How do you get rid of tiredness fast?
A poor night's sleep or a busy workday can easily slow you down and cause sluggishness and tiredness to set in. But, thankfully, there are lots of fast, simple things you can do to help increase your energy and get rid of tiredness quickly.
7 things I recommend you do instantly if you feel tired:
- Get up and get moving
- Drink a glass of water
- Get outside and breathe in some fresh air
- Eat an energy-boosting snack
- Splash your face with cold water
- Smell some peppermint
- Listen to your favourite playlist
Below, I take a closer look at how each of these steps can help to boost your energy quickly, as well as some things you should avoid doing.
Understanding what is causing you to feel tired is usually one of the first steps to tackling tiredness, especially if you feel tired all the time. There are several common causes, some surprising causes and also a few medical reasons which could be behind your falling energy levels. You may want to rule these out first.
However, for general tiredness that crops up now and again and causes you to feel a bit groggy, lethargic and less alert from time to time, you can try these simple steps. These can help you banish your tiredness quickly and give you a good boost of energy when you need it most.
1. Get up and get moving
Getting yourself moving and helping your blood flow to all parts of your body is a quick and easy way to feel more energetic.
Inactivity is one of the worst offenders when it comes to tiredness. Being stationary for long periods of time, such as sitting at a desk or behind the wheel driving, can restrict your blood flow, making it harder for your blood to move oxygen to cells around your body.
When oxygen is restricted due to poor blood flow, it can impact energy production because cells in your body need oxygen to break down sugar from the food you eat, which produces energy.
Inactivity could also be making you sleepy. According to the NHS, your body equates the stillness with going to sleep.1
So, a good way to shake off this sleepy feeling is to give your body a quick shake up!
Getting moving doesn't need to be difficult. Give some of these a go the next time you feel your energy flagging:
- do some jumping jacks
- run up and down some stairs
- swing your arms whilst marching on the spot for a minute
- do some stretches at your desk
- go for a brisk walk.
You can also try some of our simple exercises on our Get Active Hub to get your blood pumping and energy levels rising.
2. Drink a glass of water
When you feel tired, sometimes it's simply because you are dehydrated. Water is important for maintaining energy levels as you need it to properly metabolise energy from food and to transport nutrients and oxygen around the body.
So, the next time you feel your concentration slipping and energy levels dipping, try drinking a glass of water and see how much better it can make you feel!
Staying well hydrated throughout the day can help prevent your energy levels from crashing – I always recommend drinking around two litres a day. To help achieve this, drink a glass of water as soon as you wake up in the morning and carry a reusable water bottle with you so it's easy to stay hydrated throughout the day.
To give your water an extra boost, try adding our Balance Mineral Drink. It's packed full of minerals like magnesium and calcium which help to reduce fatigue and support energy metabolism, and it's a great way to replace vital electrolytes.
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3. Get outside and breathe in some fresh air
As I mentioned above, the cells in your body use the oxygen you breathe to get energy from the food you eat, so breathing deeply when you feel tired is a great way to get your blood pumping extra oxygen around your body.
Heading outside to breathe in some fresh air also allows you to also soak up some natural light to wake your brain up and shake off sluggishness, as spending time in the dark or in a dull room can prompt your body to release melatonin – a sleep-inducing hormone. On the other hand, light (especially natural sunlight) elevates serotonin levels – a hormone and neurotransmitter, which is sometimes known as the 'happy chemical' due to its role in regulating mood.
So, if you start to feel your eyes drooping, consider how dark your surroundings are and nip outside for a quick break, if you can. As an added bonus during the summer months, popping outside for a break can help to boost your levels of vitamin D, an important nutrient for fighting fatigue!
4. Eat an energy-boosting snack
Feeling tired can be your body's way of telling you that it needs more fuel. Just like a car, your body needs fuel to run properly and that comes in the form of food.
So, when your energy dips, consider when was the last time you ate something. Eating every three to four hours can help keep your blood sugar levels steady which, in turn, keeps your energy levels more stable and less likely to crash.
If you find your energy levels dipping, light snacks between meals can be a great way to get an extra boost. For me, nuts, seeds and fruit are my go-to snacks! Nuts and seeds are little powerhouses of energy and nutrition (think almonds, cashew nuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds and chia seeds), while fruit such as apples, pears and Medjool dates can all provide a slow and sustained energy release, due to their rich content of natural sugars and fibre.
A combination of nuts, seeds and dates have made energy balls a super popular snack but, beware, many shop-bought ones are packed with refined sugar. Therefore, while they can give you a quick jolt of energy, this may not be sustainable and the downside is the crash that inevitably follows.
To prevent this, I recommend making your own. Here are a few of my favourite home-made energy ball recipes:
Did you know that the simple act of chewing can also make you feel more alert? Researchers from Coventry University found that chewing mint flavoured gum dramatically reduced feelings of tiredness.2 So, this is one more reason why munching a healthy snack can help to boost your energy levels when you need it most!
To find out why blood sugar levels are so important, especially when it comes to lack of energy, read my article '8 foods that can help to lower your blood sugar levels'.
5. Splash your face with cold water
Cold triggers the stimulating hormone adrenaline, so splashing your face with some cold water can help to instantly invigorate you. Splash your face at least 3 times for the best result.
If you don't fancy splashing your face with water, then running your wrists under cold water or rubbing an ice cube on your temples or wrist will also help wake you up. You could also keep a spray bottle of water handy to spritz your face when you feel tired. Alternatively, if you can, go for a cool shower, and this will instantly revive you. Although it might not seem like the most enjoyable option, it can be a very effective one!
6. Smell some peppermint
In aromatherapy, peppermint essential oil is known to provide a quick energy boost. Several studies have backed up this theory, finding that peppermint oil can help to relieve fatigue and reduce daytime sleepiness.3,4
Other essential oils that can help to boost your energy and increase alertness include lemon, orange, cinnamon and bergamot.
These are easy to use as well. You can add a few drops of your preferred oil into a diffuser, smell it straight from the bottle or put a few drops on a tissue or handkerchief and breathe it in.
You might want to try our PoHo oil. It contains a mixture of peppermint, eucalyptus, juniper, caraway, and fennel essential oils, so this could be perfect for boosting your energy. It is also great if you are feeling a little stuffed up and congested.
7. Listen to your favourite playlist
If you can, listen to music, preferably something uplifting and something you really enjoy listening to.
Researchers have found that listening to the music you love will make your brain release more dopamine - an important neurotransmitter that influences your mood and feelings of reward and motivation.5
So, if you are feeling unmotivated and sluggish, then your favourite song could give you a jolt of joy and motivation, which can help to make you feel more alert and less tired.
What things should you avoid when tired?
While there are lots of things you can do to help get rid of tiredness fast, there are also a few things to try and avoid doing when tired.
Try to avoid relying on caffeine to boost your energy
Although the caffeine in drinks such as coffee, tea and energy drinks may give you an initial boost, it usually wears off quickly and can leave you feeling even more tired.
Caffeine can also stay in the body for up to five hours so, if drunk later in the day or in the evening, it can impact your ability to sleep at night - which, of course, can result in you feeling exhausted the next day!
Check out my article '6 healthy energy-boosting drinks' for some healthier options you can drink instead to help revitalise your energy levels without the troublesome side effects.
Don't nap for too long
Whilst a nap during the day can have its benefits (including helping to refresh you and increasing alertness), it's important to make sure they are short (20-30 minutes) and taken earlier in the day. Taking long naps or napping later in the day can both impact your sleep at night, and make you feel tired the next day.
Don't cave to your cravings
When you're tired and exhausted, your judgement can also be affected. You tend to be more impulsive and can crave carby, sugar-laden foods such as white bread, pasta, chocolate, biscuits and cakes.
These foods are easily broken down in your body, which provides a short burst of energy. However, this increase in energy is usually brief and the sudden spike in blood sugar levels can cause a drastic crash shortly after.
So, if you find yourself perusing your snack cupboard the next time you feel tired, try to steer yourself towards the fruit bowl instead. (Or try some of the healthy snack options I suggested above!)
When to consult your doctor about your tiredness
You should make an appointment to see your doctor if:
- You're feeling persistently tired
- Your tiredness lasts for over 4 weeks
- You are not able to pin-point the reason behind your lack of energy.
In these instances, tiredness could be a sign of an underlying health condition or there may be lifestyle factors that you haven't considered which could be causing you to feel tired all the time.
References
1. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/sleep-and-tiredness/eight-energy-stealers/
2. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/4900187.pdf
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15708642
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23140115
5. https://www.pnas.org/content/116/9/3793
