If your answer is yes, you’re not alone.
Even though feeling tired is not our natural state, it’s the daily reality for most people. Yet, there’s a major problem with this constant state of exhaustion: It influences all areas of your life.
If you feel exhausted, you’ll struggle to show up as your best self and it’ll be challenging to be passionate about pretty much anything.
Passion, however, is what drives us forward and empowers us to make great things happen.
The good news, however, is that you can make a shift and become a more energetic person without excessive amounts of coffee or synthetic energy boosters.
Instead, you can try some simple strategies that, if practiced regularly, will naturally boost your energy level and mood.
Stop Living in Boxes
According to Tony Robbins, the secret to feeling more energized is to stop living in a box.
Most people get up in the morning, eat breakfast out of a box, go into a box office, use a box elevator, do their work on a box, talk on a box, go into a box room for meetings, and in the evening, they turn the box on.
Even though our bodies are capable of performing extraordinary activities, we barely use our physical capabilities. Yet, as a human being, you’re not made to be lazy and sit around all day long. You’re made to move.
How to do it:
If done regularly, even low-intensity activities like walking can have a significant impact on your energy level.
The more time you spend sitting on the couch, the lazier you’ll get. The more you move, the more energetic you feel.
It’s such a simple yet often ignored rule: Using your energy creates more of it.
Don’t only think outside the box but also start living outside the box: Eat natural foods instead of packaged cereal, minimize the time you spend on your phone, laptop, or in front of your tv, take the stairs instead of the elevator, ask your colleagues to walk during meetings — if you’re willing to make a change, you’ll find dozens of ways to escape the box-life. All you need to do is start.
Create Your Daily Sources of Inspiration
That’s probably not what you want to hear, but here’s the reality: Quite often, being tired is related to our mindset as much as it is to our physical state.
Guess what happens if you constantly tell yourself that you’re tired? Correct, you’ll feel tired.
There’s no mental button that’ll instantly boost your energy, but deciding to be more energetic and acknowledging that you are in charge of your state is the first step to feeling more energized.
If you change what you think and believe, you’ll automatically change what you do.
Our behavior is a reflection of our beliefs and the easiest way to change our beliefs is by creating inspirational sources that remind us of the reality we want to create.
How to do it:
In the past years, I’ve set up various small rules and habits that help me stay inspired and energized.
I have an affirmation reminder on my phone that sends me notifications with empowering messages throughout the day. If I’m wearing my smartwatch, the message even pops up on my watch and gives me a little motivational boost. However, you could also set a daily silent alarm on your phone.
Another great tip is to change your posture and stand upright each time you go through a door. Once you got used to it, this habit can turn into a priceless asset because your posture significantly affects how you feel.
You can build similar little triggers and habits in all areas of your life.
You can change your screensaver to a positive, energizing picture, do something energizing after each meal you eat, walk during phone calls, do jumping jacks after brushing your teeth, and so much more.
It’s less about what exactly you do and more about that mindset of staying in motion and using your natural source of energy and inspiration.
Do a Mid-Day Check-in
A lot of people experience an energy-dip around lunchtime. That’s because we eat the wrong foods for lunch and our bodies need lots of energy to digest the meals we consume.
What follows are additional shots of caffeine to make it through the second half of the day. Yet, that’s the wrong approach.
What you should do instead is exploring your energy level and adapting your daily schedule.
How to do it:
There are two things you can try when you lack energy:
#1. Allow yourself to rest and fuel your energy through a short nap or some calming exercises such as meditation.
#2. Move your body in order to create energy. For instance, by going on a short walk or doing a quick workout.
There’s no universal solution to your after-lunch-fatigue and the best way to figure out what you need is by doing a mid-day check-in for a few days and experimenting with different activities.
After a few days, you’ll get a better understanding of your body and will be able to create a schedule that fits your needs.
Create Physical Clarity
Feeling energized is hard if you’re surrounded by clutter and dust.
Even though physical clutter influences our mental energy, most people deny the importance of their environment and try to be productive despite distractions.
Yet, the reality is that decluttering and tidying up can give you a nice energy boost, especially if you’re facing a little energy dip throughout the day.
That’s why I start and end my days with a quick organizing session: I tidy up, remove used cups from my desk, get rid of clutter and loose papers, and organize my to-do list and calendar for better mental clarity.
A sense of control over my own life helps me feel much more energized.
How to do it:
When we feel tired, we often think that we need rest. Yet, quite often, the opposite is true and we need movement to feel more energized.
Tidying up your home or office is a great way to get in motion.
It’ll not only force you to get up and move, but it’ll also boost your mental clarity, which again positively influences your energy level and productivity.
Be a Sponge
One of the main reasons for fatigue among adults is that they are chronically dehydrated.
Even though a great part of our bodies consists of water, many people claim that they forget to drink water. Or even worse: They consume drinks that further dehydrate their bodies, such as alcohol, sugary drinks, or coffee.
How to do it:
Whenever you feel thirsty and have a dry mouth, it’s a sign that you’re already dehydrated. Your goal should be to avoid this feeling and drink small amounts of water or sugar-free drinks throughout the day.
You can easily remind yourself of that goal by setting a silent hourly alarm on your phone or even create a tracking system that encourages you to accomplish your daily hydration goal.
Big bottles or carafes can make it even easier to track your progress and help you stay motivated to drink enough. To spice it up, you can add fruits or vegetables to your drinks.
Limit Your Mindless Screen time
Today's digital opportunities to build connections can be a curse or a blessing — depending on how you use them.
A blessing because tools like social media allow us to stay connected, influence people, and build independent, meaningful businesses.
A curse because they can quickly turn into energy vampires and cost you lots of time and mental power.
However, in the end, your devices and social media accounts are just tools and it’s up to you to use them appropriately.
How to do it:
Various studies prove that most adults widely underestimate the time they spend staring at screens.
If you feel like you might be one of them, now is a great time to validate your screen time and set up new rules.
This will not only help you gain mental clarity, but it’ll also help you have more time for activities that can help you increase your energy level.
Instead of staring at your phone screen and scrolling through pointless social media posts, you could do breathing exercises, stretch your body, go for a walk, drink more water, fuel your body with fruits and veggies, or do anything else that helps you feel better instead of worse.
Build a Winddown Routine
If you don’t sleep well, you’ll likely wake up feeling exhausted and spend your entire day lacking energy and motivation.
And how well you sleep is widely influenced by what you do before going to bed.
If you eat fatty meals, drink caffeinated drinks, argue with your partner, or spend your evening watching action movies, you’ll likely struggle to fall asleep.
As a result, you’ll wake up feeling tired, drink too much coffee throughout the day to compensate for your lack of energy, and struggle to fall asleep at night.
And soon, you find yourself in a doom loop of lacking energy and consuming too much caffeine.
What you should do instead is creating a proper evening routine that helps you wind down and relax before going to bed. This will help you sleep better and feel more energized when you wake up in the morning.
How to do it:
There’s no right or wrong for your daily wind-down routine. The only thing that matters is that it helps you relax, calm down, and prepare for a good night's sleep.
My favorite way to end the day is by preparing a cup of tea, reflecting on my day, and reading a good book.
Other activities that can help you calm down are meditation, stretching exercises, listening to your favorite music, painting, or talking to your loved ones.
By minimizing noise and light during your wind-down routine, you can also help your body get into sleep mode so that falling asleep becomes easier once you’re in bed.
Final Thoughts
Most of the time, significant changes in our lives are tied to small, daily actions.
You might’ve heard some of the tips above a dozen times, but are you applying them?
Real growth happens when you put your ego aside, stop thinking that you already know that, and start applying all these hidden gems.
We all know that a vibrant life is by far more desirable than a tired one, but are you willing to do what it takes?
According to Tony Robbins, the secret to feeling more energized is to stop living in a box.
Most people get up in the morning, eat breakfast out of a box, go into a box office, use a box elevator, do their work on a box, talk on a box, go into a box room for meetings, and in the evening, they turn the box on.
Even though our bodies are capable of performing extraordinary activities, we barely use our physical capabilities. Yet, as a human being, you’re not made to be lazy and sit around all day long. You’re made to move.
How to do it:
If done regularly, even low-intensity activities like walking can have a significant impact on your energy level.
The more time you spend sitting on the couch, the lazier you’ll get. The more you move, the more energetic you feel.
It’s such a simple yet often ignored rule: Using your energy creates more of it.
Don’t only think outside the box but also start living outside the box: Eat natural foods instead of packaged cereal, minimize the time you spend on your phone, laptop, or in front of your tv, take the stairs instead of the elevator, ask your colleagues to walk during meetings — if you’re willing to make a change, you’ll find dozens of ways to escape the box-life. All you need to do is start.
Create Your Daily Sources of Inspiration
That’s probably not what you want to hear, but here’s the reality: Quite often, being tired is related to our mindset as much as it is to our physical state.
Guess what happens if you constantly tell yourself that you’re tired? Correct, you’ll feel tired.
There’s no mental button that’ll instantly boost your energy, but deciding to be more energetic and acknowledging that you are in charge of your state is the first step to feeling more energized.
If you change what you think and believe, you’ll automatically change what you do.
Our behavior is a reflection of our beliefs and the easiest way to change our beliefs is by creating inspirational sources that remind us of the reality we want to create.
How to do it:
In the past years, I’ve set up various small rules and habits that help me stay inspired and energized.
I have an affirmation reminder on my phone that sends me notifications with empowering messages throughout the day. If I’m wearing my smartwatch, the message even pops up on my watch and gives me a little motivational boost. However, you could also set a daily silent alarm on your phone.
Another great tip is to change your posture and stand upright each time you go through a door. Once you got used to it, this habit can turn into a priceless asset because your posture significantly affects how you feel.
You can build similar little triggers and habits in all areas of your life.
You can change your screensaver to a positive, energizing picture, do something energizing after each meal you eat, walk during phone calls, do jumping jacks after brushing your teeth, and so much more.
It’s less about what exactly you do and more about that mindset of staying in motion and using your natural source of energy and inspiration.
Do a Mid-Day Check-in
A lot of people experience an energy-dip around lunchtime. That’s because we eat the wrong foods for lunch and our bodies need lots of energy to digest the meals we consume.
What follows are additional shots of caffeine to make it through the second half of the day. Yet, that’s the wrong approach.
What you should do instead is exploring your energy level and adapting your daily schedule.
How to do it:
There are two things you can try when you lack energy:
#1. Allow yourself to rest and fuel your energy through a short nap or some calming exercises such as meditation.
#2. Move your body in order to create energy. For instance, by going on a short walk or doing a quick workout.
There’s no universal solution to your after-lunch-fatigue and the best way to figure out what you need is by doing a mid-day check-in for a few days and experimenting with different activities.
After a few days, you’ll get a better understanding of your body and will be able to create a schedule that fits your needs.
Create Physical Clarity
Feeling energized is hard if you’re surrounded by clutter and dust.
Even though physical clutter influences our mental energy, most people deny the importance of their environment and try to be productive despite distractions.
Yet, the reality is that decluttering and tidying up can give you a nice energy boost, especially if you’re facing a little energy dip throughout the day.
That’s why I start and end my days with a quick organizing session: I tidy up, remove used cups from my desk, get rid of clutter and loose papers, and organize my to-do list and calendar for better mental clarity.
A sense of control over my own life helps me feel much more energized.
How to do it:
When we feel tired, we often think that we need rest. Yet, quite often, the opposite is true and we need movement to feel more energized.
Tidying up your home or office is a great way to get in motion.
It’ll not only force you to get up and move, but it’ll also boost your mental clarity, which again positively influences your energy level and productivity.
Be a Sponge
One of the main reasons for fatigue among adults is that they are chronically dehydrated.
Even though a great part of our bodies consists of water, many people claim that they forget to drink water. Or even worse: They consume drinks that further dehydrate their bodies, such as alcohol, sugary drinks, or coffee.
How to do it:
Whenever you feel thirsty and have a dry mouth, it’s a sign that you’re already dehydrated. Your goal should be to avoid this feeling and drink small amounts of water or sugar-free drinks throughout the day.
You can easily remind yourself of that goal by setting a silent hourly alarm on your phone or even create a tracking system that encourages you to accomplish your daily hydration goal.
Big bottles or carafes can make it even easier to track your progress and help you stay motivated to drink enough. To spice it up, you can add fruits or vegetables to your drinks.
Limit Your Mindless Screen time
Today's digital opportunities to build connections can be a curse or a blessing — depending on how you use them.
A blessing because tools like social media allow us to stay connected, influence people, and build independent, meaningful businesses.
A curse because they can quickly turn into energy vampires and cost you lots of time and mental power.
However, in the end, your devices and social media accounts are just tools and it’s up to you to use them appropriately.
How to do it:
Various studies prove that most adults widely underestimate the time they spend staring at screens.
If you feel like you might be one of them, now is a great time to validate your screen time and set up new rules.
This will not only help you gain mental clarity, but it’ll also help you have more time for activities that can help you increase your energy level.
Instead of staring at your phone screen and scrolling through pointless social media posts, you could do breathing exercises, stretch your body, go for a walk, drink more water, fuel your body with fruits and veggies, or do anything else that helps you feel better instead of worse.
Build a Winddown Routine
If you don’t sleep well, you’ll likely wake up feeling exhausted and spend your entire day lacking energy and motivation.
And how well you sleep is widely influenced by what you do before going to bed.
If you eat fatty meals, drink caffeinated drinks, argue with your partner, or spend your evening watching action movies, you’ll likely struggle to fall asleep.
As a result, you’ll wake up feeling tired, drink too much coffee throughout the day to compensate for your lack of energy, and struggle to fall asleep at night.
And soon, you find yourself in a doom loop of lacking energy and consuming too much caffeine.
What you should do instead is creating a proper evening routine that helps you wind down and relax before going to bed. This will help you sleep better and feel more energized when you wake up in the morning.
How to do it:
There’s no right or wrong for your daily wind-down routine. The only thing that matters is that it helps you relax, calm down, and prepare for a good night's sleep.
My favorite way to end the day is by preparing a cup of tea, reflecting on my day, and reading a good book.
Other activities that can help you calm down are meditation, stretching exercises, listening to your favorite music, painting, or talking to your loved ones.
By minimizing noise and light during your wind-down routine, you can also help your body get into sleep mode so that falling asleep becomes easier once you’re in bed.
Final Thoughts
Most of the time, significant changes in our lives are tied to small, daily actions.
You might’ve heard some of the tips above a dozen times, but are you applying them?
Real growth happens when you put your ego aside, stop thinking that you already know that, and start applying all these hidden gems.
We all know that a vibrant life is by far more desirable than a tired one, but are you willing to do what it takes?
