You must’ve heard about a good night’s sleep affecting your productivity and quality of work at least a hundred times. However, if you still feel lethargic even after getting a full 8 hours of sleep, you might be wondering what you’re doing wrong. The warning signs of fatigue often show up on your body, and to track why you might be experiencing a lack of energy more than usual, simply check your daily habits and change the ones that are harming you.

Your food habits have gone haywire

Food is your fuel, and what you consume all day long dictates how your body feels. It has been preached for ages that you need that daily intake of leafy greens and fruits to keep yourself at your optimum. After all, healthy, nutritious foods are important to meet your body’s requirement for iron, vitamins and minerals.

You can start your day with a hearty breakfast packed with items like oatmeal, peanut butter and whole-wheat bread, a fruit smoothie, eggs, low-fat greek yoghurt to feel full and energised. If you live a lifestyle that doesn’t allow you to intake these foods, you can always prefer a good multivitamin tablet like HealthOK.

Having said that, whatever you do, avoid junk food as it contains a lot of sugar and simple carbs, so not giving into that craving for a greasy cheeseburger often is a great first step.

Your hydration habits need to be checked too

Having sips of water throughout the day can keep you from feeling dehydrated. As lack of fluids causes your heart to work extra hard to pump and circulate oxygen, it consumes more energy than necessary.

While your morning coffee may give you a nice kick to start your morning on an upbeat note, depending too much on it to replenish your energy throughout the day can make you feel tired in the long run.

As caffeine replaces adenosine, a molecule necessary to maintain a perfect sleep-wake cycle, consuming too much of it can disrupt your sleep. Hence, the general recommendation is to stop drinking coffee about 6 hours before your bedtime.

Another drink to avoid before bed is the good ol’ cup of wine. You may think that a glass or two before bed may help you relax and unwind better, however, research suggests that having alcohol right before sleep may decrease the quality of sleep you get. You should avoid alcohol about 3-4 hours before going to bed. 

Switch up your work environment

Having a clean and tidy workspace is just as important as having a clean body. Things like an untidy desk/cubicle, sitting in front of your computer screen all day and taking on more than you can handle can all drastically affect your energy levels.

Clean your workspace to avoid feeling overwhelmed by the amount of unfinished tasks you might be having. When you have less clutter around you, you feel more motivated and pleasant. Depending on their levels of urgency, take on one task at a time and sort your way through the huge pile that you may have in front of you.

Take breaks whenever you find yourself getting distracted. Walk away from your desk, stretch your legs and walk around for a few minutes before you’re ready to focus on your tasks again.

Don’t skip your workouts

This is especially important if you’re living a sedentary lifestyle that requires you to sit in one place for more than 8 hours a day. Such inactivity can affect your health in the long term and to counter this, daily exercise is the best remedy.

As regularly working out boosts your strength and endurance, it helps you keep your energy levels high. So, the next time you feel tired, you know a quick workout will do you better than another cup of coffee.

While you may not notice the difference in a single day and it may seem more like a task in the beginning, if you stick to these changes, you’ll definitely feel more energetic and less burnt out over time. With age, it’s harder to meet your hectic lifestyle’s energy needs. And if you’re someone who constantly feels the signs of fatigue affecting your daily routine, HealthOK has the power of taurine and natural ginseng with 20 essential vitamins and minerals that’ll give you the energy to push through the day with a renewed vigour.