During a hard day’s work it’s understandable that energy levels can begin to drop, but this doesn’t have to be the case if you follow some of our proven tips to boost your daily energy levels. While the most common period of workday tiredness tends to be just after lunchtime as the body dedicates energy to digesting food, tiredness can strike at any time of day and can cause productivity levels to drop drastically.
GetVoIP took created an infographic to explain how to get more energy. We broke it down for you piece by piece below.
Why do our energy levels drop?
There are various reasons why our energy can feel drained at different periods of the day. Whether it’s feeling sluggish early in the morning or suffering from low energy in the middle of the day, the onset of tiredness can significantly hinder our ability to work effectively.
One study by The New York Times looked at the concept of the circadian rhythm, an in-built 24-hour body clock that determines when our energy spikes and drops over the course of a day. What is interesting is that not all individuals have the same circadian rhythm – instead there are a number of types called chronotypes which can influence when we feel most tired or energized.
Although some people may be lucky enough to enjoy a consistent flow of energy throughout the day without any periods of tiredness, it helps to know your chronotype so you can base your diet, habits and schedule around it.
Increasing your energy levels
Thankfully there are a number of methods which can help you to boost your energy levels each day and ward off the onset of tiredness.
Keep hydrated
As simple as it may sound, drinking plenty of water on a day to day basis can in fact do wonders for your energy levels. Dehydration is an extremely common yet oft ignored cause of fatigue so make the effort to enjoy regular water breaks. As a bonus, getting up off your seat and making your body active can also help keep tiredness away.
Healthy snacking
It’s all too easy to reach for a quick snack when we’re feeling tired to get our energy up again, but this can be a terrible decision to make if you’re eating unhealthy snacks which will only cause a crash in energy later on in the day. Some snacks like nuts and seeds offer a healthy dose of proteins which will release energy slowly – this is far better than filling your body up with sugar which will cause a sharp crash in energy after an initial boost.
Take a nap
If you’re really can’t help but feel like nodding off then sometimes the best thing to do is just that. If you can’t get away with a nap in the office then take a quick 30 minute nap in your car just after lunch, but don’t forget to set your alarm!
Coffee or tea
Caffeine can be your best friend when it comes to staying energized, but just be careful you don’t consume too much or it will turn into your worst enemy. It is recommended to wait around 2 hours after waking up before having a cup of coffee so your body can wake itself up naturally, and you should have just the one cup so you don’t suffer from an energy crash later in the day.
Keep your desk clean
A disorganized desk can lead to a disorganized mind and the feeling of being overwhelmed which will subsequently elevate stress levels. Be sure to set aside a time each day or week to clear up your desk and make things nice and tidy and you will find yourself a lot calmer and energized as you proceed with your day.
Brief relaxation
After a few hours of putting in 100% at work, it’s easy for your body to grow fatigued and stress levels to rise because you’ve been pushing yourself to the limit. Setting aside a 5-10 minute period of the day to do some breathing or meditation exercises can hit the reset button and leave you feeling as good as new.
Early morning routines
What you do in the morning is crucial to set the standard for the rest of the day and can determine whether you slog wearily through your day or hit it at full pace. There are some practices you can implement in your daily routine to wake your body up and keep energy levels high throughout the day.
Cold showers
As much as you may hate it, a cold shower leads to many excellent benefits which can get your day off to a flying start. Cold water is known to raise dopamine production in the body and also helps to burn lipids and lower inflammation, so it’s undoubtedly worth braving the cold for the benefits you will receive.
Eat a proper breakfast
Many people rush out the door to work without taking the time to enjoy a full breakfast, a mistake that can soon come back to bite you later on in the day. Be sure to eat a breakfast rich in protein every morning to keep your energy levels optimized and prevent a pre-lunch energy crash.
Get some sunshine
Our bodies are naturally programmed to receive sunshine early on in the day, but in modern times people can go hours without any sunshine after waking up. One of the most effective ways to rejuvenate your body after waking up is to open up the windows or go for a quick walk outside to get some sunlight. Sunlight is also plays an important part in regulating hormones in the body which will help stabilize your energy levels.
Chronotypes
As mentioned previously, the term chronotype refers to your circadian rhythm and plays a strong role in managing your energy levels throughout the day. There are four distinct types of chronotypes which you may feel describe you perfectly.
Dolphin
The dolphin chronotype is known to wake up feeling sluggish but will soon get fired up as the day proceeds. Dolphins will often peak towards the end of the day but might take a while to get going after waking up. Implementing some of our morning tips for energy can help remove this early fatigue and get you in top shape as soon as the day starts.
Lion
Lions are full of energy as soon as the day starts and look forward to taking on whatever challenges the day will bring. However, after enjoying strong productivity for the first half of the day, a lion will gradually tail off and energy levels will gradually decrease towards the evening. If you want to keep going until the day ends you may consider a mid-afternoon green tea or a quick nap to freshen up again.
Bear
Although the bear tends to wake up feeling tired, their energy soon kicks in after a couple of hours and stays relatively balanced throughout the day. However, once night comes bears will quickly get sleepy and tend to go to bed fairly early. Some early morning tactics can help wake you up quickly such as a cold shower, while an afternoon caffeine boost or healthy snack can keep you going until the evening.
Wolf
The wolf is an evening creature that doesn’t fare too well with mornings and might still be feeling sluggish come the afternoon too. The most productive time of day for a wolf is in the evenings, but this isn’t always in harmony with regular office hours. This is why it’s paramount for anyone with the wolf chronotype to get the morning off to a flying start to get energy levels up.
