Certain foods help boost your energy, more than others. These include:. Being properly hydrated alongside eating well is a healthy habit to get into when looking to boost your overall energy levels. As mentioned, certain foods can be problematic —both for digestion and energy.

Foods such as Those High In Sugar Can Cause A Crash In Energy Levels , and incredibly heavy foods that take a long time to digest can make you feel fatigued.

Additionally, Food Sensitivities Can Contribute To Fatigue , and cause discomfort that may affect your mood. You can do an Elimination Diet to test for sensitivities, or visit an allergist.

Alcohol Is A Depressant And Affects Sleep Quality and overall energy levels. Alcohol may make you feel drowsy or irritable — both during and after consumption.

Increased alcohol intake can also make you dehydrated, additionally contributing to unwanted side effects.

Drinking in moderation can help you avoid unwanted side effects of alcohol, including fatigue. The Centers for Disease Control Prevention CDC define Moderate Drinking As Two Or Fewer Drinks In A Day. Additionally, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism NIAA defines Heavy Drinking As More Than 14 Drinks Per Week.

Limiting your drinking can help you avoid the Negative Long-Term Effects Caused By Alcohol Use , as well as help improve your energy levels.

There are several benefits of exercise for general health and wellness, including weight management, Mood Regulation , and Mobility. Â However, regular physical activity can also increase energy levels over time, Especially When It Comes To Work-Related Fatigue.

Proteins and fats have glycemic indexes that are close to zero. Caffeine does help increase alertness, so having a cup of coffee can help sharpen your mind.

But to get the energizing effects of caffeine, you have to use it judiciously. It can cause insomnia, especially when consumed in large amounts or after 2 p.

One of the best hedges against the midafternoon slump is to avoid drinking alcohol at lunch. The sedative effect of alcohol is especially strong at midday. Similarly, avoid a five o'clock cocktail if you want to have energy in the evening. If you're going to drink, do so in moderation at a time when you don't mind having your energy wind down.

What's the only nutrient that has been shown to enhance performance for all but the most demanding endurance activities?

It's not some pricey sports drink. It's water. If your body is short of fluids, one of the first signs is a feeling of fatigue. For more information on the many things you can do to increase your natural energy, order our Special Health Report, Boosting Your Energy.

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What is a tongue-tie? What parents need to know. Which migraine medications are most helpful? How well do you score on brain health? Like most things in life, we have more control than we think. Recently, just for the fun of it, I started making a list of all the things that energize me.

I started out with a list of Then it grew to 20, 30, then 40, and now, But I am certain I have only just begun. Regardless, we only recommend products or services we use and believe will add value to our readers.

View All. All of us if we have good, honest friends or mentors have probably heard these words at some[

Strategies to increase your energy levels in the moment include taking some time for yourself to relax, reading, or going for a walk.

You could also try mindfulness or meditation techniques , which may reduce anxiety 8 , 9 , Read this article for more information on finding mental health care.

High levels of stress can make you feel tired and drained. Finding ways to minimize lifestyle-related stress can help keep up your energy levels.

Regular exercise is important for reducing your risk of chronic diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity According to one small study, university students who participated in a low intensity running program 3 times per week for 6 weeks experienced significant improvements in fatigue and sleep quality, compared with a control group Another study in employees with high levels of work-related fatigue showed that participating in a 6-week exercise program improved the following factors 15 :.

To incorporate exercise into your day, try getting away from your desk and going for a walk on your lunch break, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or walking to work or school instead of driving. If you live a sedentary lifestyle and feel low on energy, participating in regular exercises, like walking, running, or cycling, can boost your energy levels.

Smoking can negatively affect multiple health aspects and may increase the risk of numerous chronic conditions Over time, this can reduce the amount of oxygen transported throughout your body, making you feel tired If you regularly smoke, quitting may be associated with many health benefits, including increased energy levels Some people find it helpful to switch cigarettes for a nicotine replacement, like gum, patches, or lozenges They can point you in the direction of the support services that will suit you best.

Smoking can reduce the efficiency of your lungs and make you feel tired. Quitting smoking is great for both your energy levels and your overall health. Drinking alcohol can have a sedative effect and may make you feel drowsy and relaxed However, regularly drinking alcohol before bed can reduce the quality of your sleep 20 , Alcohol can also act as a diuretic, meaning that it increases the production of urine.

Therefore, if you have a few drinks right before bed, it could interrupt your sleep by causing you to wake up in the middle of the night The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC defines moderation as one drink per day for women and two per day for men If you have a hard time limiting your intake of alcohol or would like additional support, consider reaching out to a healthcare professional for more guidance.

This article also provides detailed tips and resources. Alcohol can make you feel drowsy, but it can also interfere with the quality of your sleep. If you drink regularly, limiting the amount of alcohol you consume could help increase your energy levels.

Following a well-rounded diet can not only reduce your risk of several chronic conditions but also significantly affect your energy levels 24 , Choosing whole, nutritious foods can provide your body with the vitamins and minerals it needs to function at its best. On the other hand, eating lots of processed foods that are high in sugar and fat can negatively affect both your energy levels and your overall health 26 , Additionally, some studies show that skipping meals may be linked to fatigue, anxiety, and poor attention 28 , 29 , This is because severe dietary restrictions can result in a lack of both calories and essential nutrients, such as iron, which could take a toll on your energy levels 31 , Following a healthy diet can benefit both your health and your energy levels.

When you feel tired, it can be easy to reach for a sweet, sugar-filled snack. However, although sugar can give you a short-term energy boost, it also wears off very quickly and can leave you feeling more tired than before. This is because high sugar foods cause a sharp spike in blood sugar levels, followed by a crash as the body releases a large amount of insulin to transport sugar from the bloodstream to the cells 33 , Eating large amounts of added sugar may also increase your risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease, so limiting your intake of added sugar can benefit both your energy levels and your health 36 , If you want to satisfy your sweet tooth while keeping your energy levels more stable and reducing fatigue, try trading foods high in added sugar for:.

Eating foods high in sugar may lead to chronic diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. Consider minimizing your intake and focusing on eating whole foods instead. Drinking enough water is incredibly important for several aspects of health.

In particular, dehydration can have a huge effect on your brain function, mood, energy levels, and more 38 , For example, one small study found that acute dehydration significantly increased the perception of fatigue and impaired muscular performance in athletes As a general rule, try drinking water whenever you feel thirsty to ensure that you stay hydrated.

Additionally, keep in mind that older adults may not always feel thirsty when they need water. As such, they may need to make a conscious effort to drink more throughout the day to stay hydrated Dehydration can make you feel tired.

In fact, social isolation can cause low mood and tiredness, especially as you age Some research even indicates that having stronger social support could be associated with improvements in physical and mental health as you age 43 , 44 , 45 , If you feel tired and in low spirits, it can be helpful to try socializing with friends, joining a club or class, volunteering, or finding a new hobby that gets you out and about.

Getting out of the house and mingling with other people is beneficial for both your energy levels and your health. Try organizing social activities with your friends, volunteering, or starting a new activity by joining a club or class. However, drinking enough water, following a balanced diet, getting enough sleep and exercise, and being sociable can benefit both your energy levels and your overall health.

Reach out to a trusted healthcare professional for additional guidance and advice to help increase your energy levels.

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. VIEW ALL HISTORY. This article is based on scientific evidence, written by experts and fact checked by experts.

Our team of licensed nutritionists and dietitians strive to be objective, unbiased, honest and to present both sides of the argument. This article contains scientific references. The numbers in the parentheses 1, 2, 3 are clickable links to peer-reviewed scientific papers.

Your body has a sophisticated internal clock, known as your circadian rhythm , and morning sunshine helps calibrate this system. Sunshine sends signals to your brain to slow the production of the sleep-inducing hormone, melatonin, giving you the message to wake up.

Plus, morning sunlight has been tied to falling asleep faster and better sleep quality, which equates to better energy throughout the day. According to a review , plant-based eaters experience less low-level, body-wide inflammation that can drain energy levels.

And the average adult consumes 17 teaspoons per day —significantly more than the recommended six teaspoons per day for women and nine teaspoons per day for men. All that sugar sends your blood sugar on a roller coaster ride, making you feel less energetic. Sugar also promotes inflammation, another energy drainer.

In case you need more convincing, when researchers analyzed 31 studies on sugar and energy levels, they found people felt more fatigued within 30 minutes of having something sugary.

So, take steps to lower the added sugar in your diet. For starters, limit sugary drinks, including soda, and coffee and tea with sugar added. And reduce how often you eat cookies, cake, ice cream, and other sweets.

If you like to eat dessert regularly, consider smaller portions. In one study among healthy women in their early 20s, regularly drinking a low amount of water was associated with negative mood states, including fatigue, while regularly drinking adequate or high amounts was associated with positive mood states, including vigor.

So, when you want to optimize your mood and energy, head to the faucet instead of the coffee pot. Your stress response , also called the fight or flight response, occurs when your body dials up certain hormones, like cortisol and adrenaline, to help you deal with a crisis. Rachel L. Goldman, a psychologist in private practice in New York City and clinical assistant professor in the department of psychiatry at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, points out that stress quickly depletes our energy.

Exercise, deep breathing or meditation, and therapy are helpful and healthy strategies. Relationships can be draining and stressful, so be mindful of who you surround yourself with.

Goldman, CLINICAL ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AT NYU Grossman School of Medicine. When you feel disconnected from your friends or loved ones, it can trigger the stress response, leaving you feeling depleted, Goldman explained. Goldman said that being with friends reduces the stress hormone cortisol while also increasing the happy hormone dopamine.

That might involve walking, journaling , lingering in the shower for just a few extra minutes, or doing a short meditation. Whatever you do, make sure that it feels nourishing to you and brings a little calm in the midst of a hectic day.

Rather than relying on between-meal bites that contain a lot of excess sugar or are sources of ultra-processed carbs, Syn recommends choosing snacks that provide protein and fiber , as these nutrients are digested slower in the body for longer-lasting energy.

Examples include a piece of cheese and fruit, a slice of whole-grain toast with almond butter , or a few slices of turkey and baby carrots. Yes, you want to eat enough to feel full and satiated, but at the same time, overeating at a meal can also sap energy levels.

This is especially true of higher fat meals, since fat is digested slowly by the body. If that meal in question was lunch, this means a midday energy slump. Health Conditions A-Z. Best Oils for Skin Complementary Approaches Emotional Wellness Fitness and Exercise Healthy Skin Online Therapy Reiki Healing Resilience Sleep Sexual Health Self Care Yoga Poses See All.

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Health Tools. Icy fingers and toes: Poor circulation or Raynaud's phenomenon? This report, entitled Boosting Your Energy, describes different kinds of fatigue and ways to improve your energy level. For example, the fatigue you feel at the end of a long day or after a time zone change might feel similar to the fatigue resulting from an illness.

How do you know if your low energy is caused by underlying disease or is the result of lifestyle factors, stress, poor diet, lack of sleep, or normal aging? It includes a Special Section: A 6-Step Plan to Jump-Start Your Natural Energy. Prepared in collaboration with the editors of Harvard Publications and Anthony L.

Komaroff, M. Regular exercise boosts your energy in multiple ways. When you understand how, you will never again think of it as a tedious routine that some health nag wants you to do, but rather as a surefire energy enhancer that you can tap into at will. For starters, when you engage your muscles in any type of exercise, more energy-producing mitochondria form in your muscle cells.

Mitochrondria are the cellular powerhouses that convert glucose and fat into ATP, the molecule that cells use for energy. So while exercise burns energy, it also enables muscle cells to produce more energy.

But fueling your cells requires more than just glucose and fat. Any type of regular exercise creates more capillaries, the tiny blood vessels that ferry oxygen to your cells.

But aerobic exercise, by making you breathe the most deeply and increasing your heart rate the most, gets more oxygen circulating.

Exercise also affects levels of various hormones and chemical messengers. When you work out, your body releases epinephrine and norepinephrine. In large amounts, these stress hormones cause the energy-draining fight-or-flight response, but in the modest amounts induced by exercise, they make you feel energized.

Finally, regular aerobic exercise almost guarantees that you will sleep more soundly—a prerequisite for feeling refreshed. Exercise is the only proven way to increase the amount of time you spend in deep sleep, the type that particularly restores your energy.

Exercise also increases the amount of time you spend in REM rapid eye movement sleep, the time during sleep when you dream most often and most vividly. More time in REM sleep also restores your sense of energy, though not as much as deep sleep. How exercise improves both REM and deep sleep is unknown, although scientists suspect that it leads to the production of chemicals that affect alertness.

In a poll conducted for the National Sleep Foundation, people who exercised vigorously on a regular basis reported sleeping better than more sedentary people, even though both groups got about seven hours of sleep on weekday nights. Non-exercisers reported the least energy and the most sleepiness.

Picture your energy level as a rechargeable battery. Then it grew to 20, 30, then 40, and now, But I am certain I have only just begun. Regardless, we only recommend products or services we use and believe will add value to our readers. View All. All of us if we have good, honest friends or mentors have probably heard these words at some[ Last week, we explored how Q4 pushes people to accumulate tasks, activities, and obligations.

The driver behind that[ The global landscape has undeniably shifted, with more of us working from home than ever before.