![Ways to get your energy back include a good diet, getting exercise, and working on your mental health.](https://images.medicinenet.com/images/article/main_image/rest-sleep-work-tired-doctor-exhausted-job.jpg?output-quality=75)
No matter how much you try to rest, sometimes it’s hard to get your energy back. Fatigue can take many forms, whether you feel it in your mind, body, or both. There are ways to get an energy boost when sleep doesn’t seem to be enough.
Change your diet
One of the easiest things to do to get your energy back is to change your eating habits.
Practice healthier eating
Introduce healthier foods into your diet — particularly foods that'll maintain your energy and give you a boost. This is effective because of how your body processes certain foods. For example, your body uses a lot of energy to digest animal products — especially red meat.
Your body absorbs foods like sugars and refined starches very quickly, which then leads to a lag in energy in a short time. Stick with whole grains, high fiber vegetables, nuts, and healthy oils that are absorbed more slowly to give a longer-lasting energy boost.
When you eat is as important as what you eat, so don’t skip meals — especially breakfast because it gives you more energy for the day. If you face that midday slump, eat a snack packed with an energy-inducing combination of protein, fat, and fiber like peanut butter and whole wheat crackers, yogurt, or nuts.
Supplement your diet with vitamins if needed
Enhance your regular diet with vitamins to help increase your energy. For example, Vitamin D is an excellent source of energy. The best effects of vitamin D come from the sun, but you might not be able to get enough that way, so your doctor may recommend a supplement if your levels are low. You can also get vitamin D from foods like fatty fish and fortified dairy products.
Vitamin B12 is also needed for energy. Your doctor can check to see if you have enough of this as well. Animal products and fortified nondairy milk carry helpful amounts of B12.
Reduce processed foods in your diet and eat more fresh food instead. Whole foods are an amazing source of vitamins and they replenish your energy levels.
Balance your daily drinking habits with water
Caffeine helps your mind feel sharper and is an energy pick-me-up. Just be careful how much you drink and when you drink it. Coffee can cause insomnia if you drink it after 2 p.m.
Consider drinking a low-fat latte instead of coffee because the kick of protein in the milk supplies prolonged energy without the side effects.
Drinking less alcohol can also have energizing results. Alcohol is a sedative, so when you have a drink at lunch or happy hour, you risk a decrease in energy. The energy-zapping effect of alcohol is at its strongest at midday. Drink in moderation — only when you’re ready to wind down for the day.
Try replacing alcohol and caffeine with water. The body shows dehydration as fatigue, so you must keep your body well-hydrated. The effects of thirst also interrupt sleep, causing you to be sluggish in the daytime.
Besides water, you can hydrate with tea, juice, and liquid-heavy fruits and vegetables.
Include movement into your routine
Physical activity helps deliver oxygen and nutrients throughout your body and gives your cells more energy. Your heart rate rises when you exercise, and it strengthens your heart muscle, offsetting the natural weakening of your heart.
Having an exercise routine makes your muscles stronger, so they need less energy to function. The type of exercise is not as important as making sure you are consistent. A 20-minute aerobic activity a few times a week will help you be more energized, and a short walk can increase your energy for up to 2 hours.
Care for your mental health
Your body’s response to stress uses a lot of energy. It’s important to check in with yourself to find out what’s causing you the tension and eliminate it. Work and family responsibilities are notable causes of fatigue.
The best way to reduce stress is talking to someone you trust — or even a therapist. Other remedies are engaging in relaxing activities like meditation or yoga. Reduce stress by prioritizing your obligations. Decide what you must do and what you don’t have to do.
If these solutions — modifying your diet, moving your body, and reducing your stress — don’t get your energy back, see your doctor to find out why you are so tired.
![](https://images.medicinenet.com//images/slideshow/foods-that-arent-as-healthy-as-you-think/foods-that-arent-as-healthy-as-you-think-s1-bulletproof-coffee.jpg)
SLIDESHOW
Foods That Aren't as Healthy as You Think See SlideshowHarvard Health Publishing: "9 tips to boost your energy — naturally," "Tired? 4 simple ways to boost energy."
Hospital for Special Surgery: "Eating Well to Regain Your Strength after COVID-19."
Johns Hopkins Medicine: "Age-Defying Energy Levels."
Rush University Medical Center: "Keep Your Energy As You Age."
Top How Can I Get My Energy Back Related Articles
7 Reasons You Are Tired After Surgery
Postsurgical fatigue is normal and is due to a variety of factors. Depression, stress, and anxiety may produce fatigue. Sleep deficits, certain medications, anemia, blood loss, fasting, and loss of electrolytes and minerals associated with surgery can also produce fatigue. Exercise, physical exertion, aging, and the overall health status of patients are additional factors that play a role in making people feel tired after surgery.Fatigue Causes Slides
Always feeling tired? Learn more about the causes of fatigue. Get tips to relieve symptoms of fatigue. Feel less tired and start living awake and refreshed.Chronic Fatigue Quiz
Exhausted all the time? Maybe it's not all in the mind. Take the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) Quiz to learn more about tricky condition.Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS or SEID)
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) or systemic exertion intolerance disease (SEID) is a debilitating and complex disorder characterized by profound fatigue that lasts 6 months or longer, is not improved by bed rest, and may be worsened by physical or mental activity.Chronic Fatigue Slides
What is chronic fatigue syndrome? CFS can occur at any age for men or women. Learn more about the causes of CFS, as well as tests and treatments associated with chronic fatigue syndrome.Can Foods Sap Your Energy?
Food is fuel. But some of the things you eat may backfire and crash your energy before long. Find out which ones might do that.Foods to Boost Your Energy and Mood
Learn which foods may boost your energy level and have a positive impact on your mood. Foods such as salmon, Brazil nuts, and dark chocolate can give you more energy and make you happier.Fatigue and Exhaustion
Fatigue can be described in various ways. Sometimes fatigue is described as feeling a lack of energy and motivation (both mental and physical). The causes of fatigue are generally related to a variety of conditions or diseases, for example, anemia, mono, medications, sleep problems, cancer, anxiety, heart disease, and drug abuse.Treatment of fatigue is generally directed toward the condition or disease that is causing the fatigue.
guarana
Guarana seeds, dried and powdered, are used as a dietary supplement for weight loss, to enhance athletic performance, as a stimulant similar to coffee, and for many other purposes. Guarana is available over the counter (OTC) as a powder, tablet, or capsule. Common side effects of guarana include headache, agitation, anxiety, irritability, restlessness, nervousness, insomnia, delirium, dizziness, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), muscle spasms, convulsions, increased respiration, irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias), rapid heart rate (tachycardia), high blood pressure (hypertension), high blood glucose levels (hyperglycemia), and others. Do not take if pregnant or breastfeeding.Healthy Living and Disease Prevention
The importance of a healthy lifestyle in disease prevention is widely understood and most people know that lifestyle changes and choices can be critical to good health. Learn about healthy behaviors that constitute healthy living.What Can Cause Fatigue?
Fatigue is a constant, lingering feeling of exhaustion. Fatigue can also be caused by a number of factors working in combination including lifestyle factors, shift work, emotional factors, medications and chronic fatigue syndrome.What Is the Best Energy Booster?
Markets are flooded with products and supplements that claim to boost your energy levels, but there's little evidence that they work. A healthy lifestyle with adequate sleep, regular exercise and nutritious diet is what one needs to stay active and energized.Which Foods Give You The Most Energy Boost?
Here is our list of eight foods that can offer balanced, consistent energy daily.Why Are Energy Shots Bad for You?
Energy shots can be bad for you because they contain extreme amounts of caffeine, are bad for your health, and could cause safety hazards.Why Can't I Sleep Although I'm Tired?
Difficulty falling asleep despite being tired is a sign that the circadian rhythm may be off. It more commonly affects young individuals, and it is seen in people with chronic insomnia. Insomnia is defined as repeated difficulty with sleep initiation, maintenance, consolidation, or quality that occurs despite adequate time and opportunity for sleep and that results in some form of daytime impairment.