Everyone wants to feel on top of the world and energized throughout the day, but sometimes it can be tough to experience this heightened level without the help of outside substances. Coffee, Red-Bulls, and even pre-workout stimulants are things that thousands of people take to increase their energy throughout the day. While these substances do the job, taking too much everyday can lead to unwanted side effects such as jittery hands, a heightened heart rate, elevated levels of stress, and trouble sleeping at night. Although I’m a huge coffee fan, drinking too much does get to me and can get in the way of my focus. The best way to increase your energy is to do it naturally, so stay tuned. We’re going over key ways to help you feel more focused and level headed throughout the day without downing endless cups of Joe.

Increase Your Abilities 

The best ways to increase your abilities and energy every day is to build a variety of healthy habits. Usually we forget that our bodies aren’t robots and need plenty of nutrients to stay strong throughout the day. Some important things to remember to help you improve your energy levels naturally include:

1. Start with better quality sleep. This seems like a no brainer but all of us still push good sleep to the side to get ahead in work, our business, our hobbies, or our addiction to Netflix.  From pushing back bedtime to meet a deadline to missing out on a few hours of sleep due to shifts at work, many people start to feel worse the next day and can suffer from poor memory, focus, agility, and moods.  This is the number one reason you probably are feeling lethargic, grumpy and tired right now in fact. I recommend that you aim for around 7 hours of sleep per night, so prep your bedroom for a great time of shut eye. Close the blinds, turn off the lights, make your bed, and develop a healthy night time routine to help this.
2. Reduce your stress levels. It’s not uncommon for people with busy lives to feel very stressed and overwhelmed. Stress can drain our energy and ability to concentrate since our mind starts racing at one hundred miles per hour. Start finding a natural way to lower your stress like meditation in the morning, going for a lunch break walk, and getting into a healthy exercise routine. Even listening to your favorite playlist and reading a new book will help your mind switch off for a couple minutes and reflect on the day so far.
3. Start exercising or moving for at least one hour a day. Studies show that sedentary people with persistent, unexplained fatigue decreased their tiredness by huge amounts by just starting one new exercise. Going for even a ten minute walk is great to get your mind feeling more focused instead of chugging a cup of coffee or eating a sugar packed snack.   To incorporate exercise into your day, you could try incorporating an exercise ball at your desk, going for a walk on your lunch break, squeezing in the gym before your work or school, or getting an exercise buddy.
4. Cut down on your alcohol. I know this first hand as a previous college student that too much drinking lowers your energy levels. Hangovers can totally wreck your day and hundreds of studies actually point to too much drinking lowering your metabolism, your ability to function as well overtime, and hurts your ability to get quality sleep. Drink in moderation and try your best to not go overboard. You can still have fun and let loose when you can but know what your personal limit is with drinking
5. Eat a heather diet. Food is fuel and there’s no secret when it comes to putting the right things into your body. You will definitely feel worse if you’re eating fast food, sugary snacks, and drinking soda throughout the day compared to eating a high protein, high fiber, and complex carbonhydrate packed diet.Additionally, if you have an erratic meal pattern and regularly skip meals, you may miss out on necessary nutrients, making you feel tired. Make sure you eat when you are hungry and keep track of your calories if you are watching your fat levels.
6. Drink enough water. Being dehyrdtaed leads to a long list of effects like fatigue, stress levels, headaches, and feeling like you may even pass out. Drink at least eight glasses of water each day so you can start feeling your best! Keep a aluminum or glass flask with you at all times so you can drink water in an environmentally friendly way. If you hate the taste of plain water, it helps to put in slices of fruit or cucumbers, or even add flavor drops so you feel perked up.

Watch Your Health 

These tips are the best and most natural ways to increase your energy moods over time. If you do feel like you’re much more sleepy and fatigued than usual, it may be a sign to take a trip to your doctor. They can assess whether or not you may have an underlying issue at hand. However, the best way to keep yourself healthy and not relying on outside substances is to treat your basics of diet, sleep, and hydration as a priority!