Have you ever had one of those days where you find yourself slugging over to the coffee machine for the second or third time, desperate to shake that morning grogginess? Same. If coffee just isn't cutting it, here are some ways that will wake you up, no caffeine required:
Tweak your diet
Boosting your meals with lots of fiber and protein is essential to make you full longer without feeling heavy or tired. On the other hand, super starchy foods in excess will cause blood sugar to spike and make you feel even more tired. This is somewhat a catch-22 because lack of sleep and feeling tired is proven to make you hungrier for sugary/starchy food. Aside from the satiety aspect, eating green leafy vegetables are a great source of energy because of their chlorophyll content, and vitamin K! Vitamin K promotes healthy metabolism and blood clotting.
Stretch
Stretching and moving your body gives a boost of energy! It increases blood flow and helps make us feel rejuvenated. While I'm not one for early morning workouts, I do love some light morning movement to wake myself up. If you're feeling tired at your desk during work, take a 2 minute stretch break or 4-5 minute brisk walk and have a glass of water to get your blood flowing before you reach for that second cup of coffee.
Hydrate
Staying hydrated throughout the day is so important for so many reasons. Hydration from the inside out is vital to keep our minds and bodies working at full capacity. Coffee itself dehydrates you, so I like having one cup of water before drinking coffee in the morning to get ahead on hydration. Plus, having a cold glass of water will help make you more alert because of the temperature change. If you've come this far in reading the blog, take a sip of water- cheers!
Breathe
Sounds obvious, right? Well, without realizing it we tend to take shallow breaths throughout the day. Taking a minute to take slow, mindful, cleansing breaths can have a big impact on our energy and mental clarity. Meditative breaths help replenish our brain with a boost of fresh oxygen to improve our mood, thinking, and of course, our energy levels.
Actually, ditch the caffeine
This sounds counterintuitive, but hear me out. In large and chronic amounts, caffeine can over-stimulate your central nervous system and overwork your glandular system. Sounds scary, but taking a small break from coffee, and (if you're like me and need it) minimizing your amount, can make your body more sensitive to smaller amounts of caffeine. Instead of an afternoon coffee, try switching for a green tea to increase your energy slightly without the cycle of keeping you awake too late at night and being tired the next day.
If you find yourself repeatedly tired despite getting proper sleep and nutrition, call your doctor. Chronic fatigue could be a result of low iron levels, food allergies, an under-active thyroid, or other health conditions...but I am not here to diagnose these! Try these tips and rule out any medical conditions with your physician.
Let me know if any of these tips helped!
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