Lacking Energy? Here’s 6 tips to get more without caffeine

Hi guys! I am an avid caffeine drinker and cannot get through my day without a cup (or more) of coffee! I also love matcha, energy drinks, and preworkout. As a fitness and nutrition coach, I know that this is not great and your caffeine consumption plays a role in how our body is able to achieve our goals.

Caffeine is glorified on social media with countless photos and shares about the best 24oz coffee or the next energy drink flavor and lots of preworkout, which is why it feels normal to us to gravitate towards these things throughout the day. Everybody metabolizes caffeine differently and where one person can be fine drinking 300mg, someone else may only be able to handle 150mg. You have to be aware of how your body/mind react to your caffeine  to find your threshold for this!

Timing of your caffeine intake also is important to note. I try not to have caffeine 6-8 hours before I go to sleep. Some days this doesn’t happen because after school I need that extra cup, but it helps me fall and stay asleep at night if I cut this off earlier.

Anyways, enough about the caffeine! Here are 6 ways you can get more energy without having more coffee! Let me know in the comments below if you try any of these or what works for you!

Eat a balanced diet: Make sure you are getting in enough high quality whole foods. Packaged and processed food items are okay, but try to eat more whole foods than packaged foods if you are noticing yourself get sleepy during the day.

Use a greens supplement: This goes along with eating a balanced diet. A greens supplement will never take the place of eating your fruits/vegetables, but if you’re not getting in a variety, the greens supplement can be helpful! Here’s a link to my favorite one I’ve tried!

Get enough quality sleep: You may be sleeping for 8 hours, but are you truly getting into that deep REM sleep and dreaming? Or do you still wake up groggy and tired? Try taking some magnesium before bed, limiting your screen time at night, and going to bed/getting up at the same time each night.

Move your body: I notice when I’m sitting down for too long I naturally start to get super tired. Even just a short walk around the house, going to the bathroom, or moving longer like working out or going for a long walk can help rejuvenate your energy!

Focus on water & micronutrients: Your body may be lacking some crucial nutrients and not stabalizing its bloody sugar. You need to make sure you’re drinking water (I suggest 100-130oz a day) and getting in quality fruits/vegetables.

Manage stress: Find times in your day to de-stress. Your body cannot run high on cortisol (stress hormone) for long before it starts wreaking havoc on your system. You will notice yourself lacking energy, being more inflammed, and can even affect your sleep cycles. My favorite ways to manage stress are: listening to good music, going for a long walk, journaling, talking to God, doing yoga, deep breathing, getting massages, it doesn’t have to be something crazy, but find little pockets in your day to practice this!

These are just some things you can try out and see if it helps improve your energy without needing a bunch of cups of coffee! If you feel lie you’ve tried everything and still can’t figure it out – apply for coaching and let’s work together on creating the healthiest YOU!