Are you looking for a coffee substitute to boost your energy? Check out these natural ways to improve your energy for the day without consuming caffeine!
Energy Levels Usually Go Low During the Day!
It’s 2 p.m. and you’re yawning. All you want to do is take a snooze!
If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. In our busy world, many of us observe our energy level dipping on a regular basis.
But, if your exhaustion is lifestyle-related, there are many ways you can use a coffee substitute to up your energy levels, without downing another cup of joe!
Coffee Substitutes: Natural Ways to Enhance Energy
1. Stress Less
Constant high levels of stress leave you feeling tired and drained. It’s important to incorporate stress busters in your daily life.
Strategies include:
• Meditation
• Talking with a friend
• Taking Sparky for a long walk
• Watching a funny movie (Laughter is the best medicine!)
2. Get Moving
We all know that regular exercise is important for your health and is a healthy coffee substitute to naturally increase your energy. But, it may seem counterintuitive to exercise when you’re feeling tired and all you want is a nap.
Luckily, you don’t have to run a marathon to experience energy-boosting benefits. In fact, one study found that sedentary people with persistent, unexplained fatigue decreased their tiredness by 65% just by regularly participating in low-intensity cycling.
Other studies prove that even a 10-minute walk is a better “pick me up” than a snack!
3. Quit Smoking
Of course, you know that smoking is one of the worst things you can do for your health. But, it can make your energy tank, as well.
The toxins and tar in the smoke also reduce the efficiency of your lungs. In time, this reduces the amount of oxygen transported around your body, making you feel more tired.
Tar Definition: A dark, thick, and flammable liquid that is a by-product of coke and coal gas production.
4. Limit the Booze
Alcohol acts as a sedative and can make you feel drowsy. What’s more, it can also interfere with the quality of your sleep, which in turn makes you sleepier during the day.
5. Cut the Sweets
We’ve all been there: Your energy is waning, so you reach for a sweet, sugar-filled snack. But, eating foods high in sugar can give you a short shot of energy, and it’s always followed by a slump, often leaving you feeling worse than before!
Sidestep this cycle by minimizing your intake of added sugar and reaching for a whole, fiber-rich snack instead.
6. Stay Hydrated
Depending on your age, your body is 55%-75% water. During the day, you lose water via urine and sweat. To compensate for that loss, you must drink water. Dehydration can affect brain function, mood, and energy levels. Make sure you drink enough water throughout the day and respond to your thirst, especially during exercise.
7. Make Breakfast A Habit
Eating breakfast helps you start your day feeling energized, as it primarily fuels your energy and the nutrients in your body. Skipping this meal can interfere with your body’s cycle of eating and fasting, increasing your risk of gaining weight.
Your blood sugar, which supports the function of your brain and muscles, is typically low when you wake up. This is when you need to replenish it through eating healthy breakfast food.
You can try adding whole grains, lean meat, low-fat milk, and fruits and veggies to your breakfast.
8. Listen to Your Favorite Lively Music
Listening to music can both promote sleep and boost energy levels, but this depends on the kind of tunes you listen to. For boosting your energy or mood, listen to lively hits that can lift up your spirit, like disco or pop music.
You can create a playlist of your favorites to play when doing tasks or on your commute. It’s okay to dance a little bit if you can’t help but move with the beat!.
9. Laugh More
Laughing helps you feel better instantly, lifting up your mood naturally and effortlessly. Try surrounding yourself with people who know how to brighten up your day or situations that make you really happy.
During your break, you can initiate a funny conversation for everyone to laugh at with you, or you can search for funny videos on YouTube. You can also do things that make you smile and laugh, like playing with your dog or watching comedy specials online.
10. Write Your Own Journal
If you’re the type of person who loves to write or express yourself through writing, then having your own journal might be best. Writing down the events that happened in your daily life can help you process your experiences and emotions, thus helping you feel better overall.
Although it’s common for many individuals to write in their journals at night before going to bed, you can also write your entries in the morning while prepping or after eating breakfast. This way, you can also include what you can expect for the day, setting positive intentions to energize you into action.
11. Make Yourself A Smoothie
It always feels good to sip on an energy-boosting, caffeine-free drink that doesn’t contain any coffee, green tea, or black tea while you are busy completing your daily tasks. You can stuff your smoothie with healthy and organic sources of revitalizing energy, such as fruit, leafy greens, and good sources of protein, so you avoid added sugars from ready-made smoothies.
All you need for this substitute for coffee is to bring your favorite healthy ingredients with you and blend them together for a few minutes. Pour the mixture into your tumbler and enjoy sipping something that’s both delicious and nutritious.
Fruits and vegetables are rich in essential nutrients that provide many health benefits, including boosting energy levels. This is a great way for coffee drinkers to wean off their caffeine addiction.
12. Get Some Stretches In
Stretching helps your stiff and fatigued muscles relax from staying stuck in one position. This coffee substitute can also aid in improving energy by reducing muscle discomfort.
You can do some stretching at your desk during lunch breaks. You can also try sitting down and standing up repeatedly without holding the armchair.
Shrug your shoulders as well as high as you can and hold them up for several seconds. You can also roll your shoulders up and down while sitting straight on your chair.
There are many forms of stretching you can do without attracting too much attention from others.
13. Do Crosswords
Performing a mental task when you feel burned out can help boost your energy. This coffee alternative allows your mind to stay active and focused on what you are doing, providing no room for tiredness.
You can take a very short break from work when your mood starts to get low and do a crossword for a few minutes. Just make sure you find a difficulty level you can finish in a few minutes so you re-energized and not stressed-out or pressured.
14. Take the Stairs
If you feel like you need an immediate boost of energy take a break and go up and down the stairs for 10 minutes. This is a better way to get your heart pumping and lift up your mood.
What’s good about taking the stairs is there may be no people in the area, so you have the freedom to do a couple of stretches or take a few minutes to meditate quietly while you’re at it. Going up and down the stairs can also help you think clearly on things, like how you will finish your tasks for the day, as it refocuses your mind back to your job.
15. Get Some Sun
Exposing yourself to the sun the right way can be a very healthy habit, not just to boost energy levels, but also to gain other health benefits. Sun exposure promotes the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates and enhances mood.
The warm rays and gentle heat can be very soothing. Aside from that, this coffee substitute aids your body in producing vitamin D, which is an essential nutrient for keeping your blood’s phosphorus levels and in regulating calcium in your body.
You can take a 10-minute walk outside your workplace or somewhere you can feel the heat of the sun. You can also do a simple outdoor workout after breakfast so you get the best of both healthy habits.
Getting your coffee substitute does not have to be complex and expensive. The coffee substitutes mentioned above are simple and easy to follow and won’t require too much effort.
So, say goodbye to your raging coffee habit now and start doing any of these natural ways to lift up your mood and improve energy naturally!
