Adrian Volenik
Do you feel tired all the damn time? Does the job you have feel like three jobs? Having one kid as if you had three? You’re not alone.
Being tired because of the fast lifestyle we have today is a norm for everyone.
It’s the middle of the day, and you can’t move from the couch.
Waking up with energy and keeping that energy throughout the day is a luxury and not a necessity for a healthy body and mind.
Still, if you’re suffering from fatigue and excessive tiredness regularly, you should ask yourself why.
Many times, the cause lies in our bad lifestyle habits, and the good thing is it can be relatively easily fixed.
So, let’s see what these habits are.
1) You’re not waking up on time
This can mean a few things: sometimes you’re oversleeping, and sometimes you barely shut your eyes and you’re already awake.
We all know that sleep is important, and our brain function depends on a good night’s sleep, so it’s important to have that in mind.
If your sleep is interrupted very often, or you’re staying up way too late scrolling through social media, you should question your bedtime habits.
Maybe setting an alarm, not just to tell you when to wake up, but when to go to sleep too, is a good idea.
Plus, does your bed feel uncomfortable? Is it too noisy outside? There’s a solution to all of this.
Buy some earplugs, a better pillow, and nicer bedding, and you might be surprised.
2) You have poor eating habits
If you’re feeling tired all the time, poor eating habits could indeed be one of the reasons why.
An unbalanced diet lacking proper nutrition can lead to fatigue. If you skip meals and you indulge yourself too much in processed food, well, then it’s no surprise your energy levels are too low.
Maybe you’re not even eating enough.
Lacking something or having too much of one thing in a meal isn’t good for our body, and being tired is a sign that our body sends us when something’s wrong, so you should listen to it.
Ultimately, having a well-balanced meal full of protein, healthy fats, and veggies is important, and a healthier snack before sleep is always a better option than munching on chips in front of the TV before bed.
3) You’re a couch potato champion
Feeling tired can also be the result of not moving enough and lack of exercise, not just poor food choices.
If you’re a person who is glued to the couch from the moment you wake up, and your afternoons, and evenings look the same, then think hard about what you can do to change that.
Regular exercise improves your cardiovascular health and increases your energy levels. It’s a well-needed boost to your system.
But what if you’re not a gym person?
Well, there are plenty of other things to do that will keep you moving.
Walk to the store instead of driving. Find some good yoga exercises online, or just run the stairs up and down if you live in a building.
That will increase your steps during the day, and who knows? Maybe it will motivate you to do even more.
4) Your sex life is stale or nonexistent
When I said earlier that regular activity is very important for our health and will make us feel energized, I didn’t just mean conventional ways of exercising.
A healthy sex life is equally important, too.
No sexual activity can also contribute to feeling tired and having low energy levels, and you end up in a vicious cycle of being too exhausted to have sex.
Intimacy with your partner can help you get a better night’s rest and reduce your stress levels, too.
5) You turned into a ball of stress
Stress can seriously interfere with our health and life in general.
It’s causing a lack of sleep, which makes us irritable, and in the end, we have trouble sleeping even more.
Stress can be caused by your job or some life changes and difficulties you might face. It takes a toll on your mental and physical well-being.
What usually helps me when I’m under a lot of stress is having breaks more often, even a 5-minute break where I try to catch some deep breaths and clear my head.
My friend introduced me recently to the wonders of yoga, and it helped me a lot.
I also like to stay on top of things by being vigilant with my work tasks and priorities. It makes life easier and, hence, less stressful.
6) You’re not drinking enough water
My wife had issues with dehydration throughout her life. She is the person who just forgets to drink water. I thought that was impossible until I met her.
She doesn’t even think about drinking water, and she is constantly fighting with tiredness and weakness.
It got better over the last few years as she paid more attention to her health and started maintaining a regular and adequate intake of water throughout the day.
She would set up reminders every few hours until she got into the habit of just drinking water more.
If you’re anything like my wife, know that this bad habit can easily be regulated and that water is crucial for your health.
Try to connect your water intake with something you do regularly. For example, take a drink every time you pick up a phone. Your body and mind will thank you for it.
7) You’re drinking too much coffee and alcohol
If you often wake up feeling tired and you continue feeling fatigued during the day, it might be because you consumed too much coffee or alcohol the day before.
Caffeine speeds up our brain activity, and its effects can last for a long time. This means you should stop drinking coffee late in the afternoon as it interferes with your sleep, which, in turn, leads to tiredness throughout the day.
Alcohol, on the other hand, has an even worse effect on your sleep. Look, we’ve all been there.
It makes you drowsy and very sleepy at the beginning, but more interruptions happen during the night, which prevents your sleep.
So try to limit your alcohol and coffee consumption, and you already won’t feel so tired the next day.
8) You choose to live under the shade
Lack of sunshine can make you feel very tired indeed. Natural light signals our body that it’s time to wake up, and we end up being more energetic and alert because of it.
Whatever your reason for staying out of the Sun is, maybe work, your favorite game on PlayStation, or even the joys of living in the Arctic Circle, the vitamin D that the Sun provides is very important.
Try to walk more during the day, or try to sit on your balcony for 15 minutes or so every day while you drink your coffee. And if you’re in the office, go out during your break.
If your natural light is limited, consider using light therapy lamps, and don’t forget to take your vitamin D supplement.
That should be goodbye to tiredness.
Final thoughts
Our energy levels are very often tied to our daily habits. From the food we eat and how well we sleep to the lack of sunlight during the day.
Most of the time, we can change these habits with a few different tweaks that can make a significant difference.
Maybe some of the advice in this text will help you, and perhaps you need a bit of a different approach. You know what suits you and your lifestyle the best, so go ahead and think about it.
But if, even after putting in the good work, you feel tired anyway, then possible health issues should be addressed, and it’s time to schedule that doctor’s appointment.
