I’m
not going to sugar-coat it: The best way to get through your entire day without
your eyelids drooping is to get enough sleep at night.
Seriously:
“Nothing replaces sleep to give you energy,” says Dr. Alison Kole, director of
sleep services at Summit Medical Group. “Most people require seven to nine
hours of sleep per night to feel their best.”
Still,
that’s not always entirely possible (just one more episode of The Great British
Bake Off can’t hurt, right?). But the good news is there are some quick
energy-boosting tips you can try that work pretty well in the moment. Here’s
how to get more energy, like, right now.
1. Follow this super-specific
hydration formula
Admit
it: You don’t drink as much water as you could—and dehydration is one of the
main reasons why energy levels bottom out.
“Most
of us walk around in a state of dehydration on a daily basis, and when your
body is dehydrated it can make you feel tired and sluggish,” says registered
dietitian and nutritionist Dr. Allison Childress.
Fortunately,
Childress also says that pretty much any kind of beverage (except alcohol)
counts toward your daily intake, so if you’re not a huge fan of plain water,
mix it up with juice, tea, or even broth from soup.
Not
sure how much you need? Kole says it depends largely on your body size, and
recommends multiplying your weight by 20 grams to calculate what your daily
goal should be.
2. Choose coffee over energy
drinks
Yes,
a quick jolt of liquid caffeine can definitely perk you up—but here’s the
thing, not all caffeine is created equal.
“Stay
away from energy drinks…they may give you a temporary boost, but these are
stimulants and can set you up for a crash later on,” says Childress, since
energy drinks often contain caffeine as well as a mix of other stimulants like
guarana and yerba mate.
She
says that 240 to 350 mils of coffee is a much better choice when you need some
liquid energy (i.e., no crash). Just be mindful of the timing; Kole warns that
having caffeine too late in the day (say, after 4 p.m.) can interfere with
sleep—and possibly force you to need even more caffeine the next day.
3. Snack on both carbs and
protein
Your
body’s energy comes from the calories you consume, says Childress, so if you’re
feeling sluggish you might need to fuel up. But don’t head to the vending
machine down the hall; there’s a simple formula for noshing on a perfectly
energising (and healthy) snack.
“Choose
a carb and a protein for maximum punch,” she explains—the carbs will provide
your body with fuel, while protein will help you stay fuller (and more
satisfied) longer. “Try an apple with a piece of string cheese, a cracker with
nut butter, or half of a protein bar,” says Childress.
4. Do a few laps at the
office (or just get up for some water)
If
you find yourself nodding off at your desk, there’s a simple solution: Take a
walk—it’s an automatic source of energy that boosts your circulation and keeps
your muscles active, says Kole.
And
before you complain that there’s no place to walk outside your office building,
know that fresh air is not mandatory for this tip to work. Take regular trips
to the water cooler, log some laps around your department’s collection of
cubicles, or walk up and down the stairs a few times. Childress suggests
setting an alarm on your phone to remind yourself to get up from your desk
every hour and move.
“Do
it regularly to keep tiredness at bay and keep your mind focused—a move break
is just as good for your mind as it is for your body,” she explains.
5. As soon as you wake up,
make a plan to crush the day
You
know that feeling when you wake up and have so much to do that you kind of just
want to go to bed? This tip can help with that “I’m so overwhelmed” feeling.
Kole
suggests starting every day with a positive thought or goal (like, “I’m going
to spend 20 minutes mentally rehearsing for my presentation over coffee
today”). This will help you manage your attitude toward the day’s
activities—and conserve some of your precious energy, because freaking out
about everything is super draining. “Personally, I try to focus on one thing
I’m thankful for,” she says, “which creates a positive mindset moving forward.”
6. Take a whiff of something
refreshing
Whether
you work in an office or at home, the air around you can get…stale—which
definitely doesn’t bode well for staying alert.
Perk
up by diffusing essential oils (they’ll spice up your environment and boot your
energy levels). Childress says that eucalyptus and citrus oils can refresh a
tired body and mind, and that if simply smelling some zesty lemon doesn’t quite
do the trick, you can also try putting a drop on some pressure points (like the
insides of your wrists) for an extra kick. Just make sure to read the
directions; some essential oils can irritate the skin.
7. Go outside on your lunch
break
Sunny
days aren’t just good for your mood—they can also be good for your mental and
physical health.
“The
sun can be very invigorating [and it can also] stimulate vitamin D production,
which has been shown to enhance mood,” says Childress. Everyone needs vitamin D
for bone health, but many don’t get enough of it from food—enter, supplements
and good ol’ fashioned sunshine.
8. Keep your curtains open
and wake up by daylight
If
you need one more reason to consider the sun your friend, pay attention:
opening up your curtains and letting daylight into your bedroom as soon as you
wake up in the morning can set you on an energised course for the whole day.
Kole
says that exposing yourself to bright light first thing in the a.m. helps
regulate your internal sleep-wake body clock and may even improve your mood,
especially if you suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
9. Go ahead, take a (power)
nap
If
you have a full-time job (or children), taking a nice, long restorative nap
when you’re feeling sleepy is probably out of the question. But there’s good
news: you don’t need a long nap to reap the benefits of some afternoon
shut-eye.
“The
ideal length for napping typically is about 20 minutes,” Kole says. “Longer
naps tend to leave people sleepier, in part because the further you go into a
sleep cycle the more likely you are to hit deep sleep, and waking up during
that stage often causes people to feel groggier.” Basically, consider this
permission to take a quick midday snooze.
10. Try to sweat a little
bit before breakfast.
In
addition to making you feel super-productive before even starting your day,
working out in the morning can boost your energy, as well as control anxiety,
and reduce stress—two major energy-suckers, says Kole.
But
there’s one other reason to make going for a daily run the first thing on your
daily to-do list: According to Kole, a morning workout sets a positive and
energised tone for the rest of your day, while working out in the late
afternoon or evening is more likely to interfere with your ability to fall
asleep at night, she adds.
11. Free up brain power by
actually writing things down.
If
I were to peek into your brain right now, I’d likely see a miles-long list of
appointments, schedule changes, and other things you definitely cannot forget
about—and that’s a recipe for crushing fatigue, says Kole.
You
actually expend a lot of energy trying to mentally keep track of everything you
need to do, so Kole recommends sitting down to actually get some of that stuff
done—or at least organising yourself better by writing down all of those
things. She says resolving these distracting loose ends can free up tons of brain
power and make you feel more prepared to tackle the next thing on your list,
whatever it is.
This article was originally
published on www.womenshealthmag.com
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