Photo by Dmitry Shamis on Unsplash
In short: Low energy usually comes from a handful of everyday things: too little sleep, irregular meals, not enough water, too much sitting and too much stress. Look after those, one small habit at a time, and most people feel a real difference. If your tiredness lasts for weeks, or rest doesn’t help, talk to your doctor.
The alarm goes and you already feel behind. You get through the morning on coffee, fade after lunch, and by the time dinner is cleared away you have nothing left for the book, the phone call or the walk you’d promised yourself. You tell yourself it’s your age, or the season, or just a busy patch.
Sometimes it is. Very often, though, there are simple reasons for feeling drained, and simple things you can do about them. Here are my answers to the eighteen questions people ask most about energy and fatigue.
Frequently asked questions
What energy is, and where it goes
What is high energy, and why does it matter?
High energy is that feeling of being fully alive: you wake up willing, you have enthusiasm for your day, and there is something left for yourself in the evening. Think of the times you felt it. Perhaps you were absorbed in a hobby, spending time with people you love, or working on a project that excited you.
It matters because energy is what lets you act on the things you care about. With it, you look after yourself more easily: you cook, you move, you go to bed on time. You are better company, and your good mood spreads to the people around you. Most of all, you have room to enjoy the simple pleasures of an ordinary day instead of only getting through it.
What causes low energy?
Usually several small things together, which is why it helps to look at them one by one:
Too little sleep, or poor sleep. Nothing replaces it.
The way you eat. Skipped meals, a lot of sugar and very processed food give you peaks and crashes.
Too little water. Even being slightly dry makes you tired and foggy.
Sitting most of the day. The less you move, the more tired you feel.
Stress and worry. A mind that never rests wears the body out.
A medical cause. Low iron, a thyroid problem and other conditions can all show up as tiredness.
If your tiredness lasts in spite of sensible changes, talk to your doctor. Lasting fatigue should always be checked.
How can I improve my energy levels naturally?
Before you reach for something sweet or an energy drink, look at the basics. Move a little every day, even if it is only a walk. Eat real food at regular times, with vegetables, protein and healthy fats. Drink water through the day. Protect your sleep. Find one way to let stress out, whether that is meditation, yoga, slow breathing or time outdoors, and go easy on caffeine and alcohol. None of this is spectacular, and that is the point: steady energy comes from ordinary habits repeated often. I describe several in ten simple ways to boost your energy naturally.
Food and drink
Can certain foods boost my energy levels?
Yes, and the secret is in the combination. A plate that keeps your blood sugar steady keeps your energy steady too:
Slow carbs: whole grains, pulses, vegetables and fruit, which release their energy gradually.
Protein: eggs, fish, meat, beans and lentils, which keep you full and alert.
Healthy fats: nuts, seeds, avocado and olive oil, for long-lasting energy and a well-fed brain.
Water-rich foods: cucumber, celery, watermelon, soups.
Green tea: a gentle lift, calmer than coffee.
If your energy drops every day after lunch, what you eat at midday is the first place to look. I explain it in the afternoon energy dip.
Can drinking coffee or tea boost my energy levels?
Yes and no. Caffeine wakes you up and sharpens your focus for a while, but it lends you energy, it does not give it. A cup of coffee in the morning is a pleasure and fine for most people. Tea gives a gentler lift without the jitters. Too much, or too late in the day, and you may notice a racing heart, nervousness and a restless night, which leaves you more tired the next day. Choose good quality, watch the sugar and syrups that come with it, and drink water alongside.
How much water should I drink to improve my energy levels?
It depends on your size, how active you are and how warm it is, so there is no figure that fits everyone. A simple guide: drink regularly through the day, more when you move or when it is hot, and look at the colour of your urine. Pale yellow means you are doing well. If you forget to drink, keep a bottle or a jug where you can see it, and add a slice of lemon, some mint or a few berries if plain water bores you. More in how staying hydrated helps your mood and energy.
What about energy-boosting supplements?
Food and lifestyle come first, and no supplement replaces them. Some nutrients are closely linked to energy, iron and vitamin B12 in particular, and being low in either can make you very tired. B12 is found mainly in animal foods, so it deserves attention if you eat vegetarian or vegan. Iron is found in pulses, green leafy vegetables, eggs, meat and fish.
You will also see plenty of products sold for energy, such as coenzyme Q10, creatine, ginseng, rhodiola and caffeine tablets. Please do not choose these on your own. Supplements and herbs can interact with medication and are not suitable for everyone. If you are tired all the time, ask your doctor for a check before you take anything, and ask your doctor or pharmacist what, if anything, is right for you.
Sleep, mornings and movement
Can getting enough sleep improve my energy levels?
More than anything else. While you sleep, your body repairs itself, your immune system does its work and your brain sorts and stores the day. When you cut that short, you wake up unfinished: tired, low and slow to decide. Well rested, you concentrate better and cope with far more.
How much you need is personal, so listen to your body: if you wake up reasonably fresh without an alarm, you are getting enough. Keep regular hours, avoid caffeine and alcohol in the evening, make your bedroom cool, dark and calm, and switch off your phone. A relaxation technique such as autogenic training, meditation or slow breathing can help you fall asleep. There is more in my article about sleep.
How can I increase my energy levels in the morning?
If you hit the snooze button several times and dread getting up, start the evening before, with an earlier night. In the morning, get daylight as soon as you can: open the shutters, drink your tea by the window or step outside for a few minutes. Light tells your body clock that the day has begun. Move a little, with some stretches, a few yoga poses or a walk round the block. Then eat a real breakfast with protein, healthy fats and slow carbs: porridge with nuts and fruit, eggs with avocado on wholegrain toast, or a smoothie with spinach, banana and almond butter. A few quiet minutes to breathe, write or simply sit help too. You will find ideas in the power of a morning routine.
What are some practical exercises for boosting energy levels?
You do not need a gym. These take a few minutes and wake the whole body up:
Stretching: roll your neck gently, lift and drop your shoulders, fold forward towards your toes.
Jumping jacks: a short set gets your heart and circulation going when you have been sitting too long.
Desk yoga: a seated twist, a forward fold on your chair, eagle arms to open the shoulders.
Walking: ten to fifteen brisk minutes round the block clears your head.
Breathing: a few slow, deep breaths, in through the nose and out through the mouth.
For gentle ideas you can keep up at any age, see let’s talk about exercise.
Stress, breathing and your mind
How can I manage stress to improve my energy levels?
Stress burns energy all day long, so anything that calms it gives you energy back. Move: even a ten-minute walk releases tension. Breathe slowly and deeply for a minute or two. Try meditation: sit somewhere quiet, follow your breath and let your thoughts come and go without judging them. Protect your sleep. Plan your day, decide what matters most and stop taking on more than you can carry. And lean on people: time with friends and family, or a club or group where you feel at home, makes everything lighter. My 18 FAQs on stress go into more detail.
Can breathing techniques improve my energy levels?
Yes. The way you breathe affects how alert and how calm you feel, and it is the one tool you always have with you. Three simple techniques to try:
Deep belly breathing: sit comfortably, one hand on your belly and one on your chest. Breathe in slowly through your nose and feel your belly rise like a balloon. Breathe out slowly through your mouth and feel it fall. Repeat for several breaths.
The 4-7-8 breath: breathe out fully, breathe in through your nose for a count of four, hold for seven, breathe out through your mouth for eight. Repeat four times.
Box breathing: in for four, hold for four, out for four, hold for four. Good for focus.
Yoga also has a whole family of breathing practices called pranayama, which means breath control. Alternate nostril breathing, where you close one nostril and then the other with your fingers, is calming and balancing. Kapalabhati and breath of fire, with their quick, strong exhalations, are much more stimulating. Learn those two with a teacher, and leave them out if you are pregnant, have high blood pressure or a heart condition, or feel dizzy. Slow breathing calms your nervous system, and a calmer body wastes less energy. Start with five simple breathing practices.
How can I improve my mental energy?
Your mind gets tired just as your body does, and it recovers in similar ways. Rest and pleasure come first, even if that sounds upside down: a walk in nature, a quiet moment, time with people you love all recharge a tired head. Regular movement clears your thoughts and lifts your mood. Food matters too: berries, nuts and seeds, whole grains and healthy fats feed your brain. And give your mind something to enjoy, such as reading, a crossword, a new skill or a language. I wrote a whole article on how to boost your mental energy.
Can practising gratitude and positive thinking help improve energy levels?
They can, because dwelling on what is wrong is tiring. When you feel flat, take a moment to think of what is good in your life: the people who support you, work you enjoy, the beauty outside your window. A simple way to make it a habit is a gratitude journal. Each evening, write down three things you are grateful for, big or small.
Positive thinking does not mean pretending everything is fine. It means turning your attention to what you can influence and to the next small step you can take. That shift frees a surprising amount of energy for the things you want to do.
Nature and scent
Can spending time in nature boost my energy levels?
Very much so. Being among trees, by water or simply under an open sky calms you down, and when stress drops, energy returns. You also move more outdoors without thinking of it as exercise, whether you walk, swim or garden, and that gets your circulation going. Time in green surroundings lifts your mood as well, and eases anxious and low feelings. It does not have to be a long hike. A walk in the park, a path along a river, ten minutes sitting under a tree: take a deep breath of fresh air and notice how you feel afterwards.
Can aromatherapy help improve energy levels?
Scent can give you a pleasant lift, and people have used aromatic plants for wellbeing since ancient times. Essential oils are highly concentrated plant extracts. Peppermint is fresh and invigorating, citrus oils such as lemon and grapefruit feel bright and wakening, and rosemary and eucalyptus are traditionally used when the mind feels tired.
The simplest way to use them is a few drops in a diffuser, or breathing in the scent from the bottle. You can also dilute a little in a carrier oil such as almond or coconut oil for a massage, or add it to a warm bath. Choose good quality oils, never put them undiluted on your skin, and use them sparingly. If you are pregnant, have allergies, asthma or a medical condition, ask your doctor or pharmacist first.
Keeping your energy up
How can I maintain high energy levels?
By treating it as a way of living, not a quick fix. Keep an eye on how you are doing: a few lines in a notebook about your sleep, your movement and how energetic you felt will show you what works for you, and seeing progress keeps you going. Celebrate it. Make room every week for what brings you joy and calms you, such as time with people you love, a hobby, a quiet moment. And be gentle with yourself. Everyone has low days, and a flexible routine survives them better than a strict one. Small steps count most, as I explain in how to make healthy habits stick.
When should I talk to my doctor about tiredness?
Talk to your doctor if you have been tired for more than two or three weeks without an obvious reason, if rest and sleep do not refresh you, or if the tiredness stops you doing ordinary things. Go sooner if it comes with other changes: breathlessness, a racing heart, dizziness, weight change you cannot explain, very heavy periods, feeling cold all the time, low mood or loud snoring with pauses in your breathing. Lasting tiredness often has a cause that can be found and treated, so please do not simply live with it. Food and habits work alongside medical care, never in place of it.
Would you like some help?
Eating for steady energy, from breakfast to the evening, is one of the things we work on in my group programmes in nutrition and health, such as Six Tuesdays in Montignac. If you’d like to know when the next group starts, write to me at hello@catherinepolet.coach.
If you’d prefer to work one to one, I also coach online. Book a free 20-minute call, and tell me what your days look like at the moment. We’ll find the first small change that gives you some energy back.
About Catherine
I’m Catherine Polet, a holistic nutrition health coach, yoga and autogenic training teacher for more than 30 years, author and speaker. I help people find a way of eating and living that suits their own body, online in English, French, Spanish and German, and in person in Southwest France.
