Feeling drained? You’re not alone. Take a stroll down your grocery store’s vitamin aisle, and you’ll see the proof: millions of Americans are suffering from fatigue and are on the hunt for the best, natural ways to increase energy.
While low-energy can be debilitating, don’t give up hope! While many users turn to kratom powder for a natural increase to energy levels, there are dozens of other healthy, natural energy boosters that can add a little extra pep to your step.
We’ve collected some of the most well-loved and best-proven products, tips, and techniques to reduce fatigue, increase your energy levels, and give you an extra bit of get-up-and-go!
Improve Your Sleep
It should be no surprise: poor sleep leads to drowsiness, fatigue, and feeling drained throughout your day. Improving your sleep takes effort, but it is one of the most effective natural ways to increase energy in your waking life.
Although ideal sleep times vary from person to person, the Sleep Foundation recommends that adults get an average of 7-9 hours of sleep each night. But we all know, it’s not so simple as that. Bouts of insomnia, unspent energy, and many other factors can lead to sleepless nights spent staring at the ceiling. And, counterintuitively, too much sleep can be just as bad for your energy levels!
Melatonin: If you’re having trouble falling asleep at night, melatonin is one of the most time-honored tools. Melatonin is a natural hormone that the body uses to prepare the mind for a night of blissful, energy-boosting rest. But melatonin production can easily be thrown out of whack, and many sleepless sufferers turn to melatonin supplements as a solution. Simply taking a small dose of this sleepy-time hormone ~30 minutes for bed can improve poor sleep and reduce fatigue in the coming day.
Reset your sleep schedule: This tip is particularly useful for people who get a lot of sleep but still feel drowsy during the day. Although it can take a few nights of effort, the payoffs can be enormous: achieving more regular sleep patterns, reducing fatigue, and increasing your energy levels!
When resetting your sleep schedule, the key is to ensure that the rest you get is peaceful, uninterrupted, and thoroughly rejuvenating:
- Avoid day-time napping.
- When starting the process, go to bed later than you usually would, and get less than the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep.
- If this reduced sleep is uninterrupted and restful, gradually increase your sleep time by ~20-30 minutes per night, until you are back at the recommended level.
Unlock Your Body’s Natural Energy Reserves with Moderate Exercise
The benefits of regular, moderate exercise are undeniable. You burn calories, release endorphins, elevate your mood, and tone your body. The result is a healthier, happier, and better-looking you.
Exercise promotes restful sleep. After all, a wearied body needs time to relax and recover! And that sleep leads to more wakeful and focused days.
But even before you’ve slept, moderate exercise can naturally increase your energy levels! That’s because a workout releases a number of mood-boosting chemicals and hormones into the blood-stream. In addition to the aforementioned endorphins, exercise also increases epinephrine (also known as adrenaline) and norepinephrine levels, two stress hormones that can provide a modest boost to mood and energy.
Supplements to Naturally Increase Your Energy Levels
If you’ve ever perused a vitamin store or spoken with your social group’s wellness guru, you’ve likely heard of a number of supplements promising to boost energy, attention, and focus.
And while many of them deliver, many synthetic energy boosters are laden with chemicals and can weigh you down with a host of adverse side effects. That’s not what we’re all about at Kratom Spot, and certainly not in this article!
Here are some of the best supplements that deliver on this blog’s premise: safe and natural ways to increase energy, without synthetic additives.
Ashwagandha Extract
Ashwagandha is a staple of traditional Indian medicine and a favorite of the American herbal wellness community. Its effects are well-studied and understood, and it offers a host of benefits for mental health and, yes, can increase your energy levels.
A series of studies on this natural herb found that those who took ashwagandha extract had reduced stress, anxiety, and fatigue. Further research has shown that ashwagandha is a powerful tool for post-workout recovery, boosting energy levels, and reducing the impact of after-exercise drowsiness.
For those looking for a time-honored, medically-proven supplement, ashwagandha is undoubtedly one of the best natural ways to increase energy and elevate mood!
Caffeine — Combined With L-Theanine
Odds are that you’re no stranger to the pep-boosting effects of America’s favorite energy supplement, caffeine. A natural compound commonly found in many teas, in kratom’s cousin coffee, and more, caffeine is used to boost your energy levels throughout the day, providing a much-needed pick-me-up for people from all walks of life.
But caffeine doesn’t agree with everyone. At high doses, it can lead to irritability, anxiety, and upset stomach. Even at low doses, it can eventually lead to an energy “crash” when the dose wears off, leaving you even more fatigued than you were before your morning cup of joe.
Enter L-theanine, to the rescue! This natural amino acid is found in many teas and mushrooms and is used as a mild relaxation supplement. The key to this wonder-combo? L-theanine calms and soothes without affecting your energy levels!
By combining caffeine with L-theanine, you can “smooth out” the caffeine buzz and enjoy the natural energy boost without the uncomfortable side effects of coffee. Even if you’ve had a bad experience with caffeine before, this might just be the key to one of the most effective natural ways to increase energy at any time of day!
Special Mention: Many users find that replacing their coffee with yerba mate provides a similar benefit: clean, focused energy with none of caffeine’s nasty downsides!
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 may not get the same good press as Vitamins C or D, but it’s an absolutely essential nutrient that your body needs for a host of vital processes. It helps keep your nervous and circulatory systems healthy and fights certain types of energy-draining anemia.
Although Vitamin B12 is naturally found in a variety of foods, many Americans suffer from a Vitamin B12 deficiency. Left unchecked, this can sap energy, cause chronic fatigue, and contribute to a host of serious and lasting health problems.
Vegans, older adults, and those with gastrointestinal problems are particularly at risk of Vitamin B12 deficiency. A vegan diet does not contain the foods most abundant in B12, such as fish, dairy, and meat products. Meanwhile, age and gastrointestinal issues can lead to difficulty absorbing B12, so you may be suffering from a deficiency even if you eat a diet rich in B12’s!
For the many who suffer from (often undiagnosed!) Vitamin B12 deficiencies, introducing a daily B12 supplement can offer a dramatic boost to energy. If you’re suffering from chronic fatigue, this might just be one of the single best natural ways to increase energy and live more fulfilling days!
Wrapping-Up: The Best Natural Ways to Increase Energy
The body is a complex machine with thousands of moving parts. When one slows down, it can have a powerful effect on the rest of your body, and certainly on mood, energy levels, and day-to-day fatigue.
The best natural ways to increase energy will depend on the root cause of your chronic fatigue. Ultimately, only experience and experimentation can determine which methods are best for you. And, when in doubt, it never hurts to consult a medical professional!
But the techniques and supplements we’ve outlined here are some of the most time-honored, well-researched, and safest ways to increase your energy levels and reduce fatigue.
Even if you find that quality kratom powder gives you the jumpstart you need, it shouldn’t be the only tool in your energy-boosting toolbox. By addressing the root cause of your drowsiness, you can better enjoy your day-to-day, get the most out of life — and avoid building up your kratom tolerance.