It was 7:30 on a Friday night in. I had eaten an early dinner, fed and exercised my dog, and was ready for a much needed night of relaxation. I selected a new show with the plan of watching it into the night – the new season of Bridgerton was an exciting choice. The music was upbeat, the plot was intriguing…and my eyelids were heavy. How could I feel so tired when there was still sunlight outside? I was completely and entirely lacking energy, and this wasn’t an isolated incident. Know the feeling? Keep reading for 5 possible reasons why you might be lacking energy.
1. Nutritional Choices
I believe in the phrase “you feel what you eat.” If your diet is mainly comprised of simple carbs, greasy meals, and processed foods, it can make you feel sluggish. Food fuels your body to perform, and not all fuels are made equally. High fat foods can be difficult to digest, while simple carbs like white bread can spike your blood sugar up and down. It’s also important to consider whether you are including healthy foods like fruits and vegetables in your diet for key vitamins and nutrients that your body needs to function at it’s best.
Let’s face it – many of us have times when we reach for comfort foods. The takeout pizzas, the Ben & Jerrys, the french fries and smash burgers…and I believe that’s okay from time to time! Sometimes, you just need to fill your craving. But if you are starting to feel tired and lacking energy, your diet might be a good first thing to look at. Are you eating enough fresh fruits and vegetables? How about your fiber intake? Or have those comfort foods become a main component of your regular diet? If they have, try considering healthier replacements to fill your cravings without compromising on nutrition.
2. Relaxing a Little Too Much
One of the many benefits of regular physical exercise is increasing your energy levels. While you might feel physically exhausted after a tough workout, you also experience a release of endorphins which boost your mood and energy. Following exercise, your body works to repair itself, build endurance, and become even stronger.
If you create a habit of skipping exercise, it can create an spiral of lacking energy. You may feel too tired to take a work out class or go for a walk, so your body gets used to this sedentary lifestyle. You don’t need energy, because you aren’t spending it. And when you try to go to sleep at night, you may find yourself tossing and turning from a day of inactivity. If you have made a habit out of skipping exercise, try starting to reincorporate it into your routine. While you may feel more tired as your body adjusts, your endurance will grow and with time and so will your energy.
3. Tossing and Turning
Speaking of tossing and turning, a poor sleep routine can very easily lead you to feel a lack of energy. Whether you are not getting enough hours of sleep or continue to wake up throughout the night, you are bound to feel a sense of tiredness the next day. Simple tasks may feel like a huge effort, it can be difficult to concentrate, and you might feel easily overwhelmed. Some things that can negatively impact your sleep include sleep disorders, irregular sleep schedules, screen time before bed, and an uncomfortable or noisy sleep environment. While certain factors may be out of your control or require professional guidance, other factors like decreasing screen time are habit adjustments. For more tips on where to start to improve your sleep, check out this article on how you can go from tossing to snoozing.
4. Experiencing Stress
Have you been feeling a lot of extra stress, whether it be from work, personal relationships, or something else? Personally, this can impact my energy levels more than anything. When I feel stressed or overwhelmed, my brain never stops circling around the topic. I am constantly overthinking, and it makes me want to do nothing but be quiet and lay on the couch! And there’s actually science behind this. When you experience stress, your body enters a “fight or flight” response. As a survival instinct, it puts your body on high alert and releases hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. In turn, your body uses more energy, which leads to the feeling of lacking energy. In addition to the negative impact stress has on your health, it can also lead to burnout when experienced continuously over time. And once you reach a state of burnout, you it can be extremely difficult and time consuming to recover to a state of high energy again.
5. Going Through the Motions
Have you ever noticed that when you wake up to go to the airport, or for something really exciting, you don’t feel as tired? It could be 3am, but you are ready to get up and head to your gate with a smile on your face. When we feel excited by things, it recharges our energy. It’s like the feeling of inspiration when you listen to someone speak about their passions. You feel energized by their energy.
Sure, there are moments where you will have exciting events and things to especially look forward to. But what about your regular day to day? When you wake up in the morning, is the first thought in your mind that you wish you had more sleep? That you just need to get through this day or week? If this is the case, it might be worth taking some time for deep and self reflective thinking. Why is it that you feel dreary before your day has started? What changes can you make? Something as simple as implementing a morning gratitude ritual, or treating yourself to an exciting healthy meal once per week can make a huge difference. Or if there is a greater change you need to make, think about where you want to be and map out the steps you need to take. Regardless, change can take time, but the journey can be an exciting process of self growth and self love if you allow it to be. And as we’ve seen, when you feel excited, you are rarely lacking energy.