5 Things To Boost Your Energy Throughout The Day

7 min read

We all know those energy slumps that tend to pop up in the middle of the day. Sometimes it's right after lunch, sometimes in the later afternoon, and sometimes both, or even more!

Now don't get me wrong, I'm a lover of coffee and incorporate it into my daily routine on a daily basis. However, I do believe it is good not to rely on a single substance for our energy. Plus, too much coffee is also not the greatest, so it's a good idea to have a variety of sources you can get your energy from.

Here are 5 caffeine-free energy boosters that will help you consistently ramp up your energy!

1. Nutrition

We talk about nutrition a lot, and for good reason, after all, it is quite literally the source of our physical energy!

Now, to sustainably boost your energy levels, a balanced diet is key. What this may look like differs from person to person, but putting an emphasis on whole foods is always a good idea. Incorporate a variety of fruit and vegetables into your everyday meals. Protein is also important. Whether you get it from a piece of chicken, a cup of cottage cheese, or a can of chickpeas is your choice, but make sure to add protein to most of your meals!

But apart from general nutrition, what can you specifically eat when that mid-day slump hits?

There are a few foods that are proven to boost energy. These include:

• Bananas
• Oranges
• Eggs
• Dark Chocolate
• Avocados
• Apples
• Dark Berries
• Greek Yoghurt
• Nuts

These are just a few examples of snacks or meals you could incorporate into your day whenever you start feeling sluggish. They tend to give your body the needed nutrients to concentrate or perform and will provide long-lasting energy as opposed to one big rush followed by a slump!

2. Water

Tied to the topic of nutrition, water is a key element when it comes to boosting your energy.

Being dehydrated will lead to fatigue and low energy. This is because hydration keeps our muscles energized and therefore stabilizes our energy levels.

How do I know I'm dehydrated?

Apart from the fact that we usually know when we're not on our best game with drinking water.... ;)

An easy way to be able to tell whether you're dehydrated is simply by checking your urine. If it's very dark, you're probably dehydrated. Aim for a pale color.

Another way to tell if you're dehydrated, is simply checking in with yourself and seeing if you're feeling thirsty!

How can I be more hydrated?

The easy answer to this is obvious: drink more water.

But some people aren't a big fan of water, or simply forget to drink throughout the day. Here are a few tips to help you stay hydrated:

• Carry a water bottle with you EVERYWHERE. Have it right next to you at work so you can see it.
• Try out different things (and find something YOU like) such as cold teas, lemon water, mint water, cucumber water,... The more interesting you can make your drinks, the more likely you are to actually drink more.
• Eat foods with high water content! This will passively hydrate you! These foods include watermelon, strawberries, cucumber, cantaloupe, lettuce, peaches, oranges, and many more!

3. Social Media

You have probably noticed it yourself already, but a 30-minute long Instagram session doesn't really help with feeling good, motivated, and energized for your day.

Studies have found that Social Media is directly linked to fatigue. It does depend on the type of social media, however. Checking news on Facebook or Instagram causes an overload of information, which in turn heightens fatigue levels.

Using platforms such as Snapchat or Whatsapp to catch up with Friends or Family can even heighten energy levels a bit.

This shows, that social media is not all bad, it simply depends on how you use it. Mindless scrolling will drain your energy by the minute while using your break to catch up with a close friend on Whatsapp might do the opposite.

The best thing to keep in mind is to use social media mindfully. How do you feel while using the different apps? Be brutally honest with yourself, what makes you feel like shit?

When in doubt, focus on real-life connections and put down your phone as much as possible!

4. Stretch

Stretching can be both, relaxing and rejuvenating. Stretching increases the circulation of blood and oxygen to your muscles, making you feel more energized.

This is also a great option for movement when you don't have the time or space to workout. When feeling tired at work, take a 5-10 minute break, get up and stretch. It will feel better than downing that fifth cup of coffee of the day, trust me!

5. Move

Just like stretching, movement increases blood circulation and brings you energy. If you've ever done a quick workout right after waking up, you know how fast that can wake you up.

Whether you do it first thing in the morning, in the middle of your workday, or after work, exercise is a great way to boost energy.

Not only will you notice the immediate benefits, but over time your fatigue will diminish and you will feel overall more energized and motivated.

It is quite simple, according to Newton's first law of motion, an object in motion will want to continue to be in motion, while an object at rest will stay at rest. Of course, this is just a metaphor, but the more you move and the more energy you use up, the more you are going to crave movement.

Try to ditch a few cups of coffee

As you can see, there are plenty of ways you can boost your energy without having to rely on caffeine to do the trick.

As mentioned above, there is nothing wrong with having some coffee, but before you reach for your 3rd, 4th or 5th cup of the day, maybe think of these 5 things and see if there are areas in your life that might be causing this fatigue you feel.

These can also be great habits to incorporate if you want to reduce your caffeine intake but aren't sure what to replace it with. Sometimes, coffee is simply a coping mechanism for us to take a break from work and think about something else for a bit, even if it's just 5 minutes. If that something changes to a stretch break or a healthy snack, you might find that your coffee cravings disappear!

As always, see what feels good for you and your body!

Sending Love