Feeling wiped out before lunch, or dragging through the afternoon, is common. Busy schedules, bright screens, and a long to-do list can chip away at energy. Fatigue is more than feeling sleepy, it is low drive, heavy limbs, and foggy focus. It creeps in when sleep is poor, meals are rushed, and stress hangs around.
The good news is simple changes can lift your energy. You do not need a full life overhaul. A few steady habits, kept most days, can shift how you feel. Small steps build momentum, like a dimmer switch moving from low to bright.
If you feel constant fatigue after healthy lifestyle changes, it’s best to visit your GP for a blood test, to rule out anaemia or other medical issues.
Prioritise Quality Sleep to Boost Energy
Sleep is the base of steady energy. When you sleep well, your body repairs, your brain clears waste, and hormones reset. Most adults feel their best with 7 to 9 hours each night. Less sleep stacks fatigue, slows reaction time, and invites cravings.
Screens before bed are a common trip-up. The blue light tells your brain it is daytime, which delays melatonin. Late caffeine, heavy meals, and stressful emails keep the nervous system alert. A calm routine, a regular schedule, and a quiet room help your brain shift into rest.
Focus on rhythm, not perfection. Aim for the same sleep and wake time, even on weekends. Keep evenings calm. Protect the last hour before bed, and let your body learn the pattern.
Establish a Consistent Sleep Routine
A gentle wind-down signals your circadian rhythm, the internal clock that sets sleep and wake. Keep it simple and steady.
- A quick list of tomorrow’s tasks can clear the mind and reduce mental noise.
- Power down early: Stop caffeine after noon, even tea and cola. Caffeine lingers, which can delay sleep.
- Dim the lights: Lower brightness after dinner. This step nudges melatonin and tells the brain that night is near.
- Protect the last hour: Read a light book, stretch, or take a warm shower. Keep chats and tasks calm.
- Set a regular schedule: Go to bed and wake up at the same times. Your body loves rhythm, so energy becomes more stable.
- Park worries on paper: A quick list of tomorrow’s tasks can clear the mind and reduce mental noise.
Consistency trains your body to expect rest at the same time, which reduces tossing and turning, and makes mornings easier.
Optimise Your Bedroom for Restful Nights
Your sleep space should be calm, cool, and dark. Small tweaks go a long way.
- Cool the room: Aim for a cool temperature, often around 16 to 18°C. Cooler air helps you fall asleep faster.
- Block light: Use blackout curtains or an eye mask.
- Cut noise: Try earplugs, a fan, or white noise. Softer sound helps you stay asleep.
- Choose comfort: A supportive mattress and pillow ease aches.
- Remove clutter: A simple space feels more restful.
Fuel Your Body with Nourishing Foods
Food is fuel. The right mix keeps blood sugar steady, which prevents mid-morning dips and late afternoon slumps. Build meals around whole foods, lean plant proteins, complex carbs, and colourful veg. Add healthy fats for satisfaction and brain health. Sustainable, balanced eating wins every time.
Hydration matters as much as meals. Even mild dehydration can cause tiredness, headaches, dry mouth, and poor focus. Water supports blood flow and temperature control, both key for energy.
Choose Energy-Boosting Meals Throughout the Day
Structured meals keep energy smooth.
- Breakfast: Oats with plant milk or yoghurt, topped with berries and seeds. Beans on wholegrain toast with tomatoes. Smoothie with spinach, banana, oats, and peanut butter.
- Lunch: Marinated tofu or beans with quinoa and a big salad. Wholegrain wrap with vegan tuna, crunchy veg, and hummus. Soup with lentils and a slice of wholegrain bread.
- Dinner: Tempeh, brown rice, and greens. Tempeh chilli with beans and peppers. Stir-fry with tofu, mixed veg, and noodles.
- Smart snacks: Apple and almonds, Greek-style vegan yoghurt with fruit, carrot sticks with hummus, wholegrain crackers with vegan cheese.
Keep portions moderate. Large, heavy meals can cause a slump as blood flows to the gut. Aim for balance on the plate, not perfection.
Stay Hydrated to Keep Fatigue at Bay
Water supports cells and keeps energy steady.
- Aim for 6 to 8 glasses a day, more if active or in hot weather.
- Keep a bottle nearby, sip often, refill mid-morning and mid-afternoon.
- Add flavour with lemon, mint, cucumber, or berries if plain water bores you.
- Watch for signs of mild dehydration, darker urine, dry mouth, headache.
- Avoid alcohol. This is a sure way to make you feel tired the next day.
Keep caffeine from tea and coffee early in the day (avoid for pregnancy/nursing).
Incorporate Movement and Relaxation
Movement builds energy, not just fitness. It improves circulation, balances mood, and helps you sleep more deeply. You do not need long gym sessions. Gentle exercise like walking, yoga, or cycling is enough to shift how you feel.
Stress drains energy like a slow leak. When stress runs high, cortisol stays elevated, and sleep suffers. Quick stress tools calm the nervous system and help your body switch from alert to rest. Pair movement with simple stress relief for best results.
Start with Simple Daily Exercises
Thirty minutes a day is a great target, but any movement counts.
- A brisk walk, ten minutes after meals, boosts blood flow and clears the head.
- Stretching in the morning or evening eases stiffness and improves posture.
- Light strength work, bodyweight squats, wall push-ups, or resistance bands, helps stabilise joints and supports daily tasks.
- Gentle yoga links breath and movement, which settles the mind.
Movement triggers endorphins, your feel-good chemicals, which lift mood and reduce the sense of fatigue. It also sets you up for deeper sleep at night.
Practice Quick Stress-Reduction Techniques
Simple tools can calm the system in minutes.
- Deep breathing: Try 4-6 breathing, breathe in for four, out for six, for two minutes. It steadies the heart.
- Mindfulness: Five to ten minutes of guided practice can ease tension. Short, regular sessions work best.
- Journaling: Note three wins or three worries, then write one next step. This clears rumination and restores control.
- Micro-breaks: Stand, stretch your chest and neck, look out a window, and reset your shoulders. Repeat every hour.
Lower stress supports lower cortisol, which helps you feel calmer, sleep better, and wake with more energy.
Getting Things Done, When Fatigued
Rest-Do Days is a practical guide to finding a balance between resting and doing, so you can recharge your energy, while doing things important to you. It’s aimed at people with MS, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, vasculitis, Parkinson’s and other chronic autoimmune diseases. By an occupational therapist.
Better Brands of Energy Drinks
Never rely on energy drinks if fatigued. It’s far more important to rest and address the reasons behind why you feel tired. But if you need an extra energy boost now and then, there are better energy drinks on the market.
Some popular energy drinks can increase heart rate and blood pressure, especially if consumed in excess (due to some young people having ended up in hospital when addicted, they are banned for sale in Sweden and Lithuania for teenagers, with similar legislation pending in the UK).
Avoid energy drinks when pregnant/nursing, for children or on medication (due to caffeine, and herbs like guarana, ginseng, cola nuts etc). You can recycle the glass bottles or cans (no need to crush, but pop the ring-pull back over the can first, to avoid wildlife getting caught inside).
Energy drinks have been around since the 1930s (Lucozade was invented by a Newcastle pharmacist and Ribena created for ‘free vitamin C for children’). Both are very high in sugar, though artificial sweeteners are also now added, to protect against a possible sugar tax. One personal trainer suggests a healthier homemade alternative is simply to add fresh lime juice to sparkling water.
Purdey’s is sweetened with stevia, a blend of sparkling water, fruits and botanicals in three flavours:
- Raspberry & rose (with magnesium for electrolyte balance)
- Grape & apple (with ginseng)
- Dark fruits (guarana)
These drinks contain caffeine (from black tea) and various vitamins, with sugars from natural fruit juice. They taste quite nice (a bit sweet) and are good for the odd pick-me-up. Say for morning focus, or an afternoon refresh, to replace a cup of coffee.
Gusto Organic offers ‘real cola’ that is made with organic Fair Trade ingredients, sweetened with cane sugar and agave (the ‘naturally slim’ version is sweetened with stevia). Other flavours are lemon guarana, Sicilian blood orange and fiery ginger beer.
