We all feel tired and sluggish every now and again, and it’s hard to function when you’re not at your best. If this is your default, it’s worth checking for possible causes. There could be an underlying medical condition. But to get you through short periods of low energy or busy times, try these simple pick-me-ups.

1. Keep An Eye On What You Eat

When you’re feeling tired, it’s easy to reach for quick sugary snacks. The problem with this is that you’ll experience a crash soon afterward, leaving you feeling even worse. So opt for healthy snacks instead. Try eating protein at breakfast to prepare you for the day. Scrambled eggs take no time at all to prepare and are delicious.

Look into supplements. Companies like Better Nutrition Labs provide a range of supplements and allow you to shop by goal. These include energy-boosting supplements to help you feel and operate at your best throughout the day.

Eat little and often rather than consuming large meals. Energy is needed to digest food, which is why you may feel tired after a large meal. Drink plenty of water to keep your body hydrated and working at optimum levels. Sometimes when you feel hungry, it’s fluids you need rather than food.

2. Acknowledge That You’re Tired

When you’re struggling with low energy, it’s important to acknowledge this and make it a little easier for yourself. Clear anything that is not essential from your schedule and complete the most important tasks first. If possible, postpone difficult tasks and complete them at a later time when you’re feeling more like yourself.

3. Move Your Body

When you’re feeling tired and depleted the last thing on your mind is exercise. However, this is likely to improve your energy levels. Working out gets the blood pumping and exercises your lungs and muscles. It also releases feel-good hormones to improve your overall mood. As mood and energy go hand in hand, it’s worth considering getting your body moving.

4. Be Kind To Yourself

We all experience tiredness or low energy at some point. Don’t beat yourself up about it. Try not to focus on all the things you need to get done. Instead, prioritise and then take some time for yourself. Relax when you get the chance. Pamper yourself a little.

5. Yawn

Contrary to popular belief, yawning doesn’t oxygenate the blood when we’re tired. In fact, it has little impact on our oxygen levels. It is thought that we yawn to cool down the brain. Taking a big intake of breath can have a cooling effect on the brain when it’s feeling a little overheated. Sleep deprivation and tiredness are known to increase the brain’s temperature and prevent it from operating at optimum levels.

6. Meditate

Practising meditation has many positive health benefits. One of those is that it boosts our energy levels. Even ten minutes a day has a noticeable impact.

If you’re feeling tired or fatigued a lot of the time, speak to your GP to rule out any underlying causes. Often, tiredness is due to lifestyle factors such as poor diet, lack of exercise and poor quality sleep. Fixing these areas will make you feel re-energised and raring to go. In the interim, be kind to yourself and adopt a few of these simple strategies.

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