Tips to feel energized and awake - for those who are always tired!

Do you feel always tired? One of the most common complaints I ever hear is about how everyone thinks they are always tired! Being tired obviously decreases your motivation to do anything, and makes you feel terrible when you can't just go home and nap. I often experience times where I'm battling to stay awake, and I've developed some strategies and methods I want to share with you.

Be you a young college student weary from late nights of "studying", or a working professional; we all get run down by life and sometimes it's difficult to separate the true gems from all the misrepresented appearances energy drinks and caffeine tablets.

Many of use believe that a quick energy drink, or a couple of caffeine tablets will perk us right up and have us ready to face the world. Unfortunately our faith in these drinks and pills misplaced and often leads us into even less desirable situations, I think we're all familiar with caffeine jitters and the anxiousness that comes hand in hand with over consumption. Beyond that, there are those who have conquered caffeine and take superhero doses, unawares to the dangers they put themselves in.

Fortunately through my varied and albeit, misguided experiences of being in a less than optimal function state; I have developed a few key factors that tend to get me through the day when I'm having a bit of a rough one. I hope that you can benefit from at least a few of these points.

1. Do more aerobic exercise - Getting out and about is amazing for the heart and circulation. None of that leisurley walk after dinner nonsense, I'm talking about some real movement! Get that heart pumping, do some sprints, try high intensity interval training. If you find yourself wanting to nap through the day then throwing a spanner in the works will definitely shake things up and get you sleeping better at night, and keeping you awake during the day.

2. Cut the morning sugar hit – How much sugar are you putting into that morning coffee of yours? Try using a sweetener instead, or going for some orange juice instead. Harness those natural sugars and delightful vitamin C. Alternatively you could try adding honey to your coffee instead of sugar, a more natural replacement that will have you feeling better without a doubt.

Also avoid sugar snacks during the day. Many office workers bring in treats to share with everyone like doughnuts, cakes, ice cream. Just say no. Harness that will power! Avoid these sugar traps that zap your energy, and leave you feeling terrible for the rest of the afternoon.

3. Start your day off properly – Lets be clear, "good" does not mean you waddle into the kitchen and have the left over pizza from last night. Nor does it mean you eat two bowls of fruit loops and a danish. Next time you go shopping pick up some yogurt, frozen fruit, granola, bread and eggs. It will take you slightly longer, but it'll have you feeling a hundred times better.

Don't skip breakfast either, get some trail mix or protein bars for when you are running late and need to rush. You'll end up starving until lunch and over eat, causing an insulin spike and a big sugar crash late in the afternoon.

4. Eating a balanced lunch – This advice comes from Benjamin Franklin. He noticed that his co-workers would gorge themselves at lunch and then have an afternoon of sleepiness. He chose instead to slowly and methodically eat a hunk of bread as he read a book. Be like Benjamin Franklin.

Perhaps the hunk of bread can be interchanged with various other savory goods, although I recommend a salad or a sandwich. Don't overeat at lunch, you should have had a big breakfast.

5. Take time during lunch for you – which is the second part of Ben Franklin’s advice. While he slowly ate his bread he’d take “Ben time” by reading a book. By taking a break and relaxing, he was more motivated and more productive with his work throughout the day. Everyone needs a break and lunch is a great time to relax and recharge.

6. Take naps if possible – If you are lucky enough to have a suitable schedule you can take anap when you get tired to quickly recharge. The important point here is not to nap for too long. A typical REM sleep cycle lasts 1.5 hours, after an hour your body starts to enter deep sleep mode, forcing it to wake up will make you feel absolutely terrible. A 15 to 20 minute nap is ideal, it will get you recharge and feeling much better after you recover from the initial trauma of being woken. Sometimes you can squeeze in a 15 minute cat nap during lunch. Other times you might have to wait until after work. Regardless, a good little nap is definitely rejuvenating and will have you feeling much better.

7. Potential underlying issues – There will be people who experience considerable fatigue despite getting a good nights rest and focusing on their diet. Occasionally a medical issue will be prevalent that makes it difficult for people to function regularly. If you feel as though you are constantly weary and tired no matter what you do, it is advisable to see a doctor as there could be underlying medical issues. To learn more about this issue, I suggest you briefly look over this medical article covering fatigue.