There might have been days when you have felt so tired in the middle of a workday that all you wanted to do was go home and curl up in bed. Fatigue is quite common especially in today’s context when people aren’t extremely aware of what they are putting into their bodies and have hectic schedules to boot. Here’s what you can do to keep your energy levels up throughout the day.

Have a filling breakfast
Breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day. Because you go for a long time without eating anything between dinner and breakfast, your body’s glycogen—the glucose stored in the body’s muscle tissues—storage is running very low during the morning. Once you have breakfast, you replenish your body with glucose that it will utilize to keep your blood sugar in check and provide you with ample energy throughout the day. So, indulge in a heavy breakfast before you begin your day. 

Start your day by exercising
You may have noticed that whenever you do a task that requires a lot of energy or exerts your body, you need more oxygen and thus start huffing and puffing and breathe in deeper. But if you exercise daily, your body will get used to this. Your cardiovascular system gets more efficient and your lung capacity increases—which means you can tackle tasks that are taxing for your body more easily and you won’t run out of energy very soon either.

It’s better to exercise early in the morning because you might be exhausted and have no energy by the evening and so you won’t feel like exercising at all and might end up skipping it altogether. 

Embrace sunlight
We all know that sunlight is one of the best sources of Vitamin D which strengthens your immune system, bones, and blood cells, which in turn strengthens your body as a whole. In the long run, getting enough Vitamin D will make it easy for you to take on physically hard tasks and not feel the stress of it. Additionally, opening your blinds fully or going out for a walk as soon as you wake up in the morning exposes you to direct sunlight and sends a signal to your body that it’s time to wake up and get going. 

Have healthy food and drink a lot of water throughout the day
If you want to stay energized throughout the day, you have to eat (appropriately) for that. Consuming a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables will help your case. You should also consume things that are high in protein and fats. Avoid eating greasy, fried and unhealthy fast food a lot as consuming it daily will make you feel more sluggish and tired. Instead opt for foods that pack a lot of nutrients and are easy to digest.

Just as important as having healthy food is drinking a lot of water. Whenever your body is thirsty or in need of some fluids, the first sign could be a general feeling of tiredness. So, drink water frequently throughout the day to maintain your energy. Keep a bottle of water on your work desk and sip on it at regular intervals. 

Don’t over or under-sleep
Although a lot of people fail to get enough sleep at night, many people also oversleep which makes them feel equally fatigued and tired during the day. The ideal amount of sleep an adult needs is around seven to eight hours. Try to get these many hours of sleep even if it means you have to cut back on some work or fun time from your schedule. If your body is well rested you will work more efficiently anyways.

On the other hand, if you sleep for 10 to 12 hours a day, get your sleep pattern assessed and try to figure out why you are sleeping a lot. Keep in mind that excessive sleeping can sometimes be a result of a mental health issue or stress. Oversleeping causes your body to crave sleep even more and you will constantly think about sleeping and yawn the entire day.

Squeeze in a few minutes of ‘personal time’
Having a little ‘me time’ can make you happier and more productive. The reason why a lot of people feel sluggish all the time is because they aren’t happy with their lives. They feel like they just have to trudge on the entire day, only carrying out tasks for other people with barely any time to do things they like or enjoy. But if you separate a few minutes of your day to do something for yourself or something that you enjoy, you’ll look forward to your days and be more happy and cheerful in general.

Follow a loose routine or timetable daily
An erratic routine is another reason why one might feel tired and out of energy all the time. If you have a set routine, your body will gradually adapt to that and it will do everything without you paying much thought to it because it will be saved like muscle memory. Having a set routine—at least for things like when you wake up and go to bed, when you eat, when you exercise, etc.—also means your body will know what comes next and be prepared for that task.

 
• hectic_schedules
 
• fatigue
 
• energy
 
• timetable
 
• routine