16 Great Tips to Stay Energized and Awake

Are you constantly feeling tired, even after you've had a good night’s sleep? How about after lunchtime, let’s say around 1 pm? How on earth can you go through your day without feeling so drained? If you follow these 16 rules - you’ll be as awake and energetic as a 5-year-old on a sugar-rush!

1. Drink plenty of water – Staying hydrated is one of the main secrets to staying energized. Your body is comprised of about 60% water, so if you don’t have enough water, you’re not your whole self. If you find it difficult to drink the needed 10 cups of water, make sure you eat water-rich fruits and veggies.

2. Get enough sleep – When we sleep, our body repairs itself and our brain organize all the information it absorbed during the day, without enough of either – we can’t function correctly and our body will demand more sleep by making us lethargic.

3. Avoid Caffeine in the middle of the day – Caffeine is great in the morning! It keeps you awake and energized, but it also stays in your system for several hours, so drinking it in the afternoon can actually diminish the quality of your sleep. Caffeine also causes increased urination, which can dehydrate you – making you tired again.

4. Exercise – A body that is used to exercise burns more calories during the day. Calories are our fuel, so the more our body burns – the more energy we have.

5. Eat a proper breakfast – Grabbing a healthy snack for breakfast is a quick and easy way to start your day, but it’s definitely not the right way - the energy you get from it will only last you a short time. Instead, eat whole-wheat bread, nuts, fruits and vegetables – they’re rich in complex carbohydrates that break down slower, giving you longer energy boosts.

6. Dress for success – When you’re dressed well, you feel more energetic! Get a haircut and do some grooming in the morning, it will help you start the day feeling like a winner!

7. Be social – Now that you’ve made yourself an attractive individual, surround yourself with people. You’ll enjoy the admiring looks and your confidence will give you an energy boost! Also, try and surround yourself with fun people who will make you WANT to be alert and energized.

8. Smile – Believe it or not, smiling makes you happier. Even a fake smile affects the brain, causing it to release dopamine, making you happier and more energetic. Plus, if you smile at people, they usually smile back, and the effect can double itself!

9. Avoid Alcohol before bed – While a nightcap sounds like just the right thing to get you to fall asleep faster – it’s actually a bad idea! Alcohol damages the REM cycle, which is imperative for our mental rest. Without proper mental rest, we become irritable, can have lapses in moral decisions, and even suffer ADHD-like symptoms.

10. Release stress – Stress takes a toll on our energy levels. It causes mental fatigue that directly affects our physical level of energy. Get a massage or some other relaxing treatment. If you’re having problems at home, try tackling them ASAP so they don’t get a chance to tire you out later in the day.

11. Take a shower – Preferably a cold one! We all know that taking a shower is a great way to start your day because it wakes you up. You’re also forced to stand and the water doesn’t allow you to go back to sleep, meaning you’re going to have to wake up.

12. Listen to Music – There’s a reason that gyms play a certain kind of music. The right kind of music can motivate you to move and perform. The reason is that music can affect your brain, causing it to release dopamine and adrenaline, which makes you happier and energized.

13. Get some fresh air – Being stuck indoors all the time can also make you lethargic. Go outside and get some sun (an added benefit is that this produces vitamin D in your body). Wind and rain will also stimulate your senses, increasing your level of alertness.

14. Write your daily tasks – Rank them according to urgency and follow-through. This helps in keeping you focused, reducing stress and giving you a clear purpose for the day – all are influencing factors on your level of alertness.

15. Forget jealousy – You might not realize it, but jealousy is very taxing. It takes your mind off of tasks you need to accomplish, it causes you unhappiness that reduces your energy and it can even cause mild insomnia sometimes. Concentrate on all the good things in your life instead, and remember that even though someone else’s life might look amazing, you don’t really know what they might be going through…

16. Motivate yourself – Sports teams use cheerleaders for a reason! They help motivate the team, even when the game is not going the way they want it to. Self-pity is a known energy drainer, so compliment yourself when you do well, don’t give yourself a hard time when you don’t, and push on through!