Often, people ask me: "I have low motivation, always feel tired, and have a serious procrastination problem. I even drag out small tasks that only take a few minutes for several hours. What should I do?"

This might not actually be due to procrastination, but rather a lack of energy.

When we lack energy, our bodies enter an energy - saving mode. At this time, the brain reduces our overall external power output and impairs our executive ability. As a result, we easily get fatigued, listless, and can never seem to muster up the energy.

This might also be the confusion of many people: It seems that their "energy bar" is extremely short. They get tired easily after doing a little bit of work and don't want to do anything. But others can be busy all day and still be full of energy, even going out for fun, while they can only lie around doing nothing. Why on earth is this the case?

Today's article hopes to help you solve the problem of energy deficiency and offer you some inspiration and assistance.

1. Test for Sleep Deprivation

Sometimes, the reason we can never seem to get energized might be chronic fatigue caused by long - term sleep deprivation.

Many people might think that as long as they aren't sleepy during the day, they've had enough sleep. But that's not necessarily true.

The reason is that the brain has a strong self - adaptation ability. On one hand, when we need to highly concentrate, it blocks the internal signals from the body, so we don't feel "sleepy."

On the other hand, if you've been sleep - deprived for a long time, the brain will assume that this is your normal state. Then, it will lower the body's power to save energy during the waking hours of the day.

Externally, this is manifested as having no obvious sleepiness but always being listless and lacking energy.

So, how can you tell if you're sleep - deprived? Here are three simple and effective methods.

1. For normal, good sleep, you actually don't need an alarm clock. For example, if you want to wake up at 8 a.m. every day, the ideal situation is that you can wake up naturally between 7:40 and 8 a.m. without setting an alarm and feel refreshed. This indicates good sleep.

However, if you need an alarm to wake you up, and you always oversleep when you don't set one, it might mean that your sleep is insufficient, and you're just forcing yourself to wake up.

2. During the day, find a quiet, undisturbed place, lie down relaxed (or recline on a chair or sofa) for 15 minutes, and let your brain switch from the "alert mode" to the "natural mode." If you accidentally fall asleep or feel drowsy, it's likely that you're sleep - deprived.
3. If you've ever had the feeling of suddenly "crashing" in life, like your brain seemed to stop working, for example, suddenly having a hard time thinking, forgetting what you were just doing, or having a "blackout" feeling... This might also be a sign of sleep deprivation, and you need to take your sleep schedule seriously.

If you meet any of the above conditions, please definitely adjust your sleep.

An immediate way is to avoid using your phone or computer within an hour before bedtime. Otherwise, your brain will stay excited, and it'll be hard to feel sleepy. You can do some relaxing things, like reading a book, practicing calligraphy, or listening to music, to relax yourself and ensure easier sleep.

2. Develop the Habit of Exercising Anytime

I've mentioned in many articles that exercise is the only way to increase your energy ceiling. I won't repeat what I've said before. Today, I'll share a very useful tip.

Many people might think that exercise is very troublesome and strenuous, but that's not the case. A simple and straightforward conclusion is that as long as you move, even if it's for a short time and at a low intensity, it's beneficial.

Why? In daily life, we often sit for several hours, which is extremely harmful to our health. Many studies have found that sitting for a long time (about 1 - 1.5 hours or more) is the most significant daily bad habit that damages physical and mental health.

When we sit for a long time, there will be a slight lack of oxygen in a small brain area. Although this phenomenon is subtle, over time, it will almost certainly damage the connections between neurons and affect the brain's ability to regulate and coordinate different brain areas. That's why people who sit for a long time often feel dizzy and lack energy.

As long as you stand up and move, no matter what you do, even if it's just going to get a glass of water, you break the long - sitting state and prevent the brain from further damage.

So, if you have no exercise foundation at all, you might as well develop the habit of getting up and moving around in daily life and try to "constantly switch states" to avoid sitting for a long time.

This is called "dispersed exercise" in academia. How long does a dispersed exercise need to be effective? The answer is: one minute.

That is to say, you don't have to do formal, large - scale exercise. Instead, you can intersperse several minutes of dispersed exercise throughout your daily life, which can also play a good role in increasing your energy ceiling and maintaining brain activity.

If you really don't have the conditions to get up and move, you can also refer to the "soleus muscle push - up" I shared before to minimize the harm of sitting for a long time.

Of course, if you want to significantly increase your energy, you still need higher - intensity exercise. Personally, I recommend 2 - 3 times a week of moderate - intensity exercise, such as running, swimming, cycling... which are more cost - effective.

If you have a certain foundation, then medium - to high - intensity ball games, such as badminton, table tennis, tennis, football... are also great and more efficient.

3. Adjust the Brain's Circadian Rhythm

Some night owls like me might have this experience: being listless and lacking energy during the day, but full of energy at night and not wanting to sleep at all.

This state actually means that our circadian rhythm is disrupted, and the brain has lost the ability to normally judge the day - night cycle.

If you like to work at night, it's okay, but I personally don't particularly recommend it. On one hand, it will cause a "social jet lag" and reduce our focus and executive ability during the day. On the other hand, this state can easily make you overly excited at night, which affects your sleep and, in turn, disrupts our entire life rhythm.

So, if you're in this situation, I recommend that you adjust your rhythm back.

How to adjust it? The most crucial factor is light.

The brain's circadian rhythm is judged by light. When the eyes receive high - intensity, bluish light, the brain will think it's daytime and enter an excited state. Conversely, when it receives low - intensity, yellowish light, the brain will think it's night and start to lower our power to prepare for rest...

Therefore, a simple and straightforward suggestion is to let your eyes receive natural light (that is, sunlight) as much as possible during the day to help the brain better "correct" the rhythm.

For example: Open the curtains as soon as you get up in the morning, wash up and have breakfast in the sunlight. Try to avoid staying in the vehicle the whole time during your commute. Leave some time to walk and soak up the sun. If possible, try to work in a place where you can get sunlight instead of hiding in a cubicle. During your lunch break, try to take some time to go for a walk and receive more sunlight...

(Of course, when you're in the sun, you also need to pay attention to sun protection. The neurons that sense sunlight are mainly in the eyes, and you don't need to expose your skin to the sun.)

Similarly, at night, try to use warm - colored lights and point - source lights more.

For example: Adjust the color temperature of your phone and computer to be warmer. Turn on more warm - colored table lamps and fewer ceiling lights. Try not to use your phone for a period before bedtime to avoid blue - light stimulation...

In this way, on one hand, it can create a warm and comfortable atmosphere, and on the other hand, it can regulate the circadian rhythm and make it easier for the brain to enter the rest state.

4. Relieve the Pressure in the Brain's Background

Many times, what affects our energy state is not only physical factors but also psychological factors.

Why? I've mentioned in a previous article that neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett put forward a very incisive view. She believes that the most fundamental function of the brain is to manage our body budget.

What is the body budget? It includes all the resources we have and all the actions we can take, such as our experience, ability, knowledge, skills, physical fitness, psychological state... and so on.

That is to say, what we call "energy" is actually just a parameter given by the brain after comprehensively considering our various qualities and abilities, symbolizing "the resources we can mobilize." When we feel low on energy, it's very likely that the brain thinks we're overloaded and have no extra resources to handle other things.

Why does the brain think we're overloaded? An important factor here is stress.

When we're troubled by some problems and keep thinking about and weighing them over and over again, they will pile up in the background and form chronic stress. Over time, the brain has to allocate a large part of its resources to deal with this chronic stress, so the remaining resources we can use are naturally in short supply.

Therefore, a very useful way to increase energy is to deal with the problems that are weighing on our minds and prevent them from turning into stress.

When you're worried about a problem, you can try these methods, which might help you relieve the stress:

1. Write down these worries, list their possible consequences, and the likelihood of them occurring.
2. Ask yourself item by item: Is the probability of this thing happening high? If not, don't worry about it. If it is, then list all the actions you can take for this thing.
3. Arrange these actions in your schedule or task list and set aside time to do them. After completing each action, go back to this "worry list" and add your actions to it so that you can feel more confident.
4. Put yourself in someone else's shoes: If your best friend came to you to talk about these worries, what would you say to them? Add what you want to say.
5. Tell yourself: These threats are actually challenges, opportunities for me to gain experience and show my abilities, and also opportunities to make life more exciting.

5. Create Rewards and Expectations for the Future

As mentioned above, our energy can actually be regarded as the brain's budget management of resources. The more stress we face, the fewer resources we can mobilize, and relatively, the less energy we have. Conversely, the more resources we can mobilize, the more energetic and vigorous we will be.

So, sometimes, getting some rewards can actually improve our energy state.

Take a simple example: Many people might have experienced that after a long and tiring day at work, when you get home, you don't want to do anything and just want to rest. But then, suddenly, you receive good news - like getting a bonus out of the blue, getting an opportunity you've been waiting for, or having the results of your hard work win an award... and so on.

Suddenly, you become extremely energetic, all your fatigue disappears, you feel full of ambition, and you have the strength to do anything. Your state becomes extremely high.

Why is this so? The reason is that an unexpected reward suddenly injects a large amount of energy into the brain, making it feel safe, abundant, and competent again. Therefore, the brain feels that it can mobilize more and more abundant resources, thus increasing our power.

So, a simple and effective way to boost your energy is to create more expectations and rewards in life.

First, find a time when you won't be disturbed and quietly ask yourself: What things can make me happy? What do I really want to get? If I have some worry - free time and enough money right now, what do I most want to do?

It could be buying a product, participating in an activity, learning a new field, going to a place you want to go, meeting someone you want to see... and so on.

Then, arrange them on the calendar as rewards for yourself. It's best to set a relatively long - term deadline, preferably within a week to a few months.

You might as well make an annual calendar. When you want something, arrange it for a specific day and gradually fill up this calendar.

When you're tired or under pressure, take out the calendar and look at it, and let yourself imagine the beautiful future.

This can not only help you better fight against stress but also provide you with a continuous supply of energy.

6. Pay Attention to Your Diet

Finally, let's talk about a rather detailed and concrete point: diet.

1. Consume Sufficient Vitamins and Minerals

Recently, I read a 2020 literature review that looked back at many previous biochemical studies. It found that B - group vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B8, B9, and B12), vitamin C, iron, magnesium, and zinc all play important roles in providing cellular energy, transporting oxygen, and regulating brain function. If you don't consume enough of them, it might lead to insufficient energy and fatigue.

(Title of the literature: Vitamins and Minerals for Energy, Fatigue and Cognition: A Narrative Review of the Biochemical and Clinical Evidence)

So, as the saying goes, pay attention to a balanced diet in your daily life. Try to make your diet diverse and avoid eating the same foods for a long time to prevent malnutrition.

You can refer to the "Dietary Guidelines for Residents" to make your diet more comprehensive and rich.

2. Consume an Appropriate Amount of Protein

Two neurotransmitters that are crucial for the brain are both made from amino acids.

One is dopamine. It can provide us with motivation and also help us make better decisions. If you're lacking dopamine, you'll easily feel listless and have no interest in anything, let alone work well.

The other is serotonin. It can regulate our emotions and make us feel more comfortable, relaxed, and happy. If you're lacking serotonin, you'll easily feel anxious, depressed, and unable to concentrate.

The raw material for dopamine is tyrosine, and the raw material for serotonin is tryptophan. Consuming enough protein helps increase the secretion of these two neurotransmitters, allowing the body to function in a better state.

However, be careful not to consume too much protein at the expense of carbohydrates and fats. Nutrition should be comprehensive, and a lack of any one is not good.

So, if your daily diet is mainly based on carbohydrates, you might as well add some protein to achieve a balance. This can provide the brain with more sufficient power.

3. Avoid Pro - Inflammatory Foods

Some foods, if consumed in excess, might cause chronic inflammation in the body. These foods are called pro - inflammatory foods.

Once there is inflammation in the body, the brain will immediately detect it. Although we can hardly perceive it, it will affect the brain's prediction and budget control of the body. In short, the brain needs to allocate more resources to suppress and eliminate the inflammation, so the resources available to us will decrease, which leads to a decline in energy.

At the same time, when inflammation occurs in the body, the operation of various organs and the overall coordination ability of the brain will be affected, which further reduces our energy.

So, which foods are pro - inflammatory foods? Avoid highly spicy, salty, and oily foods, such as barbecue and fried foods as much as possible. Eat less foods with added sugar, such as sugary drinks, cakes, and desserts. Excessive amounts of red meat (pork, beef, and mutton) can also aggravate inflammation. You can replace some of it with white meat (chicken, duck, and goose) and fish. Eat less highly processed foods, such as smoked meat, grilled meat, ham, and sausage.

I hope today's article can be of some help to you.

I also hope that every friend can be more energetic and better engaged in life.