Have you ever felt like there’s just not enough hours in the day sometimes? We’ve all been there before, and sometimes with everything you have to get done in a day’s time, there really aren’t enough hours in the day to get it all done. But then again, sometimes there are enough hours in the day… you just don’t have the energy to get it all done.

So what’s the problem? What could you be doing in your normal daily routine that’s draining all the energy out of you? Well, the answer to that could be a multitude of different things, but it’s not until you get to the bottom of what’s making you so tired and lackluster that you can find a solution and start making some lifestyle changes.

If you often feel tired and need more energy to get the most out of your days, you may need to start incorporating some of the following habits into your daily routine and work towards making them a lifestyle change.

Want to Boost Your Energy? Here’s What You Need to Do

Get More Sleep

The number one response to someone experiencing a decrease in energy levels is to get more sleep. According to the Mayo Clinic, adults need an average of 7-9 hours of sleep in order for your body to recharge and repair itself, and when you deprive your body of that much needed time to rest, it can leave you feeling easily irritated, lethargic, slow-moving, and tired.

Some people need a little more or less of the recommended time but the point is to make sure your body is rested. If you know you’re not getting to bed at a decent time, give yourself a bedtime and try to stick to it. Lack of sleep can even affect your self-esteem too, so do whatever you must to ensure you’re getting the proper amount and quality of sleep.

Learn to Say No

Learning to say no may not be an official energy booster but trying to always please others will definitely suck all the life out of you! If you’re trying to get to bed at a certain time but your boss asks if you’re available to work an extra five hours but you’re exhausted, you have to learn to say no, for your own health. This is especially okay if you normally always work over when asked to.

Learning to say no also applies to friends. Sometimes your friends mean well but they can drain all the energy you have… if you let them. Telling your friends no may make you feel bad inside but when you’re trying to restore your energy, and you tell them that’s the reason why you can’t hang out, they should be understanding of that if they’re really your friend.

Change Up Your Diet

Just as lack of sleep is a major culprit of decreased energy levels, so are the foods you eat as well. Fast food, snacks, and junk are all cheap and easily accessible foods that we can quickly eat and eat on the go, and the ease and convenience of these foods are why so many people turn to them. The only thing about these foods is that they do more harm to your body than good, which includes slowing your energy levels.

If you’re going to change up your diet in expectance of boosting your energy levels, that means you’re going to have to ditch the processed foods and switch them out for getting in the kitchen and cooking more, drinking lots of water, and reducing your sugar intake… there’s even juice cleanses for energy that you can order too.

The point is that the foods we eat oftentimes make us feel even more tired on top of not getting enough sleep and being overworked. You can at least fully control what you’re eating, and if the foods you’re eating are contributing to your lethargy, try cutting out those foods to see how improved your energy levels will be.

There are many more ways to increase your energy levels like eliminating alcohol, exercising more, and meditation, but the above are great areas to get started in the right direction.