How to gain energy back

Self-help tips to fight tiredness

Many cases of tiredness are due to stress, not enough sleep, poor diet and other lifestyle factors. Try these self-help tips to restore your energy levels.

If you feel you're suffering from fatigue, which is an overwhelming tiredness that isn't relieved by rest and sleep, you may have an underlying medical condition. Consult a GP for advice.

Eat often to beat tiredness

A good way to keep up your energy through the day is to eat regular meals and healthy snacks every 3 to 4 hours, rather than a large meal less often.

Get moving

You might feel that exercise is the last thing on your mind. But, in fact, regular exercise will make you feel less tired in the long run, so you'll have more energy.

Even a single 15-minute walk can give you an energy boost, and the benefits increase with more frequent physical activity.

Start with a small amount of exercise. Build it up gradually over weeks and months until you reach the recommended goal of 2 hours 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, such as cycling or fast walking, every week.

Lose weight to gain energy

If your body is carrying excess weight, it can be exhausting. It also puts extra strain on your heart, which can make you tired. Lose weight and you'll feel much more energetic.

Apart from eating healthily, the best way to lose weight and keep it off is to be more active and do more exercise.

Sleep well

Many people don't get the sleep they need to stay alert through the day.

The website of the Royal College of Psychiatrists has information on sleeping well.

Tips for sleeping well include:

going to bed and getting up in the morning at the same time every day
avoiding naps in the day
taking time to relax before you go to bed

Reduce stress to boost energy

Stress uses up a lot of energy. Try to introduce relaxing activities into your day. This could be:

working out at the gym
yoga or tai chi
listening to music or reading
spending time with friends

Whatever relaxes you will improve your energy.

Talking therapy beats fatigue

There's some evidence that talking therapies such as counselling or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) might help to fight fatigue, or tiredness caused by stress, anxiety or low mood.

See a GP for a referral for talking treatment on the NHS, or for advice on seeing a private therapist.

Cut out caffeine

The Royal College of Psychiatrists recommends that anyone feeling tired should cut out caffeine. It says the best way to do this is to gradually stop having all caffeine drinks over a 3-week period.

Caffeine is found in:

coffee
tea
cola
energy drinks
some painkillers and herbal remedies

Try to stay off caffeine completely for a month to see if you feel less tired without it.

You may find that not consuming caffeine gives you headaches. If this happens, cut down more slowly on the amount of caffeine that you drink.

Drink less alcohol

Although a couple of glasses of wine in the evening can help you fall asleep, you sleep less deeply after drinking alcohol. The next day you'll be tired, even if you sleep a full 8 hours.

Cut down on alcohol before bedtime. You'll get a better night's rest and have more energy.

The NHS recommends that men and women should not regularly drink more than 14 units a week, which is equivalent to 6 pints of average-strength beer or 10 small glasses of low-strength wine.

Try to have several alcohol-free days each week.

Read more about how to cut down on alcohol.

Drink more water for better energy

Sometimes you feel tired simply because you're mildly dehydrated. A glass of water will do the trick, especially after exercise.

Read about healthy drinks.

9 Ways to Combat Fatigue and Get Your Energy Back

Running on fumes? Here's how to stop feeling so tired all the time.

Written by Peter Jaret

You’re only as old as you feel, the saying goes. But what if you feel old, tired, and rundown?

Fatigue is a common complaint, especially after people hit middle age. Fortunately, there are plenty of simple ways to boost energy. Some even slow the aging process.

Here’s how to refill your tank when your energy levels sputter.

1. Rule out health problems.

Fatigue is a common symptom of many illnesses, including diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, anemia, thyroid disease, and sleep apnea. Talk to your doctor if you feel unusually tired.

Many medications can contribute to fatigue. These include some blood pressure medicines, antihistamines, diuretics, and other drugs. If you begin to experience fatigue after starting a new medication, tell your doctor.

2. Get moving.

The last thing you may feel like doing when you’re tired is exercising. But many studies show that physical activity boosts energy levels.

“Exercise has consistently been linked to improved vigor and overall quality of life,” says Kerry J. Stewart, professor of medicine and director of clinical and research exercise physiology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “People who become active have a greater sense of self-confidence. But exercise also improves the working efficiency of your heart, lungs, and muscles,” Stewart says. “That’s the equivalent of improving the fuel efficiency of a car. It gives you more energy for any kind of activity.”

3. Strike a pose.

Although almost any exercise is good, yoga may be especially effective for boosting energy. After six weeks of once-a-week yoga classes, volunteers in a British study reported improvements in clear-mindedness, energy, and confidence.

It’s never too late to try, either. University of Oregon researchers offered yoga instruction to 135 men and women ages 65 to 85. At the end of six months, participants reported an increased sense of well-being and a boost in overall energy.

4. Drink plenty of water.

Dehydration zaps energy and impairs physical performance. “Our research shows that dehydration makes it harder for athletes to complete a weight lifting workout,” says Dan Judelson, PhD, assistant professor of kinesiology at California State University at Fullerton. "It’s reasonable to think that dehydration causes fatigue even for people who are just doing chores."

Dehydration has also been shown to decrease alertness and concentration.

How to know if you’re drinking enough water?“Urine should be pale yellow or straw colored,” Judelson says. “If it’s darker than that, you need to drink water.”

5. Get to bed early.

Lack of sleep increases the risk of accidents and is one of the leading causes of daytime fatigue. The solution: Get to bed early enough for a full night’s sleep.

When people enrolled in a 2004 Stanford University study were allowed to sleep as long as they wanted, they reported more vigor and less fatigue. Good sleep habits may also have important health benefits. Centenarians report better than average sleep.

If you do fall short on shut-eye, take a brief afternoon nap. Napping restores wakefulness and promotes performance and learning. A 10-minute nap is usually enough to boost energy. Don’t nap longer than 30 minutes, though, or you may have trouble sleeping that night. A nap followed by a cup of coffee may provide an even bigger energy boost, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

6. Go fish.

Good for your heart, omega-3 oils may also boost alertness. According to a 2009 study by scientists at Italy’s University of Siena, volunteers who took a fish oil capsule for 21 days demonstrated faster mental reaction times. They also reported feeling more vigorous.

7. Keep time with your body clock.

Some people get a burst of energy first thing in the morning. They're often called morning larks. Night owls are people who are at their best at the end of the day.

These individual differences in daily energy patterns are determined by brain structure and genetics, so they can be tough to change. Instead, become aware of your own circadian rhythms. Then schedule demanding activities when your energy levels are typically at their peak.

8. Shed extra weight.

Losing extra weight can provide a powerful energy boost, says Stewart, of Johns Hopkins University. Even small reductions in body fat improve mood, vigor, and quality of life.

Most weight loss experts recommend cutting back on portion sizes, eating balanced meals, and increasing physical activity.

9. Eat more often.

Some people may benefit by eating smaller meals more frequently during the day. This may help to steady your blood sugar level.

Favor whole grains and other complex carbohydrates. These take longer than refined carbohydrates to digest, preventing fluctuations of blood sugar.

If you start eating more often, watch your portion sizes to avoid weight gain.

Being in a resource: 10 ways to replenish energy

Energy is a new currency. It is on its level that efficiency, mood and well-being in general depend. You can waste it quickly, but it is not so easy to restore it. But it's quite possible. We made cards with 10 tips on how to return to a productive state.

If you are not a fan of meditation practices, try to spend time in silence. Find a comfortable position for you, turn off all gadgets and remove all distractions. Better not engage in introspection, thinking about problems. Your task is to relax the body and mind. nine0005

"Relationships are one of the most powerful potential sources of emotional recovery," , write Living at Full Power authors Jim Lauer and Tony Schwartz. They are sure that a person is able to give an emotional charge to a person. And your state may already change after a calm meeting with a person you like. And being in large companies with unfamiliar people, on the contrary, is sometimes exhausting.

“In fact, sport gives energy, not takes it away. In any case, up to a certain limit. If you don’t set serious goals and don’t train 10-15 hours a week, then the sport will not require a special diet and rest,” the authors of the book “100% Charged” note. You can do exercises, do yoga, dance or go for a run. Choose the type of activity that suits you. nine0005

Stanford University researchers have found a link between breathing and emotional state: the shallower we breathe, the higher the level of anxiety. The fact is that the autonomic nervous system has two parts. The sympathetic triggers the stress response, while the parasympathetic is responsible for relaxation. A deep breath with a breath-hold activates the sympathetic nervous system, and an extended exhalation calms due to the work of the parasympathetic nervous system. When breathing is fast, there is practically no relaxation of the body. nine0005

At first, breathing exercises may seem unusual. Start simple: inhale and exhale with a delay of 8 and 16 seconds, respectively. Repeat 10 times.

When you are in the same conditions, habitual patterns of thinking and behavior are reproduced. When the environment changes, the brain establishes a new series of neural connections. It is not at all necessary to leave for other cities and countries. Go for a walk in a new place and explore it, paying attention to all the details. nine0005

During sleep, the body regenerates itself. But don't overdo it. In fact, trying to “sleep over the weekend” can break the routine and cause harm. Wake up and go to sleep at about the same time, even on weekends. And if, nevertheless, something went wrong at night, you can make up for these hours with daytime sleep.

A group of scientists from the Humboldt University of Berlin have confirmed that cold showers help to cope with stress. The fact is that while taking a shower, the level of uric acid in the body decreases and the levels of glutathione increase - it is responsible for the restoration of antioxidants. nine0005

Nostalgic memories help reduce stress levels, confirms Kristin Batcho, Ph.D., professor of psychology at Lemoine College. Remembering happy moments, you seem to experience the same emotions again. And your state changes.

You can make a list of activities that bring you pleasure. It can be anything: listening to music, painting, singing, or feeding squirrels in the park.

Chaos imperceptibly takes away strength: randomly scattered things interfere, and unnecessary notifications distract. Tidy up your home, as well as in messengers and on your virtual desktop. “On the virtual desktop, leave only thematic folders, such as “Work”, “Documents”, “Sports”, “Consulting”, “Family”, and organize everything else inside them,” the authors of the book “100% Charged” advise. Do not save individual documents to your desktop. nine0005

Lyubov Karas

An unusual way to regain the lost energy

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To know the How to

Souls, Changing the power supply-most likely you have already tried different ways to regain your tone, but they do not always give the desired effect, and there is not always enough time and discipline to observe a special regimen.

There is a simple and pleasant way to experience a burst of energy. nine0005

The power of memories

Everyone has memories of bright and pleasant moments of life. Some appeared in the period of early childhood, others we replenished our collection quite recently. They have something in common - that special state that we experience when we remember something good.

To better understand this, try to recall a bright moment in your life. Feel how the body begins to relax and there is a feeling of a surge of strength.

What is the reason that memories are able to give such nourishment, and how to get the most energy from them? nine0005

Source of internal forces

Consciousness is a complex system that stores access to internal resources and experience. In this cunningly organized “pantry”, not only talents and skills are “hidden”, but also the keys to restoring lost energy.

Every pleasant memory contains energy that we have the right to use right now

We nourish pleasant memories so that they do not lose strength and brightness, but this takes part of the energy resources. It turns out that in every pleasant memory there is hidden energy that we have the right to use right now. nine0005

It's like distributing supplies throughout the house - just imagine how much inner strength you will return to yourself by gathering all the supplies together again!

Renew contact with the memory

Find a place where no one will disturb you. You can sit in a chair or even lie down. Listen to your body, relax, release tension.

Choose one of the brightest and most pleasant memories. Imagine yourself immersing yourself in that happy moment, focus on the details: what do you feel, what do you hear, what smells are around, what colors surround you? nine0005

As you feel the full range of emotions associated with the memory, take a deep breath. Feel how the amount of energy that was filled with the moment returns with it. All power, all pleasant emotions and sensations leave the memory and fill you from the tips of your fingers to the tips of your hair. Having fully absorbed the resources of the moment, open your eyes.

Memory is activated and will offer new sources of recovery

With each memory, the process of energy recovery will be easier. Soon you will be able to do this exercise during a short break from work or while waiting for a flight at the airport.

Learn more