Did you know that fatigue is the number one complaint in the doctor’s office?! If you are someone who constantly struggles with fatigue, this article is for you! Today we will talk about natural ways to improve energy levels to get you to feeling your absolute best. There are many reasons why you may feel tired and lethargic, especially mid-day, so try incorporating some of these suggestions and see if your energy levels improve.

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Watch your stress levels

Stress is a huge contributor to feelings of tiredness. Chronic fatigue and decreased energy levels can be caused from prolonged stress. A recent study found that complaints of feeling tired were strongly associated with reports of increased stress levels. In addition, stress can disrupt sleep which evidently leads to low energy levels.

Start to incorporate stress management techniques into your day such as exercise, meditation, journaling, setting boundaries between work and personal life and getting to bed at a reasonable hour.

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Focus on Quality Sleep

Rather than focusing on the numbers of hours of sleep you get each night, now think about how good of a sleep you are getting. Sleep quality measures how well you sleep rather than how much you sleep each night.

Good quality sleep looks like:

• Falling asleep soon after getting into bed
• Sleeping through the night and only waking up once (if necessary)
• If you do wake up during the night, you are able to fall back asleep fairly quickly
• You feel rested and energized upon waking up in the morning

Take note of your sleep quality over the next week and reduce blue light exposure before bed to improve your quality of sleep.

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Hydrate!

If you are someone who does not hydrate as much as they should, consider dehydration as a source of your fatigue. Even mild dehydration can lead to fatigue and constant exhaustion. Watch out for this especially in the warmer months to come and get yourself a reusable water bottle to carry around with you.

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Get outside for some fresh air

Fresh air is one of the best ways to wake yourself up and get rid of feeling tired. Sitting inside working all day is draining on both the mind and the body so get outside when you can to wake yourself up. Even a short 10 minute walk around your neighbourhood can do the trick.

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Focus on the health of your microbiome

Our microbiome is made up of an array of micro-organisms and bacteria. We know that when our gut microbiome balance is not ideal, digestive and other health complications can arise. One symptom of an imbalanced gut microbiome is fatigue, so this aspect of your health is worth considering.

Here are some ways to support the health of your gut microbiome:

• Eat a diverse range of foods
• Eat fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi and kefir
• Limit your intake of artificial sweeteners
• Eat prebiotic-rich foods like asparagus, oats, apples and artichokes
• Take a probiotic supplement – speak to your healthcare provider about which supplement is right for you
• Only take antibiotics when necessary

Like what you’ve read? Here’s an interesting article on stress and digestion for you to read.