How many times do you ask someone how they’re doing, and they respond with, “tired”? Or maybe you’re the person that tells everyone that you’re always tired. Going through every day while feeling exhausted seems to be a chronic issue for many. It’s hard to pinpoint what the root cause is, but either way it’s draining to keep forcing yourself through the motions of each day.
There’s a whole host of variables that can affect your daily energy levels, but I want to focus on the basics here. If you’re so far removed from a healthy lifestyle, then I believe that this can be a great place to start. The basics of how to stop feeling tired boil down to focusing on Sleep, Diet, and Exercise:
Causes For Feeling Tired All The Time:
Either not getting enough sleep, or getting low quality sleep can both be very detrimental to your energy levels. Sleep is how our body rests and recovers, so sacrificing on this necessary part of our lives can have severe repercussions.
Diet is also a HUGE part of overall well-being. Food is literally the body’s main source of energy. If you think about your body like a car, you wouldn’t expect your car to run optimally if you threw anything other than high quality oil in it. Likewise, you can’t expect your body to be optimized when food choices consist of fast food, desserts, greasy/fried meals, etc.
And it’s extremely hard to argue that exercise isn’t a beneficial component of a healthy lifestyle. There’s a host of physical and mental benefits that come from working out, both of which can improve how you’re feeling each day. Neglecting this can leave you feeling lethargic and unmotivated.
How They’re Connected:
Of course, there’s the obvious point that poor sleep (or minimal sleep) is absolutely going to make you feel tired. But when you’re exhausted, your body craves carbohydrates and sugary foods because they’re quick/easy sources of energy. Then if you don’t sleep well and eat like junk, you’re certainly not going to be in the mood to want to exercise too.
All 3 are linked and they can all influence/affect each other. I’ve found that when I eat better, my body heals/operates better overall, and I’m more inclined to want to workout when I feel good. Completing a good workout also helps me fall asleep easier at night because of the energy I exerted earlier.
**Please Note: This is not health or medical advice. Please consult with a physician before making any lifestyle changes**
How To Improve Sleep, Diet, and Exercise:
Sleep:
The best advice I’ve implemented has been to establish a sleep schedule. You can set a bedtime and/or a wake-up time. My recommendation is to set a specific wake-up time. It can be hard to fall asleep at a designated time, so I find it easier to have a consistent wake-up time instead. If you didn’t get a lot of sleep the night before, but still get up at your set time, then you’ll likely be tired the next night to fall asleep earlier.
Other common recommendations for better sleep are:
- –Cut off electronics 1-2 hours before bed
- –Reduce light in your room (blackout curtains if possible)
- –Try not to exercise immediately before bed (it can be excitatory for your mind/body)
- –Allow yourself to decompress before bed (Meditation, reading, etc. Just something to relax your mind)
- –Cut caffeine ~10 hours before bed
- –Limit alcohol consumption (especially before sleep)
- –Stop eating a couple hours before bed
If you’re still struggling with low quality sleep, it’s probably best to speak with a professional on what might work for you.
Diet:
I know how hard it can be to change eating habits. Maybe it’s not easy to cut out all bad foods right at the start, so I would recommend incorporating healthier foods on top of what you already eat. Adding in fruits/vegetables as a snack allows you to get some nutritional benefit, without feeling like you’re giving up all the foods you crave/enjoy. Over time, you can focus on slowly cutting out the junk and replacing it with better alternatives.
A healthier diet needs to come from a mindset/lifestyle shift. Forcing yourself to eat things you don’t really want to eat isn’t sustainable long term. You have to actually have a strong enough motive behind the change for it to stick. If you’re actively concerned for your health, then you’ll make the changes that you need to.
I can’t tell you how much better I feel when I simply cut down on sugary/processed foods. Truthfully, I much prefer the way I look when I’m committed to a healthier lifestyle too.
Diet is complicated though because there’s a lot that goes into it. I’m still learning and refining my plans with this, but I know I can’t go wrong with getting more vegetables into my day and cutting back on foods I know are bad for me. Start there too.
Below is how I easily incorporate more vegetables into my diet:
Green Drinks Life Hack:
Personally, I really don’t like how time consuming it can be to eat a large portion of greens everyday, so I just blend up a variety of vegetables with water and drink it instead of eating it. This alone has been a huge cheat code for me to stop feeling tired all the time.
If anyone’s interested, here’s what I blend in my batch of green drinks that I make for the week:
- –2x Lemons
- –2x Limes
- –1x Container Mixed Greens
- –1x Cilantro Bundle
- –1x Dandelion Greens Bundle
- –1x Red Kale Bundle
- –2x Avocados
- –Water
This is just what I personally use, but feel free to remove/substitute anything to find what you enjoy. The taste can be a bit off-putting at first, but I’ve found myself craving these drinks over time because of how great they make me feel.
Exercise:
This is another one that can be tricky because all our bodies are different and we all have different interests. Although, I think it’s safe to say that some form of daily exercise will benefit your health. Doesn’t mean you have to overexert yourself every day, but it’s good to stay moving.
Find the hobbies you enjoy that won’t make it feel like a chore to exercise. If you’re looking for different options to start out with, you can check out my post about adopting an exercise discipline here. Or if you need help getting started working out, you can check out my top 11 tips to get started here.
Weirdly enough, your energy levels will usually feel higher after a good workout. Just find something your body can do (and that you ENJOY), and then just stay consistent with it. You’ll see the results compound over time, so be patient too.
Conclusion:
I understand there’s a lot of variables to why we feel tired all the time. These recommendations are very surface level and basic, but for some, they can make a big difference.
If there’s bigger medical issues at play, you’ll definitely want to address those too, but I feel this can be a good framework for at least starting to improve how you feel each day.
Again, try not to overcomplicate the basics. It’s hard to argue against getting more/better sleep, eating healthier, and learning to exercise.
**Reminder: Please consult with a physician before making any lifestyle changes**