1. All Work, No Play
All your routines can get tedious and exhausting, and the body registers boredom as tiredness. Build in pleasure throughout your day by taking mini-breaks and doing something relaxing or fun to break your routines.
2. Shunning the Sun
Without enough natural light, the body goes into sleep mode. In a recent study involving 600 adults at the University of Massachusetts, researchers found that feelings of depression, hostility, anger, irritability, and anxiety were highest in the winter and lowest in the summer. Try and sneak out for a 10 minute walk, even if it is cloudy, or spend a few minutes in a room that is filled with natural light.
3. Barely Breathing
When you take shallow breaths, your body does not get enough oxygen resulting in increased levels of carbon monoxide in your blood which can make you tired. Practice breathing from your diaphragm when your tired or need extra energy. As you inhale, focus on making your stomach and chest move.
4. Being a Desk or Couch Potato
Sitting in one position for long periods can drain your energy because your body equates stillness with going to sleep. Also, if you're staring at a TV or computer screen you tend to blink less frequently resulting in dry eyes and eyestrain which can put you in the mood for shut-eye. Take breaks to stretch, walk, and move, and relieve eyestrain by focusing on something distant every 30 minutes or during commercial breaks.
5. Sleep Inconsistency
Your body's internal clock needs consistency, so staying up late on weekends and sleeping in gives you jet lag without ever leaving town. A study conducted at Brigham in Boston found that even if you sleep enough hours, you're more likely to be irritable and downbeat if you wake up at a time other than what you're used to. Try to establish a regular sleep and wake-up schedule and try not to deviate too far from it, even on the weekends.
6. Mild Dehydration
When you feel thirsty, you've already lost 2 to 3 percent of your body fluid, therefore, a lot of people are walking around in a state of mild dehydration. Even mild dehydration can make you feel tired or lethargic because your blood volume lowers and your heart has to pump harder. Try and aim for nine cups of water per day if you are sedentary and 12 if you are active. You can increase your water intake by eating more soup, fresh fruits, and vegetables.
7. Bright Lights at Night
Normal levels of indoor lighting can be enough to disrupt your brain's notion of night and day. Bright lights can reset your body's internal clock, making it hard to fall asleep when you want and wake up on time. Dim the overhead lights in your living room or bedroom a few hours before bedtime or turn on a reading lamp instead.
8. The Vitamin-Plus-Coffee Breakfast
This common meal is actually an energy drainer because vitamins are not a source of energy. Without calorie intake in the morning, your metabolic rate drops and your body functions slow in order to preserve energy, making you feel sluggish. To get a steady release of energy all morning, eat a meal that combines protein and carbs: peanut butter on a bagel, an energy bar, egg with whole wheat toast. You will burn the carbs quickly and feel a surge of energy, and the protein which stays in your stomach longer gives you staying power.
9. Overdoing Exercise
The body needs time to recover after exercise and allow muscles to repair and replenish energy stores. A good way to check if your body needs a break is to take your pulse first thing in the morning before you get out of bed: If it's more than 5 beats above normal the morning after a vigorous execise routine, exercise lightly or take the day off. You could get in the habit of working out every other day, but don't skip too many because you may fall out of your routine.
10. Carrying Around Extra Pounds
Gaining even 5 extra pounds can cause fatigue and put extra strain on your heart, which can make you tired. Exercise portion control and healthy eating habits with less junk food, sweets, and high fat foods.
11. Slouching
When the joints aren't aligned properely, the whole body has to work so much harder. The excess strain on your back and hips can make you feel tired and achy. A quick alignment check: Whether you're moving, sitting, or standing still, your head should be lined up over your body (not sticking out in front), so our ears are directly over your shoulders.
12. Too Much Noise
Noise is stress. Your pulse rate and blood pressure increase and your adrenaline surges. Anything that puts added stress on your nervous system eventually depletes your energy. It also causes you to work harder to comlpete tasks due to the added distraction and your constant effort to ignore the sound, resulting in increased fatigue. Make as much effort as possible to decrease unwanted and excessive noise in your work and home environment.
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