No matter the time of year or reason, there are often periods of life when you feel like you’re dragging and lacking energy. You don’t have to sludge through this. There are many things that you can do to help raise your energy levels naturally. This guide will give you different ways to increase your energy levels and help you out of the lull.

Get Enough Sleep

Getting enough sleep is the most obvious and vital step to increasing your energy levels. Sleep allows your body time to rest and recharge. Not getting enough sleep regularly can cause tiredness, stress, and hurt your mental health. The following tips can help you each night:

• Adults need seven to nine hours of sleep each night. Time your bedtime accordingly.
• Avoid television, cell phones, and electronics, which can cause poor sleep quality, less sleep, and fatigue throughout the day.
• Set a normal bedtime and wake time every day—even on days off!

Sleeping enough each night and forming a normal routine will help you develop good sleep habits. This is not only a quick fix but can provide long-term relief to decreased energy. Paying attention to your daily habits will help you maintain a healthy sleep life and normal energy levels.

Reduce Stress

Stress causes a literal drain on your body, seeping away from the energy you have. Stress is a reaction within the body to negative stimulants that cause us to respond. Over time, this can create a drain on your body and affect your energy levels, mood, and even your health.

Knowing what you can do and how to decrease high-stress levels can improve your overall and long-term energy levels.

• Delegate tasks and avoid overworking, if possible. An overworked brain is a tired and stressed brain.
• Try meditation, yoga, or other relaxation techniques to slowly eliminate stress throughout the day.
• Try to avoid triggers of stress.

Over time, your body will be able to help deal with the everyday stress that you suffer from. By decreasing stress levels, you can improve your energy naturally and ensure that you don’t drain the energy you have. 

Exercise

A little goes a long way—taking a light walk during lunch, taking the stairs, and switching out sedentary activities for more active ones can make a huge difference in your life. Exercise has countless health benefits, such as decreasing your risk for heart disease, mental health, and obesity.

Doing light exercise can also be very beneficial for your energy levels. Despite expending energy, the consistent activity can increase your energy levels, as well.

• Exercise stimulates hormones that make you feel more energized and happier. 
• Doing regular exercise causes your body to build up higher storage for energy and the ability for your body to operate each day more efficiently.
• Exercise allows your body to use and create more energy, making you sleep more soundly and helping establish an active lifestyle.

Starting out small and doing a simple step each day can set you on the right track. Even light activity once a day can raise your energy levels naturally.

Limit Negative Activities

There are things in your life that can damage your energy levels. Activities such as smoking, drinking, and consuming excess sugar can cause energy levels to suffer. To prevent this, you should limit those activities. 

• Smoking threatens multiple parts of your health—including your energy. The nicotine in cigarettes can make it more difficult for you to fall asleep because it acts as a stimulant and cravings can prevent you from resting. Avoid smoking or decrease the number of cigarettes you smoke.
• Drinking alcohol can cause you to wake up during the night for bathroom breaks. Though it causes drowsiness, you should limit drinking each day.
• While sugary foods will give you a small energy boost, it is temporary. There isn’t any nutritional value to these foods and they don’t support long-term energy levels.

Knowing what to avoid is as important as knowing what to do. By avoiding or limiting things that can harm you, you can avoid having anything holding you back.

Stay Hydrated

Water is key for your body to function and feel energized. Keeping your body hydrated with enough fluids can not only prevent fatigue, but bring multiple health benefits for you. Making sure that your body has enough water can help to keep your energy levels up.

• Eight glasses of water are recommended daily.
• If you know you’re going to be active or be in a hot location, drink more.
• Avoid sugary soft drinks or sports drinks.

Drinking water offers multiple health benefits for your heart, your brain, and your entire body. If you want to instantly increase your energy and keep the levels up, you should make an effort to drink more water.

Eat the Right Foods

There are a variety of foods designed to help improve energy naturally. Foods that are high in vitamins and minerals can help provide a nutritious, energy-boosting snack.

• Whole grains
• Nuts
• Fruits and vegetables with high fiber content

There are also various herbs that are known to give a natural energy boost that can be taken individually or integrated into foods. Foods that provide nutritional support and help with energy are the best options. Those high in vitamins can give you an extra boost and support your body’s nutritional needs.

Coffee

Coffee is a hot topic of debate as to whether it increases energy levels. While the drink contains caffeine, which can give an energy boost, long-term users may build up a tolerance. Studies have shown that drinking coffee between 9:30 and 11:30 (when cortisol levels in your body are highest) can give you the best use from the beverage.

Ginseng

Ginseng is known for its multiple health benefits, from decreasing risk of diabetes to improving heart health. Ginseng root is also known for providing a boost of natural energy. It can also help improve your memory, brain function, and support a healthy immune system.

Rhodiola

Rhodiola is an herb that grows in arctic conditions in Asia and Northern Europe. It is used to increase energy, endurance, and stamina, and is found in a wide variety of vitamins and supplements designed to help boost athletic performance. The plant has several other uses and is sometimes used in treatments to help keep bodies healthy, aiding anxiety, depression, some cancers, fatigue, and diabetes.

Cordyceps

Cordyceps has long been used in Eastern Medicine to treat a variety of illnesses, such as fatigue, kidney disease, and a low sex drive. A recent study showed that those using cordyceps during exercise were able to improve their levels of physical fitness by over 7% as opposed to other participants. Studies are also being performed to determine its ability to fight cancer, its effectiveness in anti-aging products, and whether it can help manage diabetes.

Instant Energy Boosts

In a moment of weakness and fatigue, there are things you can do to give you a temporary energy boost naturally.

• Do a little yoga. Getting the blood flowing and mind calm gives you a dual approach to boost your energy.
• Have a snack. Eating a handful of nuts (high in magnesium and many other vitamins and minerals) can give you a natural energy boost when you feel sluggish.
• Get some fresh air. Talking a short step out into the sunshine can help give you a natural energy boost. The sun stimulates our body to make vitamin D, which is known to give energy.

Energy Increasing Supplements

There are a variety of supplements available to help give you a boost and support, supplying you with a natural energy increase.

Genuine Health +Extra Energy

This vitamin is the best way to ensure you meet all your daily nutritional needs and gain a natural energy boost. It contains superfoods that help give you energy, improve digestive health, and provide a full serving of greens each scoop.

NAKA Vital Green Dietary Supplement

This vitamin is a great source of all the needed vitamins and minerals you need in a day. This particular supplement also contains added herbs that are known to aid in digestion, are antioxidants, and are designed to promote a higher energy level naturally.

Platinum Natural Multivitamin Activ-X for Women

This formula is designed for women on the go. Whether to help you compete in strenuous physical activities or improve your day-to-day functions, this blend is designed for natural energy support. It also contains all the vitamins and minerals needed for a day.

Platinum Natural Multivitamin Activ-X for Men

With everything needed for men to achieve their goals, this multivitamin not only meets all daily needs but contains a unique blend of herbs to provide natural energy support.

There are a plethora of different options to help you improve your overall health and naturally boost your energy levels. Starting with small steps, reducing stress, getting enough sleep, and making dietary changes can lead to higher energy levels.

Tell us down below: What helps add some pep in your step? Have you suffered from decreased energy? How did you improve your energy levels? Comment with your story and suggestions below.