The pressures of the modern world can lead to us all feeling tired on a day-to-day basis, but how can you stop feeling so tired? Find out how, here.
With all the pressures of the modern world, more and more of us are feeling tired and fatigued on a daily basis. Life just seems busier than ever and we’re often having to juggle several tasks at once, including things like work and rushing around for family members.
If you’re wondering how to stop feeling so tired and are looking for some top tips to get more pep in your step, keep reading. We’ve put together this list of some simple lifestyle changes that may help you get on with your daily schedule without feeling bogged down by tiredness.
The tips outlined below are easy tweaks you can make to your day-to-day life based on the most common causes of tiredness, but if you’re feeling tired all the time and can’t understand why, book an appointment with your GP as it may be a sign of an underlying condition.
Your first step on the journey of how to stop feeling so tired is to eat a healthy and balanced diet. Make sure you’re including whole, fresh foods, complex carbs like whole grains, beans and sweet potato, plenty of protein, fibre and healthy fats. It may surprise you how energetic you can feel just by simply ensuring you’re giving your body everything it needs to thrive. Find out more about foods that increase energy in our guide.
If you’re feeling super tired, this bit of advice may sound slightly counterproductive, but did you know that exercising regularly can make you feel less tired in the long haul? We’re not talking about a marathon run, in fact, the NHS states that just a 15 minute walk can boost energy levels, and these benefits only increase with the more exercise you do. Try starting slow and gradually building it up so you’re getting the recommended two and a half hours of moderate intensity exercise per week.
This one goes without saying, but a lot of people don’t actually get enough sleep which can be due to a variety of factors, from being too busy to just not being able to drift off. For an adult, it’s recommended that you aim for between seven to nine hours of sleep per night and any less could leave you feeling lethargic and groggy.
If you’re struggling to sleep, try the following tips:
• Relax before going to bed: try guided meditation or yoga to calm your mind
• Invest in your sleep space: get a quality mattress, pillow and duvet
• Ensure you’re comfortable: loose pyjamas made from natural fabrics are best
• Get into a routine of going to sleep and waking up at the same time each day
Not getting your daily dose of H2O can cause you to have lower energy levels and on top of this, it can negatively impact your sleep too. Not only does it dry out your mouth and nose, but it can cause snoring and leg cramps to boot. If you need any more of a reason to keep totting up those water levels, it’s even likely to have a knock on affect the next day too.
If you’re carrying excess weight, it can be very tiring and it can even put strain on your heart, leading to more feelings of tiredness. If you’re overweight, a recommended way to stop feeling so tired is to try and lose some by exercising regularly and eating a balanced diet. If you need some extra support doing this, consider joining a support group to help you on your journey.
It’s common knowledge that alcohol can help you fall asleep faster, but did you know it results in a poor, restless sleep that will actually make you feel more tired? Alcohol tells your body to produce melatonin which is a sleep-inducing hormone, so it lulls you into a low-energy state and drinking at night will often roll over to the next day and make you feel lethargic and bogged down.
If you believe you have a problem with drinking too much alcohol, book an appointment with your GP as they’ll be able to recommend ways to cut down and groups to support you.
Smoking is another vice that can lead you to feeling tired all the time as it reduces oxygen levels which in turn, impacts your energy and breathing ability. If you’re a smoker and want to quit, we recommend seeing your GP as they’ll be able to recommend prescription medications and counselling groups which when combined, are often an effective way to help you ditch the cigarettes for good.
Reducing stress is a tip to stop feeling so tired which may seem easier said than done. Stress is incredibly draining and can cause more tiredness and not only this, but stress hormones can impact your sleep too. Make time for relaxing activities in your day-to-day which may include things like working out, yoga, tai chi, reading or even spending time with friends.
Most of us drink caffeine for that little boost of energy, but that’s just it, it’s only an initial boost. After you get that brief hit of energy, it can lead you to feeling more tired and you may develop a dependency to drinking it frequently for that boost, which isn’t good for your overall health. Try reducing how much caffeine you’re drinking over a 3-week period and stay away from it for around a month to see how your energy levels improve.
If you can’t pinpoint the reason behind why you’re tired all the time or have tried lifestyle changes and they don’t seem to help, book an appointment with your GP. Sometimes feeling tired can be a sign of an underlying health issue and your GP can help you get to the bottom of it by carrying out tests and taking a full health history.
That’s our guide on how to stop feeling so tired! Want to find out more about why you’re feeling so tired? Take our quiz next!
Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-stop-feeling-tired
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/sleep-and-tiredness/self-help-tips-to-fight-fatigue/
https://www.webmd.com/balance/features/get-energy-back
