Ask HN: Tips for more energy during day?

Exercise is the biggest one for me. It's weird because when I get out of the habit, I feel tired and lazy and don't want to exercise. If I can make myself go for a week or so, energy shoots up and you look forward to it. I'm not talking anything strenuous even, just a couple mile walk.

Also, eating less for lunch. When I eat too much I immediately feel sleepy for some reason. Anymore I just have coffee and an apple.

I have two complimentary things I started doing last winter:

- Keep my home’s heat 1 or 2 degrees cooler than I would find optimally comfortable

- When I feel cold, I do a set of pushups to warm myself back up. Usually about once an hour. A set is usually about 20 pushups.

This has multiple benefits:

- The very slight discomfort of the cold keeps you less drowsy

- The pushups are good for you and help wake you up

- Keeping the heating a little lower has a small but non-zero impact on your heating bill

I think that if maintaining good sleep hygiene and diets have not helped for a long time, then one should probably start consulting a trained medical professional.

You are going to get a lot of anecdotes with a question like this because we are all a little different - there is no single answer for what works for everyone.

You'll need to be observant, and experiment a little. When are you drowsy? Does that correlate to anything else in the day, such as meals or meetings? Take note of what your routine is before making changes, then start changing one thing at a time, and stick with what works for you. By all means, use people's anecdotes as ideas for what to try, but observe results for yourself and react accordingly.

It's not always possible, but try to take a 20 minute nap in the early afternoon. Doesn't matter if you fall asleep, just lie down and keep your eyes closed for 20 minutes.

I have far more productive afternoons on the days when I take a 20 minute nap after lunch. Definitely a boon of working from home.

I really struggle with fatigue due to a chronic sleep issue. Here’s what helps me:

- see a sleep specialist. You might have a sleep issue like apnea or periodic limb movements that disrupt your sleep without you realizing it. Or narcolepsy, which can show as a kind of chronic drowsiness.

- find a good sleep book. I really enjoyed The Sleep Solution by dr Chris winter.

- mindfulness practice: sometimes this itself can help deepen your sleep.

- Take a power nap (but not a long nap) post lunch. We’re naturally diurnal, so tend to feel sleepy early afternoon.

- Exercise for a short term energy boost and to deepen your sleep at night.

- Hydration: drink a good amount of water. Dehydration is a big cause of fatigue for me

- do low key activities on bad days: be easy on yourself and take it slow. Read a relaxing book or take a bath. Don’t put tons of pressure on yourself.

- magnesium supplements: this is probably the most frequently helpful supplement for improving sleep. It’s often said most people have a magnesium deficiency.

Energy and caffeine regulation seems to make the difference for me. I like myself better when I have a substantial high-protein, high-fat, low-carb breakfast with a large strong cup of pourover or Aeropress coffee in the morning, a light lunch, and sometimes an espresso, small Arabic coffee or oolong tea mid-afternoon with almonds or cashews plus figs or dates or a small bite of something sugary. Otherwise I avoid sugar, which seems to throw everything off balance.

Figure out what motivates you and what drains you. Do you feel drowsy every day regardless of what's going on, whether it's a work day or the weekend?

Do specific things or tasks take energy from you? It might be that meetings sap your energy. Or, if you're extroverted, meetings might give you energy.

Sometimes it's bigger things - like a job that's just not interesting any more. Can you shake it up with different tasks and challenges?

Or maybe it's burnout, which can manifest as constant fatigue. Maybe you need a break. Maybe that break is a small one during a hectic day, or maybe you need a break from your current life situation to recharge.

Physical health absolutely matters, but don't forget the mental aspects. If you just aren't finding your current situation stimulating, that might be a signal about the situation, not just your body.

https://www.gwern.net/Modafinil

"Look to your health" is always a good practice. In addition to the diet/exercise/sleep answers here:

Consider the possibility that you are suffering from Sick Building Syndrome.

Check for hidden mold. Try to improve the cleanliness of your home/work space. "Less is more."

I think Sick Building Syndrome is much more common than is recognized. We need to get better at recognizing that we are a product of our environment and that means the spaces we spend most of our time are impacting our health, for better or for worse.

Wihtout any guarantees:

You could try skipping a lunch or only eating half of what you usually eat.

I myself tend to eat a lot more than I actually need to. A full stomach will actually drain your batteries for a few hours.

While intermittent fasting (the way I did it - 2/5) was nothing I would do for a regular work week, skipping a lunch once a while or eating just enough to not get really hungry gives me an incredible boost.

Probably just going for a walk at least once a day. Doesn't have to be more than 30 minutes.

Work less. Seriously just give up when you get tired. Impossible problems become simple after a nap or even a full night's sleep. I know that if I work when I'm tired I'm just stealing time from myself and my employer.

You could use stimulants. Coffee, nicotine (there is gum, but it is easy to be addicted and detoxing causes noticeable brain lag for a few days), and you could use nootropic stuff like adrafinil (works well for me).

Background:

Father with a 13-month old baby and a full-time job, 3/2 split in WFH/WFO.

Aside from the obvious things you mentioned, I found that these items work for me:

- Light lunch is the single most important thing after a good night of sleep;

- Replacing dinner with some snacks not only helps with weight but also with awareness;

- Never drink Coffee if you don't need it. Drink caffeinated ones if you need the flavour;

- Taking a 15-min nap helps too, but it doesn't work as good as 10 years ago;

- Getting an outdoor hobby (I collect fossils) alone tremendously helps with WFH unhappiness

I used to wake up at 0430, do a workout at home (push-ups, squats, abs, jumping jacks, mountain climbers, etc) for 30 minutes (hundreds of push-ups and squats, etc). Then take a shower. Then breakfast: water, 4 eggs, steak, turkey scallops, half a liter of milk (well, café au lait), fruit).

I'd go out and feel I could slay dragons and bite the moon, and feel that way throughout the whole day. My classmates would get hungry and drowsy by 1100/1130 (they'd drink chocolate milk and eat some treats at 1000), then completely sleepy after eating pizza or sandwitches (I wouldn't get lunch because the food sucked and I still had energy). By 1400, everyone's empty and trying to eat biscuits or something. By 1600, people were dead. I still had a lot of energy. I hadn't eaten anything after breakfast, only drank water.

I would then go home, buy next morning's food (steak, scallops, etc) with the money I saved from not having a disgusting fast food lunch.

I'm considering going back to that regimen. I felt strong and sharp, and working out at home right before taking a shower removed friction as I didn't have to go out, and I did my push-ups and squats right in the bathroom.

I find that I tend to drift into an pseudo intermittent fasting routine. I usually eat one large meal a day, in the middle of the day. I try to avoid anything that has sugar, carbohydrates (though I do eat a decent amount of rice), dairy, stuff like that.

If you eat bread in the morning or drink coffee/tea/juice with sugar, cut that out immediately. That is probably a big contributor to your tiredness.

Disclaimer, this is not medical advice, experiment at your own risk! I once tried an "energy shot" called GungHo that was popular with gamers and that claimed to enhance cognition and reduce fatigue and was really surprised that it seemed to work for me, even consuming just a small amount of a shot/package. The company that made it went out of business, but there was a list of all the ingredients on the package so I bought them all and tried them one by one. I found that Eleuthero is the one ingredient that made a difference. I then tried reducing the dose to find out the minimum amount that seemed to have an effect and was astounded to find that a very tiny amount, just wetting my fingertip and touching it to the powder and then ingesting that, still had the same effect as a whole capsule. Here's WebMD's take on Eleuthero:

https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-985/eleuthe...

Since then I've read a variety of research papers on PubMed about it and it does not seem to work for everyone. It seems to work better for people who are older. The effect on me is dramatic, within moments I feel more awake and energetic, before I even swallow the powder (so it must be entering through the skin of the mouth). It lasts about 4 hours, and then I feel fatigued again, but there is no crash like with sugar or caffeine, I just feel like I did before. It's cheap and easily available as a herb, also called Siberian Ginseng (although it is not actually a ginseng, real ginseng just seems to raise my blood pressure). I don't use it often but when I want to stay alert and am feeling tired I use it and for me it is very effective. It seems to have been widely used in Russia over many years by the elderly. For me a single bottle of capsules is probably a life time supply.

I noticed last year that using a standing desk (in lifted position) half of the day helps me to focus significantly.

If your drowsiness sets in after lunch then I'd recommend having a vegetarian sandwich (whole grain bread, shredded carrot and sliced cucumber, sprouts, etc. ) and see if you feel less drowsy afterwards. The sandwich is the epitome of unsatisfying but I've seen a real benefit in not being drowsy later.

Be physically active during the day, and breathe outside air (open a window, go outside, or have a powerful exhaust fan). Physically active means walking around and occasional standing or sitting on a tall stool. Exercise as an 'activity' has never worked for me because it just wipes me out. But walking or biking to places in 10 to 15 minute stretches gets my metabolism up enough that I'm good.

Finally, if none of this works then I recommend seeing a cardiologist.

At lunch, avoid bread, pasta, rice, potato. Basically anything starch rich while having little to no fibers. Said differently stick to food with low GI [1]. Best is to prepare your lunch yourself. Since you'll have to take it at the office, it won't be too copious. And you won't have to eat at the restaurant where food usually contains too much saturated fat and salt. All these combined is the best way to avoid the afternoon drop of energy.

I also drink no water during meals. I only drink in between. I cannot tell exactly what it does. I just read it was good and got used to it.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycemic_index

Food quantity and timing, saunas, and caffeine regulation.

1. I find the quantity and timing of food is a big deal. Meals that are too large (especially carb-wise) can really mess with my energy levels, especially if its breakfast. This can be tricky to balance though, as hungry energy can exacerbate rabbit-holing issues and possibly protein intake targets.

2. I sauna routinely for 16-20 min and it always has a big impact on my energy levels.

3. I make my own coffee and always measure out precise gram amounts I try to avoid deviating from. Helps me avoid "oh I just need another half cup cause the last one was maybe weak -> caffeine agitation -> crash" cycle (I'm fairly sensitive to caffeine, personally).

Did you check your cortisol levels? Drowsiness is a symptom of adrenal fatigue.

Don't eat carbs, don't drink too much coffee, do take cold showers.

The Chinese have been studying this question for melennia—-have developed sophisticated systems to promote energy and health including gigong and tai chi. Look into books by Lam Kam Chuen and Bruce Frantzis.

Keep water near you and drink more than you think you need. The side effect besides keeping you awake is that you’ll have to walk to pee, which wakes you up too.

See a doctor. Don’t try to science this yourself.

Talk to a doctor. I had a vitamin D deficiency that was causing my hyperparathyroidism which among other things (kidney stones) also caused drowsiness. If you have dark skin and live at higher latitudes you should especially consider this as a potential problem. And the good news is vitamin D is cheap and readily available.

lot’s of relevant advice in

https://hubermanlab.com/

I too felt this a lot before and one thing that has tremendously helped me is not eating lunch in the afternoon.

I only eat when I'm extremely hungry during the day time and that too just enough (like 1/3 full). I dunno but this keeps me super energetic and happy during the day.

Possible thins that have help me, until all the neighbors become noise machines around my house:

* Make very dark and cold where you sleep * Cold shower * Use refreshing drops in your eyes! * If can't sleep, not kill yourself about it. Sleep when you can and when not, get out

Light exercise + keep active. i.e. no long periods of sitting without getting up.

Drink water

Relevant youtube on the subject from What I've Learned

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSdgSVyV5Jg

It helped me to take a caffeine break. Went to half a cup of coffee for a few days then to nothing for a few days and that's all it took to see an improvement.

Do you snore? Many people have sleep apnea without knowing. They can sleep the full night, not actually getting rest. I got a sleep study and the answer was clear.

i think most Americans and/or westerners, myself included, generally get an energy and everything boost from eating a lot less, and less often -- intermittent fasting-type stuff.

i also try to go/stay vegan, so sometimes think i'm missing some nutrients, so adding a multivitamin might be a quick fix and indicator. or just eat a couple slices of pizza or other 'bad' food. :-D

I still struggle with this, but have found a couple things I've discovered about myself:

1) Wake up earlier. I'm a self-described night-owl. Its counter-intuitive for sure, but I've found that the earlier I wake up, the more energy I maintain throughout the day. WFH makes this a lot harder for me (which is one of the big reasons why I dislike WFH, personally); it requires more discipline, which is a limited resource.

2) Morning workouts. I've found that just trying to do something in my house helps a lot; oftentimes, forcing myself out the door in the early, early morning is too much and I wouldn't stick with it.

3) Two biggest things that have improved my probability of doing workouts: VR and watch tracking. Now, this combination is "lying" to a degree; VR involves a lot of hand movement, which is where your watch is detecting "burned calories" or whatever. But; who cares? So, it says I burned 300 calories in that last 30 minute workout; the raw number is less important to me than just "closing the ring" (on Apple Watch) and moving the goal higher each month. I've found that being able to look at my watch and see the rings nearly closed already by 8am is almost a sigh of relief; the day's barely started and I don't have to worry about rushing to get them closed at 9pm. The Quest 2 is great for this (though, I also have a Valve Index, and comparatively... better to just not know how much better VR can be lol); Supernatural, Beat Saber, Pistol Whip, really anything that's "arcady" and gets your heart rate up.

4) Food; some people say sugar is bad, or carbs are bad, or whatever. I really don't notice any difference in myself. Its more-so just the amount and timing. I don't like eating breakfast, because it inevitably makes me feel like I'm literally dying of starvation at lunch, and then its all I think about, finding food, overeating. I also don't like eating anything after, say, 10pm; it reduces the probability that I'll be in bed at a reasonable time.

5) Coffee. I'm not gonna say "quit it"; I love it; the taste, variety, jolt of alertness, the ritual of making it. More-so, first, I reclassified my relationship with it from "just something I drink" to "I need to think about this"; its a drug that can impact my body and mind to the same magnitude as alcohol, so treat it as such. Then I really started thinking about how my body reacts to it; how it really is "trading" energy from a baseline level throughout the day, to bias more toward when you drink it with a dip hours later. So, prepare for the dip, which always comes; have a feeling for when its going to come, don't counter-act it with more coffee, pre-empt it with, for example, a walk outside. Have a caffeine cutoff in the early afternoon, and stick to it.

6) Finding long-range projects & hobbies that excite me. The key word there is "Find"; as I get older, they don't just appear ambiently, I need to hunt them out. It used to be work; maybe it still is for some people, but not for me. If I find something, and the next morning its the first thing I think about when I wake up; that's it. If I wake up and don't feel excited to get out of bed, that's my goal for the day; find something that excites me for tomorrow; and that's exciting! A whole daily goal just to find something else to excite me. Stick with it for a bit. Eventually it'll fade, then find another. Maybe its: learning a new piece on the piano; a new VR game; some coding project idea that I'll never complete; finishing a drawing then listing it as an NFT that will never make any money but at least it was interesting.

7) Drop "consumption" social media entirely. Its not really the nature of the app that matters; its my relationship with it. If I much consume more on it than I produce, its bad. For me, Snapchat isn't so bad; I use it as a form of communication with friends. For others, maybe you doomscroll Snapchat stories and the Discover feed; that's not great.

Sleep at least 8 hours is a full charge for me.

What works for me is a cup of coffee and avoiding sugar all day.

Also, doing something that you like and feel proud off helps a lot.

Ever since I stopped eating carbs I stopped feeling imminent nap time 2~3 hours after breakfast and lunch

What has been your experience with the obvious ones? People keep bringing them up because by far they are the biggest contributors for most people.

Couple anecdotes from myself: TL;DR - Be on the lookout for patterns.

1) I noticed a pattern when I would go home for the holidays to visit family. I was incredibly drowsy on most days, for most of the day. I would eat all I want, which for breakfast might mean pancakes with loads of syrup or french toast with syrup and maybe there's an egg in there somewhere. If I made an effort to vastly reduce my consumption of high glycemic carbs at breakfast, my energy through the day would be immensely better, like night and day improvement.

2) I was also struggling with fatigue during the day sometimes while not on holiday. I found that it was tied to consumption of artificial sweetener in my coffee in the morning. I often wouldn't eat breakfast and just have coffee and be ok until lunch. But if I had saccharine(sweet n low) in my coffee, I would feel very tired. I stopped drinking coffee like this and haven't had the problem come back. My non-doctor opinion is that because artificial sweetener induces an insulin response in the body, but doesn't contribute to any blood glucose, what blood sugar I had was getting pulled out and placed into fat cells. I will sometimes allow myself sweetener but with a breakfast and be fine.

Cacao. Theobromine is a stimulant, but has milder side effects than caffeine. YMMV.

if you live with someone, ask if they hear you snoring or choking at night while you sleep. If so, go tell your doctor and ask if you might have sleep apnea. One of the most common signs is daytime drowsiness.

Many vitamins and minerals have lethargy as a symptom of deficiency.

- sport

- meditation

- drinking water

- avoiding carbs for lunch (pasta will make you go to sleep)

The followings work great for me:

- OMAD (one meal a day)

- walking

- no sugar

- no processed food

- no grain

- no vegetable oil except olive oil

- lots of vegetables

- lots of eggs

- moderate amount of meat

- working outdoors

- sun

yerba mate

and/or

having a future you’re looking forward to

fasting, jumproping.

lbrp + middle pillar

or similar practices rooted in other traditions