It’s totally normal to be tired after a late night out or a hard day at work, but it’s entirely another thing to consistently feel sluggish after a full 8 hours of sleep. If you’re always feeling run down despite getting plenty of sleep or you’re regularly reaching for a 3pm cup of coffee to keep the energy flowing, there’s likely a deeper rooted diet or lifestyle issue at play.

There’s no reason to become resigned to feeling tired or having brain fog all the time. If you can narrow down the reasons for your fatigue, there’s a good chance you can create simple diet and lifestyle tweaks to improve how you feel in as little as two weeks.

Read on to learn if you’re making any of these 7 common mistakes and consider some simple habit changes you can implement to do something about your exhaustion once and for all.

1) You’re living in a constant state of chaos or stress. Stress effects us on a mental, physical and emotional level. While most stress is unavoidable, it’s how we respond to our stressors and care for ourselves, both in chaotic times and every day, that makes a world of difference in how we feel.

From a mental and emotional perspective, it’s challenging to rest, find peace in stillness, or fall asleep and stay asleep when your mind is racing, you’re overthinking, ruminating, obsessing over your to do list, or worrying. Too much tension and overstimulation in the mind is draining, in and of itself. As the mind and body are in constant communication, the impact of psychological stress on the physical body, if not effectively managed, can be a major contributor to low energy levels and fatigue.

When a stress response is triggered in the body, the adrenal glands release a surge of hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol, shifting us into reactive mode and activating our survival instincts (fight, flight, freeze, and fawn). Additionally, all non-essential mind and body functions come to a screeching halt, including digestion and immune system responses, so that energy and resources can be diverted to more critical functions that support our immediate survival.

With prolonged levels of stress, we are left with elevated hormone levels in the body that can trigger an inflammatory response and disrupt many of our body’s processes leading to unruly symptoms, like fatigue, digestive discomfort and high blood pressure.

On a more simplified level, let’s look at what happens when digestion and immune function are disrupted. Naturally, the body’s ability to break down food, absorb nutrients, release toxins, balance the gut microbiome and fight off sickness is compromised. Over a prolonged period of time this can lead to digestive disorders, malnutrition, gut dysbiosis and chronic disease.

Yes, it’s to be expected that life is stressful and busy…but the key to sustaining higher levels of energy is to create space and practices for self care, especially when you’re stressed. Things that can restore your health and well-being include taking breaks when needed, exercising regularly, and eating a nutrient-dense diet or supplementing in order to balance the gut. You can also explore calming mind and body with methods like breathwork, light stretching, yoga and meditation, all of which can signal to the parasympathetic nervous system that it is safe to return the body to it’s normal functions.

2) A poor diet. I think we all recognize that caloric and nutrient deficiencies will result in fatigue. But what causes such deficiencies? Consuming a restrictive diet that is less than 1200 calories a day is going to deplete your energy, especially if you’re active. And when you eat processed foods, refined sugar and highly processed grains in excess, you’ll also find you have insufficient energy due to nutritional deficiencies and potential blood sugar, digestive and gut health issues that can arise.

An unbalanced diet can cause deficiencies in key minerals and nutrients that the body needs for energy production and healthy muscle, tissue, hair, skin and joint maintenance. The most common deficiencies people see that can lead to being tired often include Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, Magnesium and Iron. If you’re experiencing constant levels of fatigue, it may be helpful to have your levels tested so that you can either rule this out or receive a protocol and guidance from your physician for diet and supplementation needs in order to normalize your levels.

Lastly, a diet without adequate protein contributes to muscle loss as we age, slowing down our metabolism. This matters because your metabolism is responsible for converting food into energy. Therefore, consuming protein with every meal is key.

So how to you energize yourself through diet? Eat balanced meals throughout the day that include protein, healthy fats, fruits, veggies and whole grains. And in general, try adding more nutrient-dense, organic whole foods - meaning, foods that don’t have labels, range in color, and are grown without pesticides and chemicals. Doing so can help to crowd out highly processed and refined foods that are disruptive to your gut health, sleep patterns and energy levels and will support balanced nutrition levels.

3) Excess caffeine or alcohol consumption. Caffeine can certainly provide a temporary energy boost, and in moderation it can actually be good for you. But too much caffeine can bring on anxiety, irritate the lining of your gut, create a jittery feeling, cause a crash in energy, disrupt your sleep, and ultimately cause you to feel even more tired the next day.

Alcohol, on the other hand, depresses the central nervous system. Even though it might help you fall asleep quicker, it can actually lead to digestive discomfort and inflammation, increase your sleeping heart rate and restlessness, and suppress your REM sleep cycle, directly impacting your memory and mood.

Both alcohol and coffee coupled with a dysregulated nervous system from stress can be a recipe for disaster, fueling exhaustion and fatigue.

If you’re resistant to the idea of trading your morning coffee for a naturally energizing coffee replacement, try lessening the amount of coffee that you drink and aim to have your last cup of the day no later than 11am. In addition, drinking alcohol socially is a part of our modern culture, but it’s important to notice the impact on your sleep and the way you feel for a few days afterward. The invitation is to also be mindful of your motivation for having a drink and to notice how often you do it. Whether your motivation is to unwind and relax or to escape from your daily stressors, consider other healthier calming methods that can help you achieve these goals. In any case, as a general rule of thumb, the best way to ensure a restful and restorative night of sleep is to avoid alcohol consumption at least 3-4 hours before bed.

4) Dehydration. Did you know that about 60% of your body is made up of water and more specifically, your brain, heart, lungs, muscles and kidneys are comprised of 70%+ water?

As our bodies regularly lose water through urine, stool, breath and sweat, we need to replace it in order to survive. Inadequate amounts of hydration can lead to fatigue, headaches, dizziness, low energy levels and difficulty concentrating.

Generally, you want to target drinking half of your body weight in ounces of water each day. This will support higher energy levels, skin hydration, organs, joints, delivery of nutrients to cells and alertness.

5) You’re leading a sedentary lifestyle. While it may seem counterintuitive, you’ve got to be physically active and maintain lean muscle mass in order to produce energy.

After the age of 30, we naturally start to lose muscle mass so it’s crucial for our energy levels and metabolism that we exercise regularly.

Physical activity throughout the day is key for longevity and energy production, so instead of sitting at your desk or on the couch all day long with minimal movement, think about how you can take a few minutes each hour to move. Between chores, errands, stretching, walking to the printer, cooking and exercising, I’m sure you can find ways to remain active. In addition, try incorporating resistance or strength training into your weekly workout regiment, 2-4 days a week, as this can help build lean muscle mass, effectively supporting a healthy metabolism and higher energy levels.

6) You’re not doing enough of what lights you up. It can be mentally and emotionally taxing when we’re tirelessly working, acquiring, achieving, emailing, overcommitting, and rushing in a never ending quest to prove our worth so we don't have to feel like a failure or so we feel appreciated and valued. And it can be just as depleting to live life on autopilot, going through the motions without necessarily feeling much of anything.

Creating space for enjoyment can naturally elevate your vibrational frequency, enabling you to feel more vibrant and energized. What lights you up? Is it going for a walk, yoga class, meeting up with friends, learning something new, reading, travelling? How can you incorporate more of these things into your life to balance out some of the routine, mundane or stressful things you do in order to survive? Joy is the difference between surviving and thriving.

7) Poor sleep quality. Sleep is the foundation of health. When you don’t get enough sleep, it makes it really difficult to follow through on your healthy habits like eating well and exercising and it can lead to unhealthy food cravings. However, simply getting the recommended 7-8 hours of sleep a night is not always enough to help you feel energized and clear.

The quality of your sleep is what matters most, and your sleep quality is most effective when you’re getting enough REM and Deep Sleep. Why? Because during these restorative stages of the sleep cycle, the body performs key functions such as digestion, muscle recovery, cellular regeneration, detoxification, energy restoration, blood pressure and mood stabilization and more.

While it’s difficult to control REM and Deep Sleep, there are ways to enhance your sleep quality. Meditation or breathwork before bed, limiting caffeine and alcohol, optimizing nutrition levels through diet, an earlier dinner time, regular exercise, urinating before bed, shutting off electronics an hour before bed and setting the temperature in your bedroom to 65 degrees are all helpful starting points you can explore.

Beyond these 7 reasons, another possible cause for being so tired is that there is a more serious underlying health condition at play. Chronic fatigue can occur with depression, diabetes, sleep apnea, thyroid conditions, anemia, heart disease, cancer and more. Advocate for your own health by scheduling regular physicals with your physician to perform lab testing and communicate any and all symptoms you’re experiencing. Should you discover an underlying health condition, you will want to work with your doctor to not only treat your symptoms, but more importantly to address the root cause of illness so you can be well on your way to feeling energized and healthy again. You’ll also want to take a look at your overall diet and lifestyle habits to see where you can optimize your health and support the bodies ability to rest, recover and heal as you implement your doctor’s orders.

➡️ As a Holistic Health Coach, I offer a Complementary Wellness Consultation designed to help those who are feeling overwhelmed with the idea of establishing healthy diet and lifestyle changes. This 50-minute chat gives you the opportunity to clarify your goals, set a wellness vision and learn what it feels like to have the support and guidance of a seasoned Integrative Health Coach. If it feels like the right fit, I’ll share with you how you can work with me in my signature six month health coaching program to support your health and wellness goals and achieve positive and sustainable change. Schedule a complementary consultation with me today.

Disclaimer: I am not acting in the capacity of a doctor, nurse or licensed dietician-nutritionist. These statements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or health condition and are not meant to take the place of advice by these professionals. You should first consult with your doctor before making any dietary changes, considering potential dietary supplement use, or discontinuing any prescription medications - especially if you are currently using prescription medications or have a medical condition of any kind. Any lifestyle changes you make are at your own discretion.