Having low energy can come from a host of different variables. You could have a poor diet, poor sleep, or underlying health conditions. There can be many reasons for these that pertain to your energy and there are strategies to overcome it.

Poor Diet

If you aren’t eating high quality food, and being intentional about getting all your micronutrients, you may have low energy. This doesn’t have to be a meticulous process. If the majority of your intake is processed foods, refined sugars, and liquid calories, this can lead to energy crashes. A lot of individuals with low energy tend to also be low in vitamin B, magnesium, vitamin D, and zinc. Having too much sugar, caffeine, or alcohol can deplete B vitamins which lead to chronic fatigue. Instead, focus on a diet rich in protein, fruits, and vegetables. This can help regulate blood sugar levels and give you more sustained energy.

Sleep Quality

If you are not getting enough sleep, this can be the number one reason for low energy. In our current lifestyles, we are under artificial light all day, which can mess with our circadian rhythms. At night, when melatonin should be ramping up and getting us sleepier, our cortisol may still be high. In the morning as our cortisol needs to rise up, it might be that we aren’t getting enough rest to bring the levels back to normal. Just as we prepare for our day, we should prepare for sleep. Don’t eat anything 3 hours before bed, reduce your fluid intake 2 hours before bed, and no phone or electronics 1 hour before you go to sleep. This is a simple 3-2-1 rule we can use to set ourselves up for higher quality sleep. Another trick is to make sure your environment is cool when you sleep.

Stress

If you are dealing with anxiety or depression, this can play a key role in energy levels. Those struggling with either can be drained of energy. Chronic inflammation in the gut can also lead to feelings of fatigue. Eating inflammatory processed foods, or foods you may be sensitive to can lead to a leaky gut, and bacterial overgrowth. Basically, your gut is working overtime trying to do its job.

If you deal with medical conditions such as thyroid disorders, anemia, and autoimmune diseases, these can also lead to chronic fatigue. Having any one of these issues can be the result of mitochondrial dysfunction. Seek a professional if you have any medical condition that needs attention.

Activity

Regular exercise can help regulate mood and boost energy levels. But a lack of exercise or too much exercise can disrupt energy. If you aren’t moving a lot you will feel sluggish and if you overtrain you will feel burnt out. You want to include 2-3 days of resistance training, and do enough that you feel you got a workout, but not too much that you feel totally wiped.

Start by checking on your sleep and diet first. Once adjustments are made there, then you can focus on your activity. Utilize stress managing techniques like meditation to lower it. Consider seeing a healthcare provider if low energy persists beyond all these changes.