Increase your Energy Series - 4 Bad Habits That Drain Your Energy

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Not getting enough sleep at night isn't the only thing that is draining your energy. The little things that you do and don't do throughout the day can cause you to become exhausted, both physically and mentally, making getting through the day a challenge. Here are four everyday bad habits that can have you feeling tired and low on energy.

Skipping Exercise When You’re Tired

Thinking that skipping your workout to save energy is working against you. Regular exercise can provide you with a substantial boost to your strength and endurance and helps to make your cardiovascular system work more efficiently, delivering oxygen and nutrients to your body. Getting just 20 minutes of exercise at least three times, a week will have you feeling less fatigued and more energized.

You’re Not Getting Enough Iron

If you have an iron deficiency, you could begin to feel sluggish, irritable, weak, and unable to focus. With an iron deficiency, less oxygen is able to travel to your muscles and cells, leaving your feeling more tired. Reduce your risk of anemia by boosting your iron intake by eating more lean beef, eggs, kidney beans, tofu, nuts, dark green leafy vegetables and peanut butter.

You Make Mountains Out of Molehills

If you're too afraid to ride your bike because your worry about getting into an accident, or you assume you're about to get fired when you get called into the boss' office, then you're guilty of expecting the worst-case scenario. This kind of anxiety can paralyze you and drain you mentally. When you catch yourself having these kinds of thoughts, take a deep breath, and ask yourself what the worst thing that can happen is, and how likely will it be that the worst really will happen. Meditating, getting outside, or exercising can help you better cope and become more realistic.

You Live on Junk Food

Foods that are loaded with simple carbs and sugar rank high on the glycemic index, which is an indicator of how rapidly carbohydrates will increase your blood sugar. Constant blood sugar spikes followed by sharp crashes will cause you to feel fatigued over the course of your day. Eat lean protein and whole grains at every meal to keep your blood sugar level.

There are many things that you do throughout your day that can lead to fatigue and low energy. Understanding your bad habits can help you develop a plan to correct them and lead you to live a fuller, more energetic life.