Most everyone has had to endure that time of the day often referred to as the “afternoon slump,” where you feel tired and lethargic and you have difficulty staying alert and focused.
Avoid feeling this way in the afternoons and throughout the rest of the day with these tips:
Stay hydrated
Dehydration can often lead to you feeling sluggish and tired, so drink water often throughout the day. Ultimately, by the time you get into bed at night, you should have consumed eight to 10, 8-ounce glasses of water during that day. Water refreshes you and makes you feel more focused.
Eat less, or at least healthier
Try to substitute pasta and rice, etc. for fruits, vegetables and lean proteins. Eat until you feel you have had enough, but stop before you are full. Digesting the food is the most energy consuming process, so eating less burns less energy.
Eating healthy means you have less saturated fat and, therefore, more energy. Try also not to eat past 8 p.m. so you can sleep better; by not eating late in the evening you also may find that you feel more rested and energized the next morning.
Be active
Have you ever felt tired, even though you’ve done practically nothing all day? The reason is inactivity.
Get out and be physically active. This may mean going to the gym for some exercise but, no matter what the activity, the more you move the more energy you’ll have.
Sleep, sleep, sleep
Getting enough sleep is absolutely paramount to ensure adequate energy levels throughout the day. If possible, your seven to eight hours of sleep each night need to be uninterrupted; that means turning off all lights, electronics and, perhaps most importantly, cell phones. Even the light that mobile phones emit can interfere with restful sleep.
Just breathe
For a quick boost of energy, control your breathing. We typically take shallow breath, causing an oxygen deficit that leads to fatigue. Take deep breaths, filling your whole abdominal cavity and, after a few repetitions, you’ll feel invigorated. It’s one of the quickest and easiest ways to naturally boost energy.
