When your life presents an endless list of responsibilities, people to care for and provide for, and stressors that can overwhelm you, reaching your breaking point is not uncommon. When life weighs heavily on you, you might feel exhausted and unable to focus on even the smallest things.
Remember to take a step back and analyze your situation to see where you can make changes to better your health. At the end of the day, you’re a human being, and you must take each day at a time. Luckily, there are a handful of natural ways to improve your energy and focus.
Reasons for Fatigue and Fogginess
Going through periods of constant fatigue and lack of focus can put a damper on your state of mind. Luckily, many reasons for fogginess and exhaustion can stem from lifestyle choices you can change. Some lifestyle choices that can impact your energy and focus include the following:
- Poor diet
- Too little physical activity
- Too much physical activity
- Not sleeping enough
- Medications and allergy suppressants
- Alcohol or drug use
However, exhaustion can stem from health-related conditions, autoimmune disorders, etc. These health conditions can include the following:
- Anemia
- Chronic infection or inflammation
- Chronic kidney disease
- Adrenal insufficiency
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- HIV/AIDS
- Low vitamin D
- Lupus
Whether your low energy is due to factors within or outside of your control, there are a few ways you can help improve your overall energy levels and focus.
How To Improve Your Energy and Focus
If you’ve been living with exhaustion and unable to focus, there are some remedies you can try to improve how you feel. Let’s review several natural ways to improve your focus and energy levels.
Reduce Your Stress
If you live a busy life, feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and stressed is common. This can take a serious toll on your physical and mental health. In addition, these factors link closely to your overall energy and focus, which can dramatically decline if you don’t practice caution.
Various scenarios allow stress to take a toll, including school, home, work, sudden life changes, dealing with the death of a loved one, a breakup, or trauma.
Reflect on the scenarios where you feel stress and anxiety stem from, and ask yourself how you can remove either the stressor or the stress from your life. It’s rarely possible to remove the stressors. However, you can practice methods to decrease your stress, such as taking walks, allowing yourself to relax, or catching up on some reading.
Manage Your Hydration
Another method for improving your focus and energy levels is to increase hydration. One of the first signs of dehydration includes the feeling of exhaustion. Because the human body mainly consists of water, small sips can tremendously impact your metabolism. While drinking 8 cups of water is the standard daily recommendation, you can determine the amount of water you should drink with the following equation: take your body weight, divide it in half, then drink the resulting number in ounces.
While it can sound like a lot of water, remember that fruits and vegetables contain water. Also, if you work out consistently, supplementing your water with electrolytes can help replace the hydration you sweat out. Avoid drinking electrolytes that contain high fructose corn syrup or additives and opt for coconut water or water-infused hydration supplements.
Get Your Body Moving
Did you know that exercise can increase your energy levels? You don’t have to immediately jump into high-intensity interval training or attempt a marathon; start slow and find what you like! Regular exercise can help reduce the risk of chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. It can also help avoid feelings of emotional exhaustion, increase sleep quality, cognitive function, and workability, and reduce overall fatigue.
If you want to start exercising, start small by walking during your lunch break, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, and walking instead of driving to work or school. Once you’re ready to amp it up, consider some exercises that best benefit sedentary lifestyles, such as running, cycling, walking, and swimming.
Improve Your Sleep Quality
Sometimes, a good night’s sleep is all you need to feel more alert and energized. But unfortunately, many people often cut their sleep hours short to meet deadlines, study for exams, or watch “one more video,” which causes them to lose track of time.
Ideally, adults should aim for seven hours or more of sleep per night to boost energy levels and support their health. If you struggle with sleeping, take a bubble bath before bed, read a book, eliminate screen time, and listen to relaxing music.
Consider Your Diet
With busy lifestyles and careers, sometimes all you have time for is to stop by the drive-through, partake in company donuts, or skip meals altogether. However, if you live with poor nutrition, switching your eating habits can help you feel more alert and focused.
A well-rounded diet can reduce the risk of chronic diseases while improving your energy levels. Instead of sugary, salty, carb-ridden foods, focus on incorporating whole, nutritious foods packed with vitamins and minerals. In addition, a full range of macronutrients—fats, proteins, and complex carbohydrates—and micronutrients can help you feel satiated and energized.
Limit Alcohol Consumption
While going out with your friends to grab a drink after a long day is fun, alcohol can quickly impact your energy and focus for the following day. Drinking alcohol has a sedative effect, causing you to feel drowsy and relaxed. Although many people assume it’s an effective way to fall asleep faster, regular drinking before bed can reduce sleep quality.
Alcohol can also act as a diuretic, causing frequent urination and resulting in you waking up often throughout the night. So practicing drinking in moderation and limiting your intake before bedtime can help preserve your energy for the following day.
Use Caffeine in a Pinch
Sometimes, a rough night’s sleep can cause you to feel exhausted and unmotivated to start the day. Drinking a coffee, tea, or energy drink can help perk you up and temporarily help you through a busy day. However, remember to consume caffeine in moderation and know the ingredients of your caffeinated beverage before you take a sip. Otherwise, you risk actually depleting your energy levels in the long run.
Manage Your Gut Health
A healthy gut can offer many benefits beyond proper digestion; trillions of bacteria in your digestive tract can influence many aspects of your health, including your energy levels. So if you feel sluggish and unfocused, restoring and replenishing the good bacteria in your gut can help increase energy levels. To do this, you can maintain your blood sugar levels, better your sleep quality, and consume foods with magnesium, copper, iron, and vitamin B.
Consider CorVive
CorVive focuses on the simple desire to help you find better health and wellness products containing clean, natural ingredients with no artificial sweeteners or fillers. Our NRG supplement helps enhance mental clarity and provides clean, healthy energy for better performance. If you have any questions, get in touch with us today!
