20 tips for more energy in everyday life

You want to get more energy? Perhaps you know the problem: a few hours at the office and you're already tired again. Especially after lunch. But you should actually have enough energy for the day, right? Fortunately, you can work on your own energy levels so that you have more energy again. Your energy level is mainly influenced by your diet and your sleep or sleeping habits.

That's why today I'm showing you my best tips for more energy in everyday life through healthy eating, optimized sleep and a good start to the day.
Here still the Table of contents about the article:

1. Reasons for listlessness
2. More energy through nutrition
3. Healthy sleep for more energy
4. Right start to the day
5. Inspiration and Mindset
6. Summary

Reasons for listlessness

There can be many reasons for listlessness. Physical disorders can lead to a lack of energy, whereas psychological factors usually initially lead to listlessness and a lack of motivation. However, physical disorders also affect the psyche over time, just as psychological disorders also have a long-term physical impact.

Physical reasons for listlessness are certainly inadequate nutrition, lack of sleep (although this can also be of a psychological nature), inadequate regeneration from extraordinary exertion, although inadequate nutrition can of course also have psychological causes such as eating disorders.

In terms of the psyche, the main reason for listlessness is stress. Stress can be of a professional or private nature. Goals that seem unattainable, deadlines and an overwhelming workload can spoil everyday working life and thus also have an impact on your private life. Often, only a change in the situation can help. Psychological reasons are usually more difficult to treat than physical ones due to their complexity.

There is usually a direct antidote for all physical causes of listlessness. Poor nutrition can be compensated for with a targeted and healthy diet. A lack of sleep can be compensated for with more or better sleep. You can find out how to get more energy through nutrition and better sleep in the following tips.

More energy through nutrition

Getting more energy through nutrition can be quite simple if you know how. Choosing the right foods is particularly important. Healthy carbohydrates provide you with plenty of energy, but you should be careful when choosing carbohydrates.

You should also get into the habit of eating at fixed times. This will improve your biorhythm and your body will be able to adapt better to the phases and become more efficient. My tips are not an exhaustive list and there are certainly many other good foods that provide your body with more energy.

If you would like to find out more about healthy eating, just take a look at my articles on healthy vegan alternatives, Legumes, Food supplements for vegans and Tips for vegan living over.

More energy through healthy carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are of course particularly important when you need more energy, as they are a real source of energy. Many people avoid carbohydrates because they are said to make you fat. I think that's a mistake. The human body obtains energy from carbohydrates and you should therefore eat enough carbohydrates every day.
In my opinion, particularly good carbohydrates include

• Fruit, especially bananas, dates and mangoes
• Cereal sprouts, e.g. spelt sprouts or kamut sprouts
• Pseudocereals (sprouts), e.g. quinoa (sprouts), amaranth (sprouts) and buckwheat sprouts
• Natural and wild rice

It is important that you eat the right carbohydrates. You should avoid industrial sugar, white flour products such as wheat flour or pasta. These products contain a lot of calories but little nutritional value and are therefore out of place in a healthy diet.
This is not to say that you should never eat pasta again. When I eat pasta, it's usually spelt or wholemeal pasta. Every now and then I cheat and eat normal pasta.

Healthy fats for more energy

Fats should always be used sparingly. You should also avoid heating oils. Otherwise trans fatty acids can form, which the body cannot process. Also avoid cheap oils, as these have often already been heated during production.
Oils such as pumpkin seed oil, linseed oil and hemp oil contain particularly healthy fats. You can mix these three oils

• 80 % Hemp oil - You can get hemp oil here*
• 10 % Pumpkin seed oil - You can get pumpkin seed oil here*
• 10 % Linseed oil - You can get linseed oil here*

to obtain a very good combination of fatty acids. You can then simply store the mixture in the fridge. Incidentally, the "recipe" comes from the Book Vegan in Top Form by Brendan Brazier.* If you want to know more about a healthy vegan diet, I can absolutely recommend this book.

Another thing you should try is tea with coconut oil (you can get here*). Make yourself a cup of tea in the morning and add a small tablespoon of coconut oil. Coconut oil has medium-chain fatty acids (MCTs) that are easy to absorb and provide long-term energy.

Leave out nutrient-poor foods

As mentioned above, you should avoid foods with little nutritional value but lots of calories. In the worst case scenario, a low nutrient density means that digesting the food will cause your body more work than the food is worth to your body.

You should also leave out meat, as it is too difficult to digest and requires a lot of energy. I often used to feel tired after a meal because my body needed so much energy to digest it. Today, this rarely happens after large, cooked meals.

Instead, simply increase your intake of vegetables, pulses and nuts. You will absorb even more nutrients and also feel more vital.

Proper combination of food

If possible, you should avoid combining easily digestible foods with foods that are difficult to digest. Fruit, for example, is very easy to digest and should therefore be eaten before other foods.

If you eat fruit for breakfast, your body has already digested the fruit by the time you eat your next big meal. This relieves your digestion and optimizes the absorption of nutrients. By relieving your digestion, you automatically get more energy through nutrition and the correct intake of your meals.

Ginger for more energy

Ginger has a circulation-enhancing, energizing and stimulating effect and is therefore a real stimulant. Ginger water or a ginger tea in the morning or mid-morning are good ways to increase energy through nutrition.

Eat sprouts for full power

Sprouts have an excellent nutrient content and are truly living food. You eat the seed when it is in the process of becoming a plant and already contains most of the nutritional value of the plant. However, as the sprouts have a small volume, you can eat more of them and get many times more nutrients.
The germination process makes the seeds easier to digest, as enzymes are formed and proteins are converted into easily digestible amino acids.

By the way, germination itself is very easy, you only need a germination jar (available here plastic-free*). Soak the seeds in the germination jar with plenty of water overnight, pour off the water the next day and then rinse with fresh water in the morning and evening. Some seeds should be soaked for a shorter time.

My favorite shoots are probably Buckwheat seedlingssunflower seed sprouts, kamut sprouts and spelt sprouts. However, you can sprout all kinds of seeds, such as alfalfa, broccoli, kale or mung bean sprouts.

When I started integrating sprouts into my diet, it gave me a real energy boost. If you can or want to follow just one of my tips for more energy through nutrition, then try eating sprouts regularly.

Tip: In the contributions "Vegetarianism Statistics." and "Veganism Statistics" you will find facts and figures about vegan-vegetarian nutrition and its effects.

 More raw food for more energy

If you need more energy in your everyday life, you should try eating more raw food. Raw foods often have a high nutrient content. What's more, they lose none of their nutritional value during preparation.

I'm never tired after raw food, but as I said, with large cooked meals I sometimes feel tired afterwards and my body needs a lot of energy for digestion. So if you want more energy through nutrition, it makes sense to eat light and raw meals with plenty of Fruit and vegetables to eat. A combination of around 50 % cooked foods and 50 % raw foods can be recommended across the board, although of course everyone is individual and tolerates food differently!

Especially before going to bed, it is advisable not to eat too large and greasy meals, as these require a lot of energy for digestion and keep the body awake.

Avoid stimulant drinks

It is best to only drink stimulant drinks in certain situations, such as during training or when you are particularly busy and need some extra energy. Otherwise, less is more.

Of course, you should avoid any stimulant drinks a few hours before going to bed. You should avoid energy drinks or cola anyway if you are on a healthy diet.

Coffee, green or black tea are great for a quick energy boost or to start the day. I can wake up without stimulating drinks, but there's nothing to stop me having a cup of tea or coffee in the morning.

Eat at the right time

What I mean here is that you shouldn't eat anything before going to bed so that your stomach doesn't keep you awake. According to experts, you should wait at least four hours after a big meal before going to sleep.

I eat my last meal at least 4 (usually more like 5-6) hours before going to bed. This gives my body enough time to start digesting the meal and to rest when I go to bed.

Another concept that can affect your sleep is intermittent fasting. You can find more information about this in my Contribution to intermittent fasting.
A fixed eating rhythm contributes to your overall biorhythm and therefore also affects your sleep rhythm. The timing of your meals is therefore just as important as your choice of food if you want more energy in your everyday life.

Good sleep for more energy and drive

The best tips for a good night's sleep. Restful sleep is of course the basis for being fit and full of energy during the day.
In the article Sleep better you can find our best tips for a good night's sleep in detail. I'll try to be more brief here and give you my best tips for a good night's sleep.

Put away your cell phone

The so-called blue light from cell phones, laptops, televisions and tablets disturbs our sleep. The blue light wakes up our brain, which is of course a completely wrong impulse before going to bed.
I now put my cell phone away about an hour before I go to bed (sometimes even earlier) and leave the TV and laptop off.
I leave my cell phone in the kitchen when I go to sleep so that I'm not tempted to use it just before I go to bed.

Sleep rhythm

Get up immediately, don't press the snooze button and don't roll over again. What sounds hard for many is actually the best thing for you. Your body gets right up to operating temperature. How can your body be full of energy if you signal to it that it can still sleep?
If you have a task for the day, then you have a reason to get up. For example, every evening you can think about what you want to achieve or do the next day. Then you have a reason to jump out of bed in the morning with motivation.
In the evening, it's best to dim the lights an hour before you go to bed, as this allows your body to prepare for sleep, produce sleep hormones and help you fall asleep more quickly.

Sports

According to studies, endurance sports increase the quality of sleep. It is important that you don't do your workout too late. Otherwise your circulation will still be running at full speed when you want to go to bed. There should be around four hours between the end of your workout and bedtime.

Regulate the temperature

It's best to sleep when it's a little cooler. If you are alone, you can keep your bedroom a little cooler than the rest of the apartment. Between 17 and 19 degrees is recommended.

However, if you have a partner who likes it a little warmer, it will be more difficult to find a good compromise. An expensive alternative is the Chili Pad, which allows you to keep half of your bed at the right temperature with a blanket filled with water. However, I haven't tested this myself yet.

An inexpensive alternative is a cooling mat, but it won't stay cool all night. But the slightly cooler temperature can be particularly helpful when falling asleep. You can get the cooling mat here.*

Darkness

You should definitely darken your bedroom completely. I often also use a sleep mask in case there is a small light on somewhere or if you don't have blinds.

When buying a sleep mask, I recommend that you don't go for the cheapest models, as the straps wear out quickly and the mask itself is not as comfortable and large. As a side sleeper, you should make sure that the strap does not contain any metal parts that could pinch.

I recommend a large sleep mask with a large enough slit for the nose, such as this one.*

If you want to know even more about sleeping better, then take a look at this article by Christoph on the subject of sleep and sleep disorders.

Start the day right

For many people, a set morning routine helps them get the day off to the right start. But what does a morning routine actually depend on?

If you have everything planned down to the minute in the morning - 3 minutes to brush your teeth, 3 minutes to get dressed, 5 minutes to do your hair - and you rush through it all, this is also a routine, but not a very good one. You start the day with stress and negativity, and this carries on throughout your day.

A good morning routine will definitely give you enough time to start the day relaxed. There's really no reason why you should stress yourself out in the morning. If you start the day by doing something good for yourself, you will start the day with a positive feeling and more energy. But now to my specific tips for a good morning routine.

Still cell phone gone!

Now you're probably saying: "But I use my cell phone as an alarm clock". Yes, that's what I did for years. 15 euros for a mechanical alarm clock is one of the best investments you'll make in your life, believe me. How often do you switch off the alarm clock and then go straight to Instagram, Facebook or Twitter?
If you start the day slowly and without your cell phone, it has an effect on your whole day. You are more relaxed and save the time you would spend on your cell phone in the morning. As mentioned above, you can leave your cell phone in the kitchen when you go to sleep so that you are not tempted to use your cell phone immediately, either at night or in the morning.
I have for a few weeks this alarm clock* and think it's great because it's small, the alarm sound slowly gets louder and it has a handy night light function (at the touch of a button).
If you generally want to spend less time on your cell phone, I recommend the Moment app. In the premium version, you can set yourself daily limits, complete a "weaning boot camp" and receive reminders about how long you've been on your phone.

Light

To adjust your body to your sleep rhythm, it is best to expose yourself to daylight first thing in the morning. This signals to your body that bedtime is over and helps you get out of sleep mode.

Fresh air

You can go for a short walk first thing in the morning or take your dog for a walk. It's best to leave your cell phone behind and concentrate fully on your surroundings.

If you exercise regularly, you can of course go jogging first thing in the morning or do a workout in nature. This really gets your circulation going and you have already completed your workout when others are still tossing and turning in bed.
The combination of exercise and fresh air really wakes your body up. However, if you don't feel like exercising in the morning, the next point might be something for you.

Meditate

Start your day with a meditation session outdoors. This combines three points at once. If you meditate without your upper body, even more of the daylight will reach you.
Meditation gives you a calm and stress-free start to the day. When meditating, always make sure that you enjoy doing it and that it doesn't become a burden. If meditation becomes a burden, then meditate for a shorter time or combine meditation with a round of yoga or something else you feel like doing.

As soon as meditation becomes a burden, you will mentally write off meditating and sooner or later you will stop. So have fun with it!

A short round of meditation in the evening can also work wonders. You fall asleep faster and deeper and wake up much more refreshed. With just ten minutes of meditation before bed, you can really improve your sleep.

(Cold) showers

For many people, the idea of taking a cold shower is absolutely unthinkable. However, a cold shower is incredibly invigorating. It really wakes your body up in the morning and trains it to deal with the cold.

What's more, you don't have to start taking ice-cold showers straight away, but can start by taking a hot shower for as long as you like and then gradually turn the water colder in the last 60 seconds until you're taking a completely cold shower.

If even that is too much of a good thing for you, you can start by washing your face cold in the morning and slowly increase.
You can find all the benefits of cold training and a plan for it in our article Cold showers.

Inspiration and Mindset

Find your personal inspiration or a personal goal that you are pursuing. If it's the right goal, it will energize you instead of draining you. You want to work towards your goal every day if possible.

This gives you a reason to get up straight away every morning and not stay in bed. A good reason to get up can work wonders. And if you don't yet have a big personal goal, then even small goals are often enough, e.g. that you have resolved to do yoga every morning or to complete a new lesson from a foreign language course.

Conclusion - More energy in everyday life

The two most important points for more energy in everyday life are probably optimizing your diet and sleep. Cold showers, meditation, exercise and not using your cell phone can be a good addition to this.

Eating the right foods and timing your meals wisely will give you more energy. Lots of high-quality carbohydrates, few healthy fats and avoiding nutrient-poor foods are a good start to a healthy diet for more energy in everyday life.

In addition, it makes sense to "adjust" your own biorhythm by maintaining and coordinating your sleeping and eating times. This optimizes hormone production and digestion, which ultimately results in more energy. If you also have a good tip for more energy in everyday life, please post it in the comments below.

All the best,

P.S.: In the Natural Health Blog you get the best tips for a healthy body every week.