Modern life often means having to balance and navigate between home life, work life, social life, health and fitness, and various other stresses and strains that can leave us feeling tired and worn out. This is perfectly normal nowadays, and worry not; there are plenty of ways to combat this without sacrificing he things you love about life.

There are certain, however small, challenges involved in every day modern life that cause us stress and anxiety; things that wear us down and leave us too shattered to do anything worthwhile in our spare time. Commuting to and from work throughout the week is a strain in itself, family commitments, hectic social life. However much we love keeping busy it does indeed take it’s toll from time to time. Don’t give in to the pressures of work or home life! Stay calm and relaxed, keep your mind and body sharp and ready, and let those every day issues just wash over you. To do this we have compiled some quick and easy changes you can make to feel more alert as you take on the world.

Decrease your Sugar Intake

Sugar should not be considered as a reputable source of energy, despite the numerous ‘energy’ drinks and snacks that are advertised and readily available to us these days. Sugar is converted to fat if not properly exercised off. Avoid sugar completely, or consume in moderation, as that ‘high’ you feel from the sugar rush is ultimately followed by a ‘low’ that leaves you even more fatigued and lethargic than you were before.

Stay Refreshed

Having too many personal commitments or a conflicting schedule can cause unmanageable stress and anxiety. Try to practice the art of time management, meditation, relaxation (perhaps breathing methods), and take regular breaks and holidays to allow your body and mind to feel refreshed and at peace with each other.

Get Plenty of Sleep

Getting good quality, lengthy sleep is crucial to leading a healthy and well rested life. If you wake up after a nights sleep and still feel tired, chances are there is some underlying issue preventing you from fully switching off at night. If you often resort to the use of sleeping pills and/or alcohol, it may be of use to know that frequent use of these can actually have an adverse effect on your body, causing more sleeplessness in the long run due to over-dependence. If you have worries or negative thoughts keeping you up, try talking to somebody about it, or even just writing it down in a diary; this way you release it from your mind and increase your chance of a deep and natural nights sleep.

Choose Decaf

When you feel struck by excess fatigue, it is easy to be instantly attracted to a cup of coffee or a quick pick me up caffeinated energy drink. However, recent studies have shown that excessive coffee drinking can actually lead us more swiftly to exhaustion. The temporary boost you feel merely masks the fatigue, rather than relieving it. Too much caffeine has also been proven to leave some people feeling over stimulated and ‘shaky’. If you want to get rid of your exhaustion, quit the coffee, or at least lesson your intake. Decaffeinated coffee and tea taste pretty much the same and are readily available all over the place these days. It’s easy to make the transition from coffee to water or juice by simply switching to decaf for a while.

Avoid Nasty Chemicals

Harmful substances and chemicals are found in more of our food than ever lately. Amongst other negative effects, they drastically destroy energy levels and leave us feeling run down and exhausted. Pesticide residue, various toxins, pollutants like sulphur-dioxide, nitrous oxide, all kinds of fumes and poisons in the air; all of these cause a very low-grade poisoning to our body which often results in physical weakness. Not smoking is one of the best ways to avoid this. Don’t smoke, stay away from smoke, search for organic, chemical free food, drink at least eight glasses of water a day to flush your body of toxins, increase your dietary intake of fibre via fresh organic fruits and vegetables, don;’t drink too much alcohol, avoid chemical solvents (paints, cleansers) and perhaps, if necessary, invest in an air purifier or filtered air conditioning.

Practice positive thinking.

Optimism is a key part of overcoming physical and emotional tiredness. Always look for the good in life, the bright side of things, and believe deep down that everything will be OK. You will sleep better, and you’re body will be altogether more relaxed and vitalised.

Most importantly – get plenty of rest. Even if you’re not physically sleeping, resting your body and mind away from the every day stresses of modern life will leave you feeling refreshed. Do this often; take baths, meditate, eat well and get plenty of fresh air and exercise.