When you're feeling tired during the day, you may think that nothing but a good night's sleep can help but, actually, there are lots of quick and easy pick-me-ups that can help you feel less lethargic and more alert. Let’s take a look at a few simple ways to get rid of tiredness, as well as things you should avoid doing when tired.

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. Here are a few examples:

• Get moving

• Drink some water

• Get outside and breathe in some fresh air

• Splash your face with cold water

• Smell some peppermint

• Listen to your favourite playlist

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.

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.

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 a few jumps, or go for a brisk walk

• run up and down some stairs

• swing your arms whilst marching on the spot for a minute

• Try Ballet Body Sculpture short “Exercise by the Desk” Class

  
  
  

You can also try some of our simple exercises from Ballet Body Sculpture online library  to get your blood pumping and energy levels rising.

Drink some 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. 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.

Get outside and breathe in some fresh air

Our body cells 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.

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!

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.

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.

Listen to your favourite playlist

If you can, listen to music, preferably something uplifting and something you really enjoy listening to.

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.

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!

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 energy boosting foods from our blog here.

Stay fit and healthy! We look forward to seeing you at our classes xoxo

Souce: avogel.co.uk