10 Reasons Why You Might Have Low Energy

Have you ever had a bout of  low energy that just became the normal after a while? There was a point for me where I was tired of being tired. Having consistently low energy can get depressing and discouraging. If you have low energy and are also tired of being tired, check out these reasons that might be contributing to your overall levels of energy.

1. Not sleeping enough

If we were all on consistent schedules, we should be spending a third of our lives sleeping. That's because our body does a lot of healing and resetting when we are asleep. It's a rest period that gives our bodies a chance to keep up with itself. When you don't sleep enough or even regularly, your body is always unaware of when the next rest period will be. This creates a cycle that is not sustainable long-term. 

2. Hydration

Have you ever experienced a headache that just wouldn't go away no matter how much aspirin you took? Like other items mentioned on this list, our body needs fuel. Water is essential for our bodies to function. According to the CDC, "Drinking water can prevent dehydration, a condition that can cause unclear thinking, result in mood change, cause your body to overheat, and lead to constipation and kidney stones." Not only does staying hydrated help keep your energy level up, but it helps maintain your body's normal functioning.

3. Lack of physical activity

Just give plants or flowers, water and fertilizer, you need to give your own body fuel. Part of that is water and food, but another key element is movement. Flowers grow stronger in environments that have some wind and movement as it tests their stems strength. When we exercise and move our bodies, we are strengthening ourselves and fueling our body to keep going. Regular exercise can help keep your energy levels consistent.

4. Medications, such as antihistamines, cough medicines, antidepressants or anti-anxiety

We recommend reading through that list of side effects when starting new medications. Oftentimes the adjustment. When starting a new medication can come with a variety of side effects. One of those might be low energy, or increased feelings of tiredness. If you know this onset of low energy began following the start of your medication, you might see resolve in your energy levels once your body is acclimated to the medication.

5. Unhealthy eating habits

Ever hear about food being energy? Well, it's true. When we have poor eating habits and don't eat consistently enough, we are not giving our body enough energy to sustain us through the day. Your metabolism helps regulate how you break down food, so when it goes long times in between food intake, your metabolism slows down. When you eat regularly, your metabolism doesn't have to slow down and can keep going. By regulating your food intake, you can help restore your metabolism and regain consistent energy levels.

6. Chronic Pain

Chronic pain usually comes with more side effects, such as fatigue, nausea, low energy, and more. More. If you no chronic pain, you probably have had times when you were also chronically tired.

7. Stress

Believe it or not stress can be quite fatiguing. If you have a hectic work life, personal romantic life, you might have a lot of stress in your life. Being able to relax and de-stress from long days is important. Part of self-care. Doing so can help you gain some energy back.

8. Depression, Anxiety or underlying mood disorders

Without our Daily DOSE (dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin and endorphins), We might feel more depressed or low in our happiness. 

9. Not enough sunlight

Ever going to live in Portland or Alaska? Somewhere where daylight is not always accessible. There was a reason why people in those area have higher levels of depression, and higher levels of taking vitamin d supplements. The sun is literally good for our bodies chemistry. It can affect you positively, or negatively (such as low energy), if you have low amounts of exposure. 

10. COVID

Long covid is real, folks. Fatigue, low energy and I like symptoms can occur from covid. If you had covet in the past and are experiencing low energy, you might take this into consideration when speaking to your doctor about it.

Let's be real, there are a lot of reasons why you might have low energy. When going through this list you can check off what might be aspects contributing to your low energy. Working through to handle each one, can get you to the root cause of your low energy.

Author: Emily Schwerdtfeger