I'm a Physiologist - Here are 10 Things I Do Every Day For Optimal Energy
I sleep brilliantly and always have enough energy for a full day of work, exercise, newsletter writing and social events. This isn’t luck, this is the result of building habits over the course of the past ten years or so. The good news? As a reader, you can follow these exact steps that I take. If you always feel tired, or simply want to optimise your energy ahead of the new year this is for you.
Housekeeping
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Energy is not simply a balance between sleep during the night and output in the day. It is a true reflection of your own physiology; your metabolic and cellular health. The state of your nervous system - are you chronically exposed to physiological stress? Energy is a product of your physical and mental health, and whilst many of us try to use caffeine to tip the balance in our favour, this is only a short-term cover. Below, I shall list 10 habits that I perform every day, backed by science, which help me to optimal energy levels. Perhaps counterintuitively, this list includes not only habits we can add to our routines, but what we can avoid, too. Limiting our energy-draining habits is just as important.
1. Sunlight and movement shortly after waking
Everyone and anyone with a podcast or other form of educational content has preached this over the past 5 years or so. But with good reason. Our eyes possess sensors which respond to light levels, and as diurnal beings, we are designed to sleep at night and be awake during the day. When you wake up, try to get sunlight into your eyes as soon as possible. In an ideal world, we could wake up, get out of bed, and go for a half hour walk in the sun. However, this is hard to do in the dark winter months. At the moment, it is dark when I wake up. Therefore, I just get moving as soon as I can. No scrolling in bed for too long (if I do scroll, it’ll be to do Duolingo, Minute Cryptic, connections, or some other brain game), and then up for breakfast and out the door. As soon as the sun rises, I try to get to a window and look through it for a couple of minutes. Whether placebo or biochemistry, I always feel more awake after this!
2. Adequate hydration starting in the morning
Most of us are chronically dehydrated. We don’t drink enough water. This leads to fatigue, brain fog, and inhibits a number of cellular processes. Trying the function when dehydrated is the same as trying to use your phone when on ‘low-power mode’. Yes, it’ll still work, but it’ll be slower, struggle more with the bigger tasks, and will need a recharge after a short while.
While many of us understand that breakfast is literally breaking the overnight fast, we often forget that we won’t have had any water for 6, 7, 8….10 hours by the time we wake in the morning. I make sure that I drink water with every meal, and especially with breakfast. I will also ensure that I replenish any electrolytes lost through sweat with an electrolyte powder if necessary. There really is no excuse for not drinking enough water. If you don’t like the taste, or don’t like it lukewarm, then I honestly don’t know what to say to you…try a little sugar-free cordial, a splash of lemon…use ice cubes…if you have access to clean drinking water, you shouldn’t be dehydrated.
3. Adequate protein with meals and snacks
I always say that no macronutrient is either perfect or bad. Fats, carbohydrates and protein are all part of a healthy, balanced diet, and we need all three to some extent. However, I find that when I prioritise protein intake, I am less inclined to snack on naughty, ultra-processed treats. This saves me from energy highs and sugar crashes, and gives me a solid baseline of energy throughout the day. Again, without sounding boring, a savoury breakfast tends to be higher in protein than a sweet one, and often leads steadier energy levels throughout the day compared to, say, sugary cereals, pastries, or pancakes.
4. Up to 15 minutes of ‘me’ time per day
Another simple task that most people completely ignore. I’m not saying that you need to sit and meditate, write what you’re grateful for, or create your ten year personal plan. However, we would all benefit from 15 minutes of daily ‘me’ time. This could be as simple as switching off on the commute home, no radio or music in the car, just unwinding. It could be a quick walk around the block after work to destress. If you enjoy reading, it could be a quick chapter of your book. This is essentially a block of time that nobody can disturb you for, whether that be colleagues, clients, family or friends. Everybody can find at least 10 minutes per day for this. If you don’t think you’ve got the time, then head into your phone settings and see how long you use social media for each day. You can cut your scrolling down to put yourself first.
5. Movement after meals
Ever had that massive lunch and then felt like a nap afterward? That’s OK. Blood is shifted towards the digestive system to help process that meal, which makes us feel sleepy. However, there’s a very simple solution to this. All you need to do, is get moving for 10-20 minutes after each meal. In those with impaired insulin sensitivity or in poor metabolic health, it will help to regular blood sugar levels. In otherwise healthy individuals, this will increase oxygen flow to the brain and muscles, giving you more energy. A little walk after each meal makes a big difference, and it is often these small bouts of exercise which tip people into a calorie deficit, making weight loss much easier.
6. Schedule work around my circadian rhythm
I know that, despite being a morning person, I get my best work done at between 10am-1pm. I have the most energy during these times, so I leave my more demanding work for these hours. I also know that I have many good ideas in the evening, when I’m winding down and not obsessing over work. My work schedule is therefore simple: I don’t set myself hard or tedious tasks in the late afternoon or evening, because I know that this will drain me faster. Instead, I get my ideas written down, and ping these as reminders on my phone for the early afternoon the following day, when I know I will have more energy to act on them.
Many people, especially night owls, will try to get work done late at night, but at the detriment of good sleep. If possible, try to take note of when you feel as though you have the most energy in the daytime, and set your most demanding work for these hours. Working too close to bedtime will cost you energy points in many (but not all) cases.
7. Don’t sit for longer than 1 hour at a time
Modern life makes it easy to sit for hours. You get in from a hard day at work, stick the TV on, scroll a bit, and before you know it, you’ve lost the evening. This is a big trap that I see people fall into. How many of you reading this right now have even dozed off while watching TV?! I have. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t sit down, but I am recommending that you break sedentary time. Even if you get up to go to the loo every hour, that’s still a mini-success. Bodyweight squats or calf raises, push-ups, or even just a quick walk up and down the stairs are also good alternatives. Every time you get up and do something, you increase oxygen flow and transport around the body, which improves energy levels. We know this is true not only with exercise snacks, but with regards to gym sessions too. Next time you feel tired, go to the gym or get out for a run or cycle, and I promise that you’ll feel more awake afterward compared to before.
8. Get outdoors whenever possible
This is again linked to exercising adequately. However, there are benefits to being outdoors independent of exercise. Leave the phone in your pocket, take your headphones out, and spend time in the daylight with your thoughts. Connect with what is around you. Make the most of the fresh air. Being outside boosts Vitamin D production, lowers circulating stress hormone levels, and improves mood. It is also good thinking time - I can think of many occasions where good ideas have come to me, completely out of the blue, when I’m outdoors and away from work.
9. Substitute afternoon caffeine with movement
Caffeine is a mask. It doesn’t give you energy, it just delays the feeling of tiredness. At the molecular level, it simply blocks the receptors which make us feel tired, which is why many of us crash as soon as caffeine disappears from these receptors. Don’t get me wrong, I love coffee and I drink it regularly. However, nobody needs more than 2 cups a day. From a chemical perspective, the half-life of caffeine is anywhere from 3-10 hours, meaning that even if you metabolise it quickly, you’ll still have a half-dose of caffeine in your system after 3 hours. If you’re in a coffee cycle every couple of hours, then you are the problem, not the coffee. Prioritise your sleep first, and keep the morning coffee. However, when you get to the afternoon, get some movement in instead of reaching for the coffee jar. You’ll find that this improves your energy not just in the day, but also your restorative sleep overnight.
10. Limit screen time
I’m a realist. I know that we all scroll, and, in moderate doses, this is fine. However, too much screen time, especially in the evening, can massively impact the quality of sleep you get that night. The blue light from devices doesn’t help, but neither does the constant stimulation from social media, which can raise stress hormone levels and lead to digital fatigue. Scrolling is also just social filler. It’s not real human connection - a phone call is better connection than a text or DM, and meeting in person provides a more purposeful connection than a phone call. I fall foul of this every day on Substack - my business relies on me being active on social media. Ideally, I’d hire someone to do this for me, but I think I’m a few thousand subscribers away from that!*
Thanks for reading
This list is not exhaustive, but it will go a long way to helping. If you struggle with your energy levels, and haven’t yet tried something on this list, then give it a go for a few weeks and let me know if it works for you!
*Of course you can always share this newsletter to friends and help me get there…
# 9 is a GREAT one!!