturated fats, can be healthy and even energy-rich. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in nuts, fish, and certain vegetable oils (canola), will help you feel mentally alert in addition to giving your diet a healthy makeover.

Turbocharging Your Sleep

1. Turn off the bright lights and TV screens after 8. Bright lights can upset the body's release of melatonin, which tells you when it's time to go to bed (and helps you fall asleep). Adjusting your exposure to light in the hours before sleep will help you fall asleep easier and get a better night's sleep.
   • Dim your lights an hour before getting ready for bed. Invest in a dimmer if you haven't already. Dim lights will help your body start producing melatonin, giving you a better chance of falling sleep early.
   • Turn off bright computer monitors and TV screens after 8. If you have trouble getting to sleep early on in the night, bright computer monitors and TV screens are your enemy. If you have to be connected, try to dim the lights on the computer so that your overall exposure to light is less.
2. Don't keep looking at your alarm clock. Waiting for your alarm clock to hit a certain time — and stressing about how late it's getting — may actually keep you from getting a restful sleep. It seems like the harder you try to fall asleep, the harder it is to actually do.
   • The solution: turn your alarm clock so that it's facing away from you. Or even better: place your alarm clock on the other side of the room so that you can't see it and you have to get out of bed in order to turn it off in the morning.
3. Consider sleeping alone. For those who like to snuggle with their partner at night, the results may seem alarming: researchers found that people who sleep in the same bed as their partners woke up during the night, experienced major disturbances, and got less restful sleep. If you suffer from chronic fatigue, talk with your partner about sleeping alone at least a couple nights per week.
   • Don't invite your pet in on the sleepover. A study by Mayo Clinic Sleep Disorders Center found that 53% of pet owners who slept with their pets experienced a major sleep disturbance during the night.
4. Don't have that drink before bed. People who have an alcoholic beverage before bed have a higher likelihood of waking up in the middle of the night when the body finishes processing the alcohol, studies say. When you're sober, your parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) lowers your heart rate, giving you a restful sleep. When your body is processing alcohol, your sympathetic nervous system never gives up the reigns to the PNS, leaving you more tired than you would have been had you fallen asleep naturally.
5. If you can't fall asleep, stop trying. If, after 15 minutes of trying to go to sleep, you find that you can't, get out of bed and read, write, or find another soothing activity. (Remember, no bright lights or TV screens!) Not being able to go to sleep, and trying really hard to do so, can produce stress, which will ultimately keep you awake longer. Finish your activity and then try to go to sleep again.
6. Sleep with the temperature down. Cool environments help the body get better sleep. That's because cool temperatures help bring on the drop in core temperature that signals sleepiness.
   • What's the ideal temperature at which to fall asleep? Scientists say that a relatively cool temperature of between 60 and 68 degrees is optimal for getting to sleep. Studies have found that insomniacs have higher core temperatures right before they get into bed.
   • If you're having trouble getting to sleep, try dropping the temperature pretty low and putting a hot water bottle in between your feet. A hot water bottle will rapidly dilate blood vessels, which can help regulate the body's internal temperature.

Learning Pick-Me-Up Tricks

1. Splash some cold water on your face. Showering helps, too. A little bit of cool H₂O on the face is an energizing treat people have been using for a quite a while. This is water therapy at its finest and most efficient.
2. Dress for success. If you stay in your pajamas, sweats, or birthday suit all day long, you may trick your brain into thinking it has an excuse to be lazy. If you get dressed in "normal" attire, however, you're telling yourself that there are things to do, people to see, and happiness to be found. We all know how comforting those sweats can be. But when it's time to get out of bed and be active, they're not as energy-producing as you might have hoped.
3. Ease negative feelings by expressing them. People who have problems that are vexing them keep them inside for all sorts of reasons: they don't want to bother other people, they're afraid of how other people may judge them, or they simply feel they don't have the time to vent. Not being able to find a good emotional release for problems can be taxing to your energy.
   • Have a talk with one of your close friends. Confide in someone you can trust. Lay your feelings bare. Trust that the person you're confiding in has your best interest at heart and wants to help, if not hear you out. Getting rid of your anxiety in this way may help to lower stress and keep you energized longer.
   • Write down your feelings in a journal every day. If you don't have someone you feel you can confide it, a journal is a perfect substitute. Write down your feelings, your hopes, your aspirations. Simply putting them on paper can feel oddly relaxing and transforming.
4. Listen to music. Whether it's Beethoven or Black Sabbath, music can give you an emotional boost. One recent study found that people who listened to music while running ran faster than those who didn't. Try burning a CD of your favorite tracks and listening to it when you need a pick-me-up.
5. Don't forget to exercise. Exercise is about as close to a panacea as humans have gotten. Exercise improves health, mood, and your ability to sleep as well as feel energized. If you don't exercise regularly, try fitting a little bit of exercise into your daily routine. Walking for 30 minutes a day can be a huge boon to your health and energy levels.
   • Make time for Exercise in the Office. Whether it's sitting on an exercise ball instead of an office chair, doing stretches in front of your computer, or carving out time to walk during your lunch break, being at the office is no longer an excuse not to exercise.
6. Think of ways, big and small, to give back. Being generous and altruistic can boost mood, life satisfaction, and energy levels. Find a way to give back to less fortunate people in your community for an instant mood and energy boost.

Tips

• To obtain energy in the morning, do jumping jacks or other cardio exercises to increase heart rate and get oxygen spreading to different parts of your body.
• Live a good and healthy life. It'll help you feel better and more active.
• Don't eat a ton of sugar, for you might have energy for a small amount of time but you'll soon crash.

Warnings

• Do not be fooled by fake miracle energy products.

Sources and Citations

See also

• Practice Self Care
• Stay Young Looking After 40
• Clean Your Eyebrows
• Measure Hand Size
• Be Close to Flawless
• Be Pretty if You Are Unfortunate With Your Looks
• Benefit from Ecklonia Cava Antioxidant Seanol
• Appreciate Curves on a Woman
• Tie Your Shoes
• Stop Pushing People Away

Read more ...

What links here

• Boost Energy Levels