People’s lives are steadily becoming busier, and more of us are finding ourselves feeling tired and drained. According to research, about 76% of people feel tired throughout the week.
One of the biggest energy zappers is stress. Stress is the result of anxiety, and anxiety uses up a lot of our energy. Like worry or fear, stress can leave you mentally and physically exhausted, even if you’ve spent the day in bed. Low, chronic levels of stress commonly erode energy levels, and over time you’ll find yourself doing less and feeling it more.
Forming some good lifestyle habits can help you to reduce stress levels and maximize your energy levels on a day-to-day basis.
Here are 4 top tips to help you feel more awake and alert.
1. Move
It may seem as if moving about when you feel tired is the quickest route to feeling exhausted, but the opposite is true. Experts say that increasing physical activity, particularly walking, actually increases your energy levels.
Exercise may not be the first thing that you’ll want to do when you’re tired, but it will stimulate your body and mind. It stimulates the release of stress hormones, in moderation, which makes you feel more energized and alert.
2. Nature
Taking at least twenty minutes out of your day to stroll or sit in a place that makes you feel in contact with nature will significantly lower your stress hormone levels.
Being out in the open air, or even viewing natural scenes, can reduce anger, fear, and stress and increase pleasant feelings. Exposure to nature not only makes you feel better emotionally, but it also contributes to your physical wellbeing, reducing blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, and the production of stress hormones.
A good dose of nature is a low-cost solution to reduce the negative health impacts stemming from growing urbanization and indoor lifestyles dominated by technology.
3. Calm your mind
Constant distractions rob us of our mental energy, and a tired mind can make the body feel like shutting down. However, our brains reboot very quickly and just 30 minutes without mental stimulation will allow your brain to focus and overcome fatigue.
Life becomes much easier when you keep your mind at peace. Mindfulness and meditation are not new concepts, but they have certainly become more popular in recent years as a part of a vast movement to fight, deal with and overcome stress in our hectic modern lives.
4. Nutrition and Hydration
Most people don’t drink enough water throughout the day, leading to dehydration and fatigue.3 Increase your intake by keeping a water bottle handy and drink a full glass of water before each meal.
The tried-and-true advice for healthy eating also applies to keep your energy levels high. Be sure to eat a balanced diet that includes a variety of unrefined carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, with an emphasis on vegetables, whole grains, and healthy oils.
