How to Feel Energetic Every Day

Co-authored by Sari Eitches, MBE, MD

Last Updated: March 24, 2022 References Approved

Feeling energetic every day can dramatically improve your quality of life. Feeling more energetic every day is a goal you can fulfill in a few different ways. People who are generally healthy can feel energetic by making important changes in diet, exercise, and other lifestyle changes. Make sure you get adequate sleep every night so you wake up feeling more refreshed.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Eating Properly to Feel Energetic

1
Avoid processed foods. This will help you maintain a healthy diet and have more energy. Fresh, whole foods are a better choice than processed foods because they contain more nutrition and healthy vitamins. Processed foods — such as those found in microwaveable meals, fast food, and prepared foods — are high in calories. They often include preservatives, added sugar, added fat, dyes, and more.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Sari Eitches, MBE, MD
Integrative Internist
Expert Interview. 3 April 2020.} Such foods provide little nutrition, which translates to less energy.^{[2]
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- Whole foods — which are rich in nutrients — provide much more energy to your body. They include fruits, vegetables, unsalted nuts, lean meats, fresh fish or shellfish, eggs, low-fat milk, plain yogurt, and low-fat cheese.^{[3]
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2
Maintain a balanced diet. Keep in mind the importance of whole foods and make sure your diet is well-balanced, meaning all food groups are represented. A balanced diet will promote optimum nutrition and help you feel more energetic every day.
- Fruits and vegetables should make up half your diet.
- Eat the amount of grains that corresponds to your age, sex, and level of activity. The USDA MyPlate initiative can help you find the correct amount to eat, half of which should be whole grains.^{[4]
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  Trustworthy Source
  USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
  U.S. agency responsible for promoting good nutrition based on scientific research
  Go to source}
- Eat the amount of protein that corresponds to your age, sex, and level of activity. The USDA MyPlate initiative can also help you with protein.
- Dairy is also part of a balanced diet, and MyPlate can help with that as well.^{[5]
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  Trustworthy Source
  USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
  U.S. agency responsible for promoting good nutrition based on scientific research
  Go to source}
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3
Eat the right amounts and at the right times. Eating too little, or eating too much, can effect your energy levels. Skipping meals or skimping on calories slows your metabolism, as your body is attempting to conserve energy, and may lead you to feel lethargic. On the other hand, overeating (especially refined carbohydrates and sugary snacks) can cause a spike in your blood sugar levels, which will cause a burst of energy, followed by a crash that will leave you feeling tired (and probably cranky).^{[6]
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Research source} Try eating three meals daily or six small meals, spaced evenly throughout the day.
- Avoid binge eating. You may be good at controlling portions; however, if you find yourself suddenly losing control and eating large amounts of food all at once, you are binge eating. This behavior can interrupt a healthy diet. If you find yourself binge eating, keep common items eaten during a binge out of your house. When you feel the need to binge, find distractions such as crafts, exercise, etc.
- Do not skip meals. Always have a healthy snack on hand in case you are rushing around and don't have time to eat.
- Avoid emotional eating. If you have the tendency to eat when you are upset, whether you are angry, happy, sad, or lonely, you are allowing these emotions to act as triggers to eating. Emotional eating contradicts a balanced diet. Instead of eating, find other activities to relieve emotional stress.
- Avoid nighttime eating. Eating many more calories after dinnertime can be problematic, particularly if you tend to eat foods that are not wholesome or are high in fat. You can combat nighttime eating by getting most of your calories during the day.^{[7]
  X
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  American Heart Association
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  Go to source} Make lunch a bigger meal than dinner.
4
Drink water to stay hydrated.^{[8]
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Expert Source

Sari Eitches, MBE, MD
Integrative Internist
Expert Interview. 3 April 2020.} Keeping yourself hydrated by drinking water throughout the day is an important way to avoid fatigue and feel more energetic. If you are not in the habit of drinking enough water throughout the day, you run the risk of being fatigued.
- If you are an adult male, about three liters per day of water intake is recommended.
- If you are an adult female, just over two liters per day of water intake is recommended—2.2 liters to be exact.^{[9]
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  Mayo Clinic
  Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
  Go to source}
- When you exercise you lose water through your sweat, so make sure you are replenishing by drinking more water on top of your recommended daily intake.
5
Avoid false energy. There are many products that claim to give you energy when you consume them, but they do not always deliver.^{[10]
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Expert Source

Sari Eitches, MBE, MD
Integrative Internist
Expert Interview. 3 April 2020.} Even if they do give you energy, the effects are often short-lived. Many of these products may have negatives that outweigh whatever energy they might provide.
- Coffee can give you a quick boost in energy, and studies now show that coffee is not as bad as was once thought.^{[11]
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  Research source} However, the caffeine in coffee is mildly addictive, and the amount of time it takes the body to metabolize it can interfere with sleep patterns, which can affect your level of energy during the day. Coffee with added sugar and cream does add extra calories and fat, so this should be considered when drinking coffee.
- Energy drinks have high levels of caffeine, which, in itself, is not necessarily any worse than coffee, but energy drinks have also been linked to heart problems where excessive use is involved. The high levels of sugar in many energy drinks are empty calories and can lead to a crash later in the day.^{[12]
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6
Consider herbal teas and supplements. Many herbal teas and supplements are available to help people feel more energetic. Always speak with your doctor or pharmacist before taking a new supplement, especially if you are taking other medications.
- If you are not getting enough vitamin B from your diet, it may be appropriate to take a supplement.^{[13]
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  Research source} You can boost your energy by taking a vitamin B supplement with your daily multivitamin. Talk to your doctor about whether or not this is right for you.
- Vitamin B-12 may improve your energy if you have a deficiency.
- Siberian ginseng helps increase stamina, counteract fatigue, and reduce the effects of stress. It can be found in both teas and supplements.^{[14]
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- Ginkgo is another herb that helps with the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which helps with the brain's metabolization of glucose, in turn giving you mental energy and clarity. Ginkgo can be purchased loose in health stores for tea, but it is often in tea blends and it can also be bought as a supplement.^{[15]
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- Green tea is sold as an extract and in tea form. It contains caffeine naturally and has other health benefits—such as being an antioxidant—that can make you feel better and therefore more energetic.^{[16]
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- Peppermint essential oil is another performance-boosting supplement. Exercise performance has been studied with peppermint oil as a supplement, and the conclusions suggest that peppermint can be effective for feeling more energetic.^{[17]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Getting Exercise Regularly

1
Exercise on a daily basis to feel energetic every day. Even though you may feel too tired to exercise, taking the initiative to get active can actually give you more energy. If you are feeling fatigued, even moderate exercise such as simply walking around can give you a boost and get you feeling more motivated and energetic.
- A 10 – 15 minute walk around the neighborhood qualifies as moderate exercise, which may be more energizing than a more intense workout, like 45 minutes on the treadmill.
- Practice yoga. Yoga can produce a calm energy that can help you be more productive than the typical tense energy we often have that does not last long and can even lead to depression. Calm energy is a confident, energetic, optimistic energy that is high-energy but low tension.
- Practice pilates. Pilates is another moderate exercise that can help cultivate a calm energy.^{[18]
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  National Health Service (UK)
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  Go to source}
- Practice tai chi. Tai chi can also help give you calm energy.^{[19]
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  Harvard Medical School
  Harvard Medical School's Educational Site for the Public
  Go to source}
- Practice resistance strength training. Resistance strength training practiced slowly and calmly can also produce calm energy in its practitioners.
2
Listen to music while exercising. Paired with moderate exercise, music can help with developing calm energy.
- In-progress studies show that music can produce calm energy. This could especially be true when music is paired with moderate exercise.^{[20]
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- Listening to music while exercising, then, can help produce calm energy during exercise, which will help you feel more energized afterward and for longer.
3
Know your limits. Even moderate exercise can tax your body to the point that you move beyond the calm energy it can produce and into fatigue.
- An intense workout will leave you feeling fatigued initially, but even intense exercise will eventually leave you with more energy than you would have with no exercise.
- Keep in mind that intense exercise can lead to a more tense energy, which can help you be productive, but associated fatigue can be more intense.^{[21]
  X
  Trustworthy Source
  Mayo Clinic
  Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
  Go to source}
4
Eat fruit before exercising. Fruit has many health benefits to the body — including some that work well in tandem with exercise.^{[22]
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- Eating fruit can help break down food, which allows the body to absorb more nutrients.
- The absorption of nutrients that comes with eating fruit before exercise gives energy that fuels exercise, which then contributes to having more energy throughout the day.^{[23]
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  American Heart Association
  Leading nonprofit that funds medical research and public education
  Go to source}
- Oranges, bananas, and apples are good choices.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Maintaining a Regular Schedule of Activities and Sleep

1
Get on a regular sleep schedule.^{[24]
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Expert Source

Sari Eitches, MBE, MD
Integrative Internist
Expert Interview. 3 April 2020.} A proper sleep schedule is crucial to having sufficient energy throughout the day. Your sleep schedule should be more like a sleep pattern — you will be able to train your body to feel awake and tired at the right times if you maintain a good sleeping pattern.
- Get an appropriate amount of sleep each night. Adults should get seven to nine hours each night, and teenagers need eight to 10.^{[25]
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- Avoid napping if possible. Napping can interrupt your sleeping pattern.
- Avoid stimulants such as caffeine after noon.
- Get moderate exercise closer to bedtime and intense exercise in the morning or the middle of the day.
- Relax before bed. Try to leave your stresses outside the bedroom, but definitely out of the bed. Don't have emotional discussions or arguments in bed if you can help it.
- Make sure your bedroom has adequate exposure to natural light. Being able to see the darkness and the light can help you establish a proper sleeping pattern.
- Avoid eating or watching TV in bed. Try to maintain your bed a a place for sleeping only or you might find it difficult to fall asleep there.^{[26]
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2
Get help if you feel overwhelmingly fatigued. If you maintain regular sleep patterns but still feel fatigued, you may need to seek help. Speak to your doctor about your sleep issues.
- Keep a record of your sleeping pattern to see if there are any anomalies.
- If you do see the doctor, make sure to mention that you maintain a normal sleep schedule if your records show that you do.
- Your doctor may wish to test you for conditions that often lead to fatigue, such as thyroid disease, depression, anemia, or chronic fatigue syndrome.
3
Schedule your daily activities. Keeping your life organized is essential to feeling energetic. By preventing as much as stress as possible, you will be able to have time to focus on other fun activities.
- Use a planner or a calendar to prioritize your tasks.
- Be sure to check your plans regularly, and don't miss them.
4
Avoid overextending your availability. Sometimes we have to stop and realize that we simply don't have time to do everything we want to do. Instead of filling every free moment with an engagement or meeting, allow yourself some free time to reduce stress.
- Make time in your schedule for free time and free time only. Just as scheduling daily activities is important, so is scheduling free time.
- Set rules for down time. Turn off your cell phone, for instance, or avoid email and social networking accounts. You can even purchase software that disconnects your internet access for pre-determined periods of time. These applications are meant for productivity, but can be used to schedule down time as well.

Expert Q&A

Question

What types of foods will keep me energetic all day?

Sari Eitches, MBE, MD
Integrative Internist
Dr. Sari Eitches is an Integrative Internist who runs Tower Integrative Health and Wellness, based in Los Angeles, California. She specializes in plant-based nutrition, weight management, women's health, preventative medicine, and depression. She is a Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Integrative and Holistic Medicine. She received a BS from the University of California, Berkeley, an MD from SUNY Upstate Medical University, and an MBE from the University of Pennsylvania. She completed her residency at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, NY and served as an attending internist at the University of Pennsylvania.

Sari Eitches, MBE, MD

Integrative Internist

Expert Answer

Opt for whole foods and plant-based meals rather than sugary processed foods. Healthier foods will give you more nutrients as well.