Are you one of those people who need cup after cup of coffee to make it through the day? It’s normal to feel tired sometimes, but if you are feeling lethargic every day, then it could be a sign you need to introduce a few lifestyle changes to give you a boost.
Fortunately, most cases can be improved through some simple actions. The tricky part is finding out which of the several causes of fatigue is the source of your problem. The best place to start looking is with a few of the more common culprits.
Add Balance to Your Diet
People say that you are what you eat, so it’s perhaps unsurprising that a poorly maintained diet can cause lethargy. Eating a wide variety of different foods with plenty of whole grains, fruit, vegetables, and healthy fats, is the best way to keep the tiredness away.
If it fits into your schedule, then it’s preferable to eat small amounts regularly, rather than sticking to two or three big meals a day. The more you eat in one sitting, the harder it is for your body to break down the food, which saps your energy reserves. Smaller meals with regular healt12hy snacks is the way to go if you don’t want to overload your body.
Keep Yourself Active
It can be hard to find the motivation to go for a jog or a bike ride when you are tired, but it is a surefire way to boost your energy level. Regular exercise improves your cardiovascular health, allowing more oxygen to flow through your body. This helps fight off lethargy, as well as keeping your brain sharper.
If you are really struggling to get started with an exercise routine, take it slowly, maybe doing only five minutes at first. This gives you a base to start from which you can steadily build upon as you get into a routine. The more time goes by, the more confident you will become, and the more exercise you will do.
Check Your Medications
Medications are notorious for making people tired. If you are taking anything that you think is causing you problems, have a word with your doctor to see if you can change your prescription. It is usually quite easy to see if it is the pills that are at fault. If the lethargy began soon after you started taking your medicine, then the chances are it is to blame.
Drink Matcha to Avoid the Mid-Afternoon Crash
Almost everybody experiences a slump in the middle of the afternoon. It is part of the natural circadian rhythm, and there isn’t too much you can do to avoid it. A lot of people swear by a mug of coffee to stop them getting too tired, but even better is a cup of matcha.
Matcha is a powder made from ground green tea leaves. It is most commonly known for its numerous health benefits, although it also contains a lot of caffeine. However, unlike coffee, the caffeine in matcha is released much slower, making the effects last longer.
Make Your Sleeping Area Comfortable
To ensure you get a good night sleep, you should ensure that your bedroom environment is conducive to rest. The biggest culprit for most people is their phone, so move your charger from the bedside to help resist temptation when you are in bed. If you use the bedroom primarily for sleeping, then your brain will soon realize that it is time to rest when you climb into bed.
For optimum sleep, the room shouldn’t be too hot or too cold. Around 67F (19C) is the ideal temperature so that you can get by with just a thin blanket. If you are still tired after sleeping at this temperature, and you are waking with aches and pains or stirring a lot in the night, it could be a sign that you need a new mattress. If this is something that you recognize, you could consider buying a memory foam mattress to help give you the perfect sleeping position.
Are You Sleeping Enough?
It seems obvious, right? You are feeling extra tired, so the natural response is to question how much you sleep. Amazingly, most people don’t think about the amount that they sleep, instead focusing on the quality of shut-eye they get.
Perhaps it is because people get stuck into a routine where they go night after night of shortened sleep. In fact, around a third of people in the United States sleep less than the recommended six hours a day. It becomes the norm, and your body clock adjusts accordingly. If you fall into this category, try to increase your sleep to between seven and eight hours a night, and see if it makes a difference.
There are several reasons why you may be struggling to make it through the day. The only way to really find out what is causing your fatigue is to try different approaches and see how your body reacts. However, there is almost always something that works to give you more clarity in your mind and boost your energy levels. It just takes a bit of time.