Having enough energy to get through the work day, let alone the work week can sometimes be a challenge. Especially if you already have a stressful life. Sometimes by Friday night I feel completely drained and exhausted, ready to curl up on the couch, order in dinner & get to bed early, what about you?

While stress can be one of the main causes that we feel tired and drained of energy there are many other reasons and sometimes taking the time to figure out what is causing your lack of fire can help to find a solution. Here are some areas you can look at to help you gain more momentum as the work week drags on:

• SLEEP: Are you getting enough sleep? We all tend to have our “set” amount of hours we want to achieve every night in order to feel rested. As an adult, it generally ranges in the 6-8 hour count. Are you going to bed early enough every night to make sure that you are getting enough sleep? Sometimes its not just what time we hit the pillow but also what may be keeping us from falling asleep. Do you suffer from insomnia? Keep a journal on the nites that you can’t sleep and make a list of all things you did in the 3 hours leading up to hitting the hay, there might just be a pattern and that late night latte might be to blame.

• FUEL: Our bodies are like well oiled machines, they need fuel in order to function properly and efficiently. Fuel can be both of the food variety and of course water, are you consuming enough of both every day to keep yourself fueled and ready to go? Think of your body like a car, it also runs more efficiently based on what’s running through it, right? So are you filling your body with dirty oil or fresh oil? Most people often look for a source of sugar (candy, chocolate etc) in the late afternoon in order to “lift” them up, however these “unnatural” sources of sugar lift you up for a short time but actually make your body & your energy crash when it starts to wear off a short time later. Choose natural sugars, citrus and other fruits for an instant pick me up that one leave you feeling deflated later. And of course, drink more water!

• EXERCISE: It is a proven fact that exercise not only makes our bodies look good, but it makes them feel good. It is a great tool to reduce stress, to reduce anxiety and to fill our bodies with endorphins. Endorphins diminish the perception of pain and also act as sedatives. Exercise decreases the stress hormones such as cortisol and increases endorphins.  Endorphins are the body’s natural feel good chemicals, and when they are released through exercise, your mood is boosted naturally.  As well endorphins, exercise also releases adrenaline, serotonin, and dopamine which all work together to make you feel good. What are you waiting for?

How else do you boost your energy levels?