What follows are possible causes of your fatigue and low energy. We may not pay attention to these things, as they seem to be a normal part of everyone’s life. But they could be the culprits of your exhaustion.
Daily habits that may be robbing you of your energy
Secrets
What’s more exciting than knowing something only a select few know? Well, as it turns out, keeping a secret is not just a privilege but a hefty responsibility. In a study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, participants who had a big secret to hold on to perceived tasks as being more challenging than they actually were. It has to do with the extra mental effort you require to work around your secret and the stress of possibly revealing it.
Late mornings
Monday through Friday, the alarm clock rules over our lives. But come Saturday and Sunday, no alarm clocks allowed. Perhaps you’re staying up late on Friday and Saturday nights and sleeping in the next morning as a result, or you’re just trying to make up for sleep insufficiency accumulated over the week. The bottom line is, late weekend wake-up times do you more harm than good, disturbing the workings of your biological clock and leaving you tired and unrested. Solution? Bring some order into your weekday sleep schedule and you won’t need makeup sleep-in hours on the weekend.
Multitasking
Every good worker likes to pat themselves on the back for their exceptional multitasking abilities. But the truth is, doing ten different things at the same time doesn’t improve the end result much. What it does is deplete your energy resources, as you require significant mental capacity and space to manage all those tasks at once. Resist the temptation of doing everything at the same time. Blocking out time slots for different things on your to-do list will make you more efficient and less tired, that’s for sure.
Sugar snacks
Everybody loves sugar, but sugar doesn’t usually love us back. Disguised as a quick energy boost within your reach, it inevitably leaves you crashing, making you feel worse. If you feel like giving in to your sweet tooth cravings, add some fat or fiber to delay sugar absorption and make your energy last longer. Peanut butter spread on apple slices is a great alternative to a sugar-laden scone.
Social media
“I’ll just check my inbox and close it,” you think as you log into your social media account, only to find yourself still aimlessly browsing the feed two hours later. Lack of activity (other than thumb scrolling), an abundance of negative news, and nasty arguments don’t contribute to you feeling good. They only add unnecessary, tiring stress to your day. If you’re feeling tired and looking for a distraction, go outside for a bit or even look up some images of nature. Contact with nature will energize you and uplift your mood (something that social media rarely does).
As you can see, to get back your energy, you don’t really need to change much about your life. Being aware of the things that zap your energy and knowing how to maneuver through the dangerous waters will help you resolve your fatigue problems and tap into new sources of energy.
Related: 6 ways to have all-day energy without coffee