Sometime during the day, you are bound to hear someone complain about being tired. That someone could even be you. You may start the day off energetically enough only to find yourself flagging by early afternoon. How, why, and where have your energy levels gone to?
Well, you are not alone. About 21% of Australians are racking low on work energy, according to the Randstad Workmonitor survey. Barring any major health issues or psychological problems, some of the fault lies in people’s nutritionally deficient diets and lack of exercise. A number of businesses now recognize the impact of their workers’ low energy on productivity and several have encouraged programs that support awareness and implementation of healthy eating and exercise.
You are running on fumes because you may not be fueling up right. Consider that your low energy levels may be chalked up to these habitual errors:
Heavy reliance on or too much intake of caffeine
By 3 pm, you can hardly keep your head from dropping on the keyboard. First thing you reach for is your third java jolt for the day. Tsk, tsk. Although caffeine does give you a kick, too much of the stuff can send you off to another crash soon. Tread the moderate line on this one.
Caffeine can also cause you some trouble getting an early bird’s sleep time, particularly if you are sensitive to it. Substitute teas, sodas, and sports drinks with water or fresh juices towards the late afternoon to evening time frame. If you can’t get the proper amount of sleeping time, you won’t wake up refreshed and energized the next day.
You skip breakfast
Many people don’t put much stock on starting the day right with a good breakfast. Often, it’s a meal relegated to the back burner in favour of just a convenient cup of coffee to get one up and going. As mentioned, caffeine’s wake up powers wanes all too rapidly to be of much help to keep energy levels up. By lunch, you’re starving and likely to gravitate to poor food choices. A power breakfast, supported by a nutritious lunch is what it takes to get your zing constant through the day.
Pack your breakfast with a good nutrient punch of protein, complex carbohydrates, and antioxidants. Eggs, oats, berries, and sweet potatoes make good examples of healthy breakfast items.
Eating/drinking too much sugar
Sugar can give you quick energy boost but it makes you pay for the rush, big time. The perkiness you get from sugar-laden confections is extremely short-lived and temporary, not to mention unhealthy. When large amounts of sugar are ingested, the body responds by pumping lots of insulin which quickly tamps down your glucose level and triggers that sugar crash. This is why soda, choco bars, and cake can get you quickly out of a slump but can, just as quickly, trigger a snuff-out in no time.
You need to keep your blood sugar levels constant to balance your vigour with a diet including fibre-rich vegetables, whole grains, and fruit.
The absence of a consistent exercise regimen in your lifestyle
Modern conveniences have spoiled us to the point of rotten laziness. Keeping our muscular, skeletal, cardiovascular, and neurological systems well honed by a good amount of movement everyday has become quite a chore for most. Bad news is, the body was designed to move; otherwise, it deteriorates gradually like a can left out to rust.
One of the offshoots of living the couch potato life is sluggishness and low energy levels. We need to have a consistent exercise program to keep our body “well oiled” and our energy sustained throughout the day. The right amount of exercise per day gives us an energy boost with the consequential increase of endorphins. In addition, it helps us get better sleep quality which puts us in a perky state the next day. Aim for at least 30 minutes of cardiovascular activity and workout at least four times a week.
Ignorance of your dehydrated state
We feel tired because we may not be drinking enough water to keep our body hydrated. Dehydration leads to reduced blood circulation, causing less oxygenated blood from reaching your muscles. Lethargy then sets in. So, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate with the best beverage: water.
Habitual irregular sleeping schedules
You wake up early for work during the workweek; but sleep in during the weekends. Your inconsistent sleeping schedule disrupts your circadian rhythm and confuses your body. This impacts your energy during the day as your body craves some shut-eye at the wrong time.
Sleep deprivation not only reduces your vitality but it also negatively affects your cognitive functions, libido, emotional balance, and a host of other health-related factors.
Sitting too much
Although your job may require you to sit at your desk or computer table all day for hours on end, you can work around this situation so you don’t need to be nailed to your chair. Sitting for prolonged periods is unhealthy and is a major energy zapper. Change positions every hour. Stand; hand a memo over to your staff instead of emailing it; take the stairs to the next department...just move. Of course doing some jumping jacks or stretches every other hour is even a better idea. The thing here is to get those muscles working and your energy level maintained throughout the day.
To reduce the instances where you run out of steam, be aware of these habitual pitfalls. Start today to gradually work them out of your ways. Pay close attention to your nutrition and the amount of exercise and sleep you get. Most of the time, it all boils down to getting these three health pillars down pat.
