5 Ways Your Lifestyle Is Making You Tired

We often blame being tired on lack of sleep, staying up too late, or even the fact that we have to get up really early, but maybe there is more at play than simply your sleeping routine. 

Several lifestyle habits can have a negative impact on your energy levels and indeed make you feel tired and fatigued. 

Have a look at some of these lifestyle choices to see if they are to blame for your increased levels of lethargy.

1. Too much sugar

It’s the case of the crash and burn, where the sugar gives you a high, followed by the inevitable crash that comes afterward when you hit the low.

Sugar causes a spike in our blood sugar, but this spike has to come down at some point, and this is the crash which we experience that causes us to feel tired, lethargic, want to lie around and be lazy, or even makes us feel like we need a nap. 

And worst of all, it also makes us crave the same sugar again so that we can have that high. 

Cut down on your sugar, break the cycle and feel your energy return!

2. Not enough water

If you regularly get headaches, have a dry taste in your mouth, or feel like you constantly have chapped lips, you know that your relentless fatigue is coming with other symptoms, and the culprit may be not enough water.

Water is crucial for so many processes within our body, and when we don’t have enough, our body gives off signs to let us know. 

One of the first is feeling tired, but others such as a headache or even nausea are also signals of distress. 

Aim for 2 liters daily, and more if you are active or live in hotter climates. 

3. Eating at the wrong time or the wrong amount

It’s the classic joke that after big family meals over the holidays, every one just goes and claims a spot on the couch in a food coma.

Digestion takes energy, and when our body is required to digest often or a high volume, it cannot provide enough energy for both digestion and daily activities.  

The result is we feel tired and lethargic, and want to sit down, or worse yet even have a nap. 

The same may be true if you are eating at the wrong time – every eaten breakfast too early and just felt tired instead of energized, or dinner too late and just wanted to go straight tot bed? 

Eat when you are at about a 3 on the hunger scale and stop when you are at a 7-8 and you will avoid these issues. 

4. Too sedentary

You may feel like you want to sit around when you are tired and lacking energy, but the truth is, the more we sit, the more tired we become.

Sitting means your body slows down and doesn’t have to work as hard to keep you functioning and to keep your metabolism functioning adequately. 

When all of these processes slow, it’s akin to when they slow down for you to go to sleep, and less activity makes you more tired still. 

Get up and move around when you are feeling lethargic, and get the heart pumping and blood flowing!

5. Lacking in nutrients

There are several vitamins and minerals that play a key role in our energy production and if you are deficient in any of these, you may find yourself feeling tired and your energy levels dipping low.

These include several of your B vitamins, Iron, and Vitamin D, just to name a few. 

Low intake of protein can also lead to fatigue, although it is less likely to show up as a deficiency, rather just lower than required consumption, especially if you are active and needing extra protein to repair fatigued muscles. 

Eat foods rich in iron and B vitamins like leafy greens and whole grains, head outside regularly for your intake of Vitamin D, and make sure to add a source of healthy protein to every meal.