Why Energy Represents Our Well-being
Feeling tired is now part of everyday life for many people in this busy, hectic, on-the-go world. Therefore, feeling tired throughout the day or having a “slump” in the afternoon is a fact of modern-day life. People’s lack of energy is so enduringly commonplace that most people merely assume that this is what they will experience as they move through their lives. However, a person’s low energy levels can serve as an indicator of a way to enhance themselves.
Energy is much more than physical power; it encompasses all aspects of your health: physical, mental, emotional, and social. When your energy levels are at their highest, all of the components of your health will be improved – productivity, mood, ability of the immune system to protect you from illness, quality of relationships, and overall health and longevity.
What makes this even more valuable is that you do not need to diet, buy an expensive supplement, or completely change your lifestyle to energize yourself. Instead, simple, consistent daily habits can improve your energy levels and enable you to live a happier and healthier life.
This article provides simple, scientifically validated daily habits that will empower you to energize yourself and provide you with expert input, actual examples of successful people, and actionable steps you can take immediately.
The Basis for a Healthy and Energetic Life: Know Your Energy.
Energy is generated by the body from the cellular level (mitochondria), which convert nutrients and oxygen into ATP. ATP is the energy source that allows your body to move and function.
Dr. Peter Attia, an expert in the field of longevity medicine states:
“Low Energy is typically not a lack of motivation, it is often metabolic and lifestyle issues.”
Types of factors that Impact Daily Energy:
- Nutrition and Hydration
- Quality Sleep
- Physical Exercise
- Stress Control
- Emotional/Mental Well Being
To increase energy levels, you must support these systems instead of pushing yourself harder. Supporting the body intelligently is far more effective than pushing harder and harder at the end of the day.
Habit 1: Make Use of Morning Movement and Light
Why this is Important:
Morning exposure to the sun is an excellent way to assist with circadian rhythm regulation (the clock, which regulates sleep, hormones, and energy). According to research published in The Journal Of Clinical Sleep Medicine, individuals that are exposed to natural light in the morning tend to fall asleep quicker and enjoy better quality sleep overall.
Morning movement helps increase blood circulation, activates the central nervous system, and increases alertness (that does not require caffeine).
Practical Applications:
- Go for a brief, 10–15 minute walk outside within 1 hour of waking up.
- Stretch at a window or patio door while looking outside.
- Practice slow rhythmical yoga or slow, controlled mobility stretches.
Case Study:
The workplace wellness study (a 2022 study) discovered that workers who walked outside before their shift began reported being 20% more energetic and had slightly less fatigue than their counterparts who did not walk before work.
Habit 2: Eating for Sustained Energy, Not for Quick Energy
Significance of Habit 2
The body’s blood glucose levels are quickly raised and quickly lowered when people eat high-sugar/high-processed carbohydrate foods. This causes fatigue and “brain fog.”
According to Dr. Mark Hyman, Nutritionist and Author:
“Every time you eat, you are sending ‘messages’ to the body: store fat, reduce inflammation, or give you energy.”
Nutrition Action Steps
Choose Meals that Stabilize Energy:
- Sources of Protein: Eggs, fish, beans, Greek yogurt
- Sources of Healthy Fats: Olive oil, nuts, avocado
- Sources of Complex Carbohydrates: Vegetables, whole grains
Practical Examples
Instead of:
- Sugar-based breakfast cereals + coffee mixture (assumed caffeine)
Try:
- Eggs with vegetables cooked in olive oil
- Oatmeal with chopped nuts and fresh berries
These combinations provide sustained energy for several hours rather than several minutes.
Habit 3: is Hydration, which can help energize the body to combat fatigue.
Hydration is important. Mild dehydration (1-2% loss of fluids) can affect your focus, increase fatigue, and reduce your workout ability. Based on research published in The Journal of Nutrition, dehydration also increases feelings of tiredness and headaches – with no thirst response, at all.
Ways to Hydrate
- First thing every day, drink 1 – 2 glasses of water
- Always have a reusable bottle of water with you
- Add Electrolytes to your water, if you are exercising or sweating heavily.
Experts’ Input
Dr. Stacy Sims, a sports physiologist says it very well: “Hydration is not about drinking when you are thirsty, it is about having the right amount of fluids in your body before you feel fatigued.”
Habit 4: is to Move Your Body Daily, but Avoid Overtraining.
Moving your body regularly increases mitochondrial density, insulin sensitivity, and increases the feel-good chemicals (neurotransmitters) dopamine and serotonin. However, if you overtrain, you can use your energy instead of adding it.
How to Create Balance in how You Move Your Body
- About 30 to 45 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week
- Strength training 2 – 3 times per week
- Walking and/or light activity every day
Tips
- When you are on a phone call, walk around while you talk.
- Go up and down stairs.
- Every hour do 10 body weight squats.
Studies show that adults who did moderate activity were 65% less fatigued than inactive adults (Harvard Medical School).
Habit 5: Control Your Stress or It Will Control You
Why This Is Important: Stress can increase the levels of cortisol in the body, which negatively influences the way you digest food, the way your body fights off infections, and the way your body produces energy while you sleep.
According to psychologist Dr. Kelly McGonigal:
“Stress is not just a state of mind, it is a full-body experience that influences the metabolic processes that our bodies use to metabolize energy.”
Ways To Reduce Stress Fast:
- 5 minutes of deep breathing
- Short mindfulness meditation practice
- Journaling nightly before bed
Example Of Stress Management Program:
A corporate stress-management program introduced breathing breaks of 10 minutes, two times daily, and at the end of eight weeks, participants reported:
- 28% More Energy
- 35% Less Burnout
Habit 6: Treat Sleep As A Health Asset
Why This Is Important: Your body repairs tissue and equilibrates hormones while you sleep. If you do not get enough sleep or poor quality sleep it will decrease your body’s ability to respond to insulin and will make you feel fatigued.
Ways To Create Good Sleeping Habits:
- Go To Sleep At The Same Time Each Night
- Do Not Look At Your Phone, Tablet, Or Computer For One Hour Before Sleep
- Make Sure Your Bedroom Is Cool, Dark, And Quiet
Sleep Researcher Dr. Matthew Walker: “Sleep Improves Every Aspect Of Health Including Mental And Physical Well Being.”
Habit 7: Maintaining Digital Boundaries To Preserve Mental Energy
Reason:
The notifications we receive constantly interrupt our focus on work and decrease the mental energy that we have available. Mental fatigue can be very comparable to physical exhaustion.
Steps You Can Take:
- Stop all notifications that do not require immediate attention.
- Create a daily period of time when you will not check your phone.
- When eating, do not look at a phone or computer screen.
Research:
The University of California reported that when someone switches frequently between tasks, their productivity and energy levels may drop by up to 40 percent.
Habit 8: Create Meaningful Lives And Promote Good Emotions
Reason:
Emotional health and mental energy are linked to one another, with emotional health influencing how healthy we feel physically. People with a sense of purpose experience greater immune system function, lower levels of inflammation, and far greater vitality than those without a purpose.
How to Develop Emotional Energy:
- Practice daily gratitude.
- Participate in meaningful activities.
- Spend time each week with people who are supportive of you.
Research:
A longitudinal study of individuals aged 50 years or older found that individuals with a strong sense of purpose had a 30 percent lower risk of fatigue-related illnesses as compared to those with no sense of purpose.
In conclusion, small habits can have an enormous impact on our overall well-being and vitality. Instead of creating a large list of things to do, you can focus on developing daily habits that will help you build more energy. Energy cannot be chased, you have to create your own energy through your daily habits.
By creating small, consistent choices every day that support your body’s natural functions (moving regularly, eating whole foods, sleeping well, managing stress, and connecting with others), you can increase your health, resilience, and quality of life.
What are some of the small daily habits you can incorporate into your routine to support your body?
Pick one habit from this article, commit to doing it for seven days;
- For example, taking a walk in the morning; drinking more water; or going to bed thirty minutes earlier.
- Once you complete this seven-day commitment, you will begin to build consistency and your body will be able to create more energy.
- Every day we have the ability to create more energy. But how?
- It starts with our daily habits.
