One of the most common problems that people have on a daily basis is a lack of energy. Every day can feel like a chore, you feel sluggish when you wake up, you are demotivated, unproductive at work and, as a result, you don’t make the progress you want to in life.
Finding consistent energy every day is hard – you are unlikely to feel your best all the time. However, there are several ways in which you can increase your energy levels, which will not only increase how much you get done during the day but also improve your mindset, relationships with people and overall outlook on life.
“The higher your energy level, the more efficient your body is,” the great speaker and author Tony Robbins once said. “The more efficient your body is, the better you feel and the more you will use your talent to produce outstanding results.”
Higher energy levels is a game changer for many people, but how do you achieve it?
Proper Rest and Recovery
One of the best things you can do to improve your energy levels is prioritise good rest and recovery. Firstly, make sure that you are not overtraining or overdoing intense forms of exercise. While you do need to train more than once during the week, overdoing it is only going to lead to exhaustion, lack of enjoyment, and burnout. Not only that, but those needless extra sessions will not have any positive impact on your results and instead your time will have been better spent resting and recovering. This will make the exercise part of the plan sustainable, enjoyable and manageable.
Good recovery will also allow you to make excellent physical progress. This is because, not only will you have more energy to attack your next workout, you will also give your body time to change, as recovery is where the progress is really made after your workout. Make good recovery a priority and you will find that your energy levels and progress with fitness goals improve dramatically.
High Quality Sleep
Many people underestimate the importance of sleep when it comes to weight loss or fat loss, but there are several reasons why it needs to be a priority, especially for having consistent high energy levels. A high-quality night’s sleep of 7-9 hours gives your body much-needed rest and recovery from your daily exercise and tasks, which is also crucial to progression.
Furthermore, you produce a large portion of your growth hormone when you sleep, particularly in the first two hours. In order to build lean muscle tissue and burn fat efficiently, we need growth hormones, and as your growth hormone levels decrease gradually in your late 20’s, the importance of sleep then increases.
Sleep also produces Melatonin in the pineal gland and is involved in energy metabolism. It also balances your cortisol levels (the stress hormone that is part of our survival mechanism), and your levels of your insulin (the major hormone that controls your blood sugar levels), which is vital for your body to be able to rest and recover from your activity during the day.
Balanced, Sustainable Exercise
It is essential that your training and exercise plan is not rigorous and unsustainable. Firstly, make sure that you are not overtraining or overdoing intense exercise. You should be aiming for 2-4 resistance training sessions per week, with a form of low-intensity cardio supporting this every day. During your resistance training sessions, focus on becoming stronger and improving in a number of areas, such as weight lifted, intensity, technique, tempo and recovery in between sets, each week.
Adding in low-intensity cardio, such as walking, cycling or swimming, alongside your resistance training will allow you to burn a significant number of calories during the day, without feeling exhausted. This will make the exercise part of the plan sustainable, enjoyable and manageable, and keep your energy levels consistent throughout the day.
Balanced Nutrition
Another huge part of increasing your energy levels will be your diet. This will be vital, not only in achieving your goals, but also fuelling your workouts and remaining full of energy throughout the day. It is vital that you have a diet that features a good balance of protein, carbohydrates, vegetables and, to a lesser extent, fats to support you.
Consuming plenty of carbohydrates, in particular, is going to be important because it is going to be your primary source of energy throughout the day. Aim for carbohydrates that release energy slowly, such as oatmeal, rice, potatoes, pasta and bread, so that you avoid sharp spikes and dips in your blood sugar levels and that your energy levels remain consistent. Fruit is also a good, healthy option if you are looking for a sharper energy hit. Do not neglect carbohydrates from your diet, especially if you want to have balanced, high energy levels.
Find Out What Inspires You
The last tactic is from a psychological perspective. There is a common view that inspired energy is the most powerful energy out there and is crucial for us to increase our levels of energy throughout the day. Having good structure, balanced exercise and nutrition and plenty of rest and recovery are all very important, but if you are not doing things that inspire you on a day-to-basis, you are not going to feel energetic and ready for the tasks ahead.
The solution is to do things that you are passionate about. If you don’t know what those things are yet, you will have to take time aside to think deeply about it because this is what is going to get you out of bed in the morning and ultimately drive your life. Once you identify this, you will have a new-found purpose and inspired energy, which can be a game-changer. Personal development is huge when it comes to energy levels, and if you can have better control of your mind and emotions, you will reap the benefits from it.
Summary
So, if you are feeling sluggish and like every day is a drag, use these tips to increase your energy levels, both physically and psychologically. Prioritise rest and recovery, improve the quality and duration of your sleep, make sure your training and exercise programme is effective and sustainable, consume a balanced diet, and find out what inspires you in life. Once you do this, your energy will go to a whole new level.
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