Unless it’s bedtime and you’re about to slip under the covers for what you hope will be a long and restful sleep, no one wants to feel tired.
However, many people find themselves feeling sluggish, fatigued, if not full-blown exhausted, most of the day. Learning how to have more energy throughout the day is certainly an appealing prospect for all of us.
With busy lives and a lot of things on our plates that demand either physical or mental energy (or both!), being able to stay energized all day is certainly an asset to your performance at work, during workouts, doing errands, taking care of household tasks like cooking, keeping your mood elevated, and overall just feeling your best.
Because so many people are unable to get an adequate amount of quality sleep every night, the notion of “all day energy“ may seem like a pipe dream, but there are certain things you can do to increase your energy and promote sustained and stable energy levels throughout the course of the day.
In this article, we will discuss how to have more energy throughout the day to help support you in feeling and performing your best no matter how you choose to spend your time and allocate your energy and efforts.
Let’s take a look at our list so you can find out how to have more energy throughout the day.
Let’s jump in!
How to Have More Energy Throughout the Day
Feeling worn down by the end of the day, or even mid-day, can be extremely frustrating and potentially limiting for the physically- and mentally-demanding activities you would like to take on.
For example, if you are feeling sluggish or fried by the end of the workday, heading to a high-intensity spin class or to the gym to do a heavy resistance training workout is probably one of the least appealing things you could imagine.
Below are some tips for how to have more energy throughout the day to accomplish what you set your mind to.
Keep in mind that there is no single magic bullet that will naturally increase energy for sustained energy all day long. You may need to implement several different strategies and make some adjustments to your lifestyle and daily routine to support better energy levels naturally.
#1: Get More Sleep
We might as well get this one out of the way first because the amount and quality of sleep you get is certainly the most impactful factor that affects your daily energy levels. If you are habitually failing to get enough sleep or do not get restful sleep when you are sleeping, your energy levels and mood will suffer.
Moreover, even if you have become fairly accustomed to the feeling of chronically operating on too little sleep, you likely experience some amount of drop off in your energy levels in the afternoon or evening or feel more sluggish and fatigued than you might otherwise, should you be sleeping more.
Although the amount of sleep that each person needs is somewhat individualized based on genetics, activity level, age, and diet, among other factors, the general recommendation is to get a minimum of seven hours of sleep per night for adults, if not upwards of nine hours per night.
Focusing on optimizing your sleep hygiene and sleep environment so that it is conducive to restful and restorative sleep is essential.
#2: Exercise Regularly
For people who are currently inactive or relatively sedentary, the very notion that exercise can increase your energy is probably quite counterintuitive. After all, exercise is obviously an energy-demanding activity.
However, research has shown that getting regular physical activity can increase your energy levels and reduce fatigue.
There is also evidence to suggest that getting consistent aerobic exercise can improve your sleep quality, which in turn, can fight fatigue and improve all day energy levels.
Another study corroborated these results, also finding that a consistent exercise program improved sleep quality and helped fight fatigue while also providing other energy benefits such as a reduction in emotional exhaustion and an improvement in cognitive function and ability to perform well at work.
If you are currently sedentary, it will take time to build up your fitness and endurance, and this includes your ability to have all day energy for vigorous or demanding activities.
#3: Take a Cold Shower
Jumping into a freezing cold shower is certainly not appealing to most people.
However, cold showers or cold water immersion can help increase energy levels as well as the production of dopamine and epinephrine (adrenaline), which can give you a jolt of energy.
In contrast, a warm or hot shower or bath is thought to be relaxing and may have a somewhat sedative effect on the body.
However, the utility of this strategy for having all day energy may be minimal. Like caffeine, you’ll likely get a temporary increase in energy and alertness, but it may not last all day.
#4: Get Your B’s
On any list of ways to boost your energy levels naturally, you’ll find the key tip to get your Z’s (more sleep), but it’s also important to get your B’s—that is, enough B vitamins, which play a key role in energy metabolism.
Ensuring that your diet is rich in natural resources of B vitamin, or taking a B vitamin complex supplement, may help support all day energy.
#5: Follow a Healthy Diet
Another great tip for how to have more energy throughout the day is to make sure your diet is nutritious.
Avoid excessive sugars, artificial sweeteners, and processed foods, as these can cause spikes and dips in blood sugar and energy levels.
#6: Reduce Stress
Whether you like to meditate, exercise, spend time with friends, or otherwise, finding ways to reduce stress can help boost energy and fight fatigue.
#7: Cut Back On Alcohol
Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant, so it can leave you feeling relaxed but also quite drowsy. If you are a heavy drinker or drink a moderate amount on a consistent basis but find yourself feeling pretty wary by the end of the day, you might be drinking too much, leaving you feeling sluggish and a bit sedated.
Studies have found that alcohol can impact the quality of your sleep, potentially reducing your body’s ability to get into the deeper stages of restorative sleep.
It is also a diuretic, causing you to urinate more frequently, so if you end the day with a nightcap, you might find yourself having to get up several times throughout the night to empty your bladder, further disrupting and cutting into your sleep.
These effects can bleed over into the next day, causing you to feel fatigued and worn out instead of full of vitality and energy.
Consider reducing your alcohol intake and seeing if you start to feel more invigorated throughout the day.
#8: Quit Smoking
At this point, it’s pretty uncontested that smoking is toxic for your health and is associated with an increased risk for many health conditions, such as hypertension, emphysema, lung disease, and several types of cancer.
Furthermore, smoking damages your airways and the small sacs in your lungs, called alveoli, which are responsible for oxygen exchange.
Over time, the toxins in cigarettes and the tar and inhaled smoke can build up in your lungs and reduce the functional ability of your lungs to take in and circulate oxygen to your body.
This, in turn, can not only leave you feeling winded doing everyday activities like climbing the stairs, but it can also cause overall fatigue because poor oxygenation of your tissues causes your heart to have to work harder to pump enough oxygenated blood around the body.
Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for your overall health, and it will certainly make an impact on your all day energy levels. Indeed, research has found that one of the benefits of smoking cessation is an increase in energy.
#9: Drink More Water
Studies have found that even mild dehydration can have a significant impact on your energy levels, mood, ability to focus, and other aspects of your physical and cognitive performance.
Staying well hydrated by consistently drinking water throughout the day is a great way to stave off dehydration and keep your energy levels up.
Ultimately, getting enough sleep, staying active, and making other healthy lifestyle changes, while also implementing some of the other tips for how to have more energy throughout the day should be able to significantly help you feel much more energized, vivacious, and ready to conquer whatever life throws at you.
For some fun ideas to get exercising right away, check out our 30-Day Fitness Challenges!
