What Your Energy Levels Are Telling You

Feeling tired lately?

Me too.

We are not alone. Yesterday I polled my Instagram community and 93% of those polled said they have been feeling more exhausted lately.

What is going on?

Before I jump into what your energy levels may be telling you, I want to stress that if you are concerned about changes in your energy, it is always a good idea to see your health care provider. Depletion of energy could be the result of a variety of health conditions such as heart disease, allergies, vitamin deficiency, thyroid and hormone imbalances, pregnancy, sleep disorders and more. It is always a good idea to get a wellness check if something with your health has changed.

If you have seen your doctor recently and are sure it is not related to a health condition, it is time to look more closely at the four pillars of energy. Before I discuss each pillar, I think it is also worth noting the normalcy of fall sluggishness.

Why do we feel more tired at the beginning of fall?

There are quite a few reasons we tend to feel more tired at the beginning of fall versus any other seasonal shift. One is due to the change in weather. As the weather begins to cool off, our bodies are trying to maintain homeostasis and adjust to the temperature changes. Similar to hot days, cool days also take time for the body to adjust and thermoregulate which can leave us feeling more tired. In addition, there is less sunlight. The shorter days impact our energy levels. When possible, try and get outside first thing in the morning. Morning sunlight helps us wake up; in addition, it helps us stay energized throughout the day.

Morning Sun:

• Is critical in syncing our circadian rhythms so we sleep better at night.

• Improves our energy as it directly powers our mitochondria (increases number and function) which are responsible for our energy levels.

• Can reduce anxiety and calm the mind.

• Is essential for not only creating vitamin D but also other hormones like dopamine (reward chemical) and serotonin (mood stabilizer).

• May support inflammation by increasing blood flow and the body's antioxidant defenses.

• Can counteract the effects of blue light.

Want to learn more about morning sun? A neuroscientist, Dr. Andrew Huberman with Huberman Labs has done some fascinating research on this.

Another reason for fall sluggishness is the autumn changes in diet. As the temperature drops, we tend to crave more warm, comforting foods like pastas, breads, and baked goods. The extra carbohydrates and sugar can make us feel drowsy. In addition, we may not be getting as much physical activity as we were in the summertime.

So, what can we do about all of this? Let’s look more closely at how energy is produced, what impacts our energy and how we can naturally support ourselves through the four pillars of energy.

First Pillar of Energy: SLEEP

I will admit, I used to be a nap addict. I needed a nap to get through my day. I craved that nap. But…. I was also a terrible sleeper at nighttime. Coincidence? Not so much. Once I looked into my sleep habits, I noticed my energy levels greatly improved and I no longer needed a daily nap.

Naps aren’t always bad and can be beneficial for you. However, if you feel you need them regularly or they are impacting your nightly sleep, then it’s time to evaluate them. Most mammals are polyphasic sleepers meaning that they sleep short periods of time during the day and also sleep at night. Humans, however, are a rare mammal that has a distinct sleeping period and are monophasic sleepers. While naps are necessary for young children and elderly, for the majority of people, we shouldn’t need a daily nap unless something is going on. If you feel you need a nap to recharge, that’s ok! But it all comes down to the timing and duration.

• Don’t nap too late in the day. It could negatively impact your sleep.

• Don’t nap too long. It can cause sleep inertia which impairs cognitive and sensory-motor performance. You may wake up feeling groggy and worse than you did before the nap.

The NASA Ames Fatigue Countermeasures Group did a cool study on sleep loss and conducted nap training to counter the effects with astronauts and pilots. Their research found that there is a sweet spot at 25.8 minutes. The “NASA nap” aka “the 26-minute nap” was found to increase performance by 34% and alertness by 100%. Longer than 26 minutes negatively impacted the participants performance, memory and cognition.

Speaking of sleep…

It seems obvious but the amount of sleep we get can positively and negatively impact our energy levels. Harvard Health and the National Sleep Foundation both recommend that adults get an average of 7-9 hours of sleep every night. As sleep debt increases, so do the health consequences. Harvard Health states that if you miss that amount of sleep a night, you should repay that sleep debt over the timespan of one week. After 30 days, that sleep debt is considered a loss.

What is the science of sleep?

Our ability to fall asleep and stay asleep largely revolves around our circadian rhythm. Circa meaning “circle” and dia meaning day. Circadian rhythms are physical, mental, and behavioral changes that follow a 24-hour cycle.

Our circadian rhythm is greatly impacted by melatonin. Melatonin, which is also known as the “hormone of darkness” is converted from serotonin. Serotonin is often referred to as the “happy hormone.” Melatonin is mostly produced in our gut but can also be found in several other areas within the body, more specifically the brain. The body metabolizes tryptophan and with the help of B6 converts it to serotonin. Our pineal gland in our brain starts to convert serotonin to melatonin around 5-7pm at night and we start to slow down and feel sleepier. (This time can vary slightly depending on daylight savings and our own individual circadian rhythm).

One of the best ways to help regulate the circadian rhythm is to get outside first thing in the morning to expose ourselves to natural sunlight. When eyes receive light from the sun, the pineal gland’s production of melatonin is inhibited, and the hormones produced help keep us awake. When our eyes don’t receive light, melatonin is produced by the pineal gland, and we feel sleepy. This is why it is important for those who work night shift or who live in areas with longer daylight hours such as Alaska to use black out curtains.

The importance of bedtime routines

Like any other routine, bedtime routines establish habits that help our brains to recognize when it’s time to sleep. By performing the same activities in the same order every night, your brain comes to see those activities as a precursor to sleep. Bedtime routines also play an important role in reducing late night stress and anxiety.

A bedtime routine is a set of activities you perform in the same order, every night, in the 30-60 minutes before you got to bed.

Bedtime routine tips:

• Decide on a set bedtime. Next begin your bedtime routine 30-60 minutes before bedtime

• Leave the electronics! TV shows and scrolling the internet or social media do not help you relax. In addition, they emit strong blue light which tricks your brain to thinking it is daytime and can suppress melatonin production. Our circadian rhythm is extremely important so say goodnight to your electronics at the beginning of your bedtime routine. (Read a book instead to unwind or listen to a meditation!)

• Take a warm bath. As part of the circadian rhythm, when melatonin is produced, your core body temperature drops. Mimicking that nighttime drop in body temperature by a warm bath/shower can trigger a similar sleepy reaction.

• Write down a to-do list for the following day to help release worries and busy thoughts.

• Prep your bedroom. Make your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet. Set thermostat to 61-70 degrees. Dim the lights.

• Utilize aromatherapy to help calm your mind and body to prepare for rest. Spray a sleepy linen spray or add a drop of lavender to your pillow. Start the diffuser 30 minutes before bedtime to soak up those sleepy aromas when you crawl into bed.

• Listen to music. Calming music can improve sleep quality and white noise may help you fall asleep faster.

• Stretch, breathe, and relax to let go of physical and mental tension.

• Nightly meditation can help clear your mind and let you unwind before sleep.

• Reading is a great addition to a bedtime routine to help relax the mind and body.

Aromatherapy for sleep support

Essential oils can also be helpful for enhancing sleep quality and supporting the body to increase time spent in deep, slow-wave sleep. In a blinded pilot study conducted in 2021, participants were exposed to lavender essential oil diffused intermittently after they were already asleep. This blinded approach eliminated psychological expectation. All participants reported better sleep quality and more daytime vigor. EEG analysis showed increased delta activity (slow-wave sleep) upon aroma release. These results suggest that the improved sleep quality is directly linked to aroma. Want to know more about how to incorporate essential oils into your bedtime routine? Get my free Aromatherapy Sleep Guide here.

There has been an incredible amount of data showing that essential oils can be helpful for stress relief, allowing us to relax and unwind thus supporting sleep. If the mind is relaxed, the body can then relax. When we are relaxed, the body will naturally produce melatonin. When we are stressed, we have a more difficult time sleeping because the body releases adrenaline, cortisol and serotonin which are all wakeful hormones. It can be helpful to utilize aromatherapy right before bedtime to help make sleep a priority. Sleep is important for not only our energy levels but also our moods and emotional health, hormone regulation, immune system function, and cell regeneration.

Sleep is the gold chain which ties the body to health.

Second Pillar of Energy: FUEL

The second pillar of energy is what we fuel our bodies with. What we drink and what we eat. Again, this may seem obvious, but most people are so busy in life, they don’t pay attention to what they are ingesting (or not ingesting). How we fuel our bodies impacts our energy levels throughout the day.

One of the easiest, simplest and most effective things you can do to help your energy level is to drink a large glass of water first thing in the morning. (Drink this before your cup of coffee, before you shower and get ready for the day.) Often times we wake up mildly dehydrated. That can impact moods creating more anxiety, cause more tension, and make us feel more fatigued. Drinking a large glass of water every morning can improve our emotional and physical health. Proper hydration plays a role in our energy levels, moods, skin health, immune system function, gut health, sleep and more! Besides just a morning glass of water, aim to hydrate all day by drinking half your body weight in ounces of water in a 24-hour period. (For example, if you weigh 200 pounds, aim for drinking 100oz of water a day). **Note: If you are on a fluid restriction per your doctor based upon a medical condition, do not drink this much water.

Another major contributor in our energy level is the food we consume. If you are skipping meals and fasting it can deplete energy. Feeling tired, shaky, and irritable can all result from low blood sugar so it’s important not to skip meals.

Another question to ask yourself is, “What kinds of foods am I consuming?”

Eating a well-balanced meal is crucial for energy. Diets rich in antioxidants such as vitamins A, C and E can support a healthy immune response and nervous system function. When we fuel our body with antioxidant rich foods, we allow the body to be more equipped to fight illness, stress, and aging, all of which deplete energy.

The amount of antioxidants in your body is directly proportional to how long you will live.

-Dr. Richard Cutler, former Director of the National Institute of Aging.

Have you ever heard of blue zones? Blue zones are regions in the world where it has been shown that people have the longest life expectancy. What researchers have found is that people in these areas consume diets high in antioxidants.

What exactly are antioxidants anyways?

Antioxidants are foods, nutrients and supplements that we fuel our body with to fight free radicals. Examples of foods high in antioxidants: berries, nuts, beans, leafy green vegetables. Antioxidants nurture and protect our cells; they repel disease and promote good health. By being intentional about what we consume and surround ourselves with daily, we can help our body thrive which as a result makes us feel our best.

An easy way to eat healthier is to make half your plate veggies at a meal. Vegetables are packed in essential vitamins and minerals. They are also rich in fiber which helps aid in digestion. Aim to eat a rainbow of foods each meal and focus on whole food ingredients.

Tip: While grocery shopping, shop the perimeter or outer edges of the store. Unfortunately, most grocery stores are not designed to encourage healthy eating. The center of grocery stores typically contain more processed foods whereas the outer edges allow you to make healthier choices with fresh fruits, veggies, proteins, and perishables. Choose foods high in antioxidants. Another easy way to do this is to make a smoothie every day!

Third Pillar of Energy: HORMONES

Hormones can dramatically impact our energy levels and how we overall feel. Hormones are chemical messengers that send signals back and forth throughout the body through our endocrine system. The endocrine system is made up of different glands throughout the body that release different hormones depending on what the body needs at that particular time. They work together so the body has what it needs in order to function. For example, the hypothalamus makes dopamine and oxytocin, the pineal gland makes melatonin, the thyroid makes thyroxine, the adrenals release cortisol and adrenaline, the ovaries release estrogen, progesterone and testosterone.

It is normal to have energy depletion with fluctuations of hormones. If you feel tired around the beginning of your monthly cycle, that is normal! Hormones go hand in hand with our energy levels. There are so many examples of these shifts and how they impact energy: pregnancy, menopause, when on fertility medications, when starting or ending birth control, when starting new thyroid medication or adjusting the dose of medication.

For women, the daily slight fluctuations in hormones that occur due to our monthly cycles can impact our energy levels. To learn more about this topic, watch my FREE Mindful Menstruation webinar here.

Fourth Pillar of Energy: STRESS

Stress is one of the main contributors in energy depletion. Unfortunately, most of us brush stress off until stress forces us to listen which can impact our bodies negatively as health conditions arise.

When we are stressed, we generally have a harder time sleeping. Our body’s reaction to stress is directly related to our adrenal glands. Our adrenal glands play a huge physiological role within the body. They are located on top of the kidneys and are in charge of producing and regulating hormones. Their role is to regulate and produce hormones within the body. They are made up of two parts: the outer and inner layer.

The outer layer is called the adrenal cortex. It is in charge of producing cortisol and regulating metabolism. Metabolism plays a huge role in how we feel and our energy levels. Cortisol also plays a role in this. Most people know that cortisol is a “stress hormone.” It is also a wakeful hormone. It is one of the reasons it is so difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep when stressed.

The inner layer is the adrenal medulla. It produces epinephrine (adrenaline) which helps our body react to stress. It gives us a burst of energy. It plays an important role in the fight or flight response (our stress response). The stress response exists so we can fight or flight from a threat. For most of us, we can’t just run away from our stressors, so we have to find a way to help cope with stress on a REGULAR basis.

One of the most beneficial ways to help cope with stress is to exercise regularly. Those who exercise regularly are more emotionally resilient and able to cope with stress better than those who don't. Leading a sedentary life can have negative effects on our emotional health, physical health and immune system health. Our bodies are designed to move. They reward us by releasing endorphins which make us feel good and boost our mood. Even a 10-minute walk, a dance party in the kitchen, a game of tag with the kids or dog can be beneficial. We then feel physically and emotionally better, and our energy is improved.

What happens when you have stress overload?

Say you are in a stressful job for 6 months and haven’t taken time to deal with your stress. Our bodies are constantly trying to help us. They are constantly trying to regain homeostasis. You are at this stressful job and your body is constantly trying to help you “fight or flight” and sends signals to your adrenal glands to release those hormones. Eventually your adrenal glands can’ t keep up with the demand. They either stop releasing hormones, release at the wrong time, or release too much or too little. This leads to adrenal gland burnout. This is actually where the word “burnout” comes from. (*Note: Adrenal gland burnout or allostatic overload is not the same as adrenal imbalances like Cushings Disease, Addison’s Disease and adrenal insufficiency.) This is why it is so important to engage in daily activities that relieve stress even when we don’t “feel stressed.”

Ever heard of the stress cycle?

We are stressed ➡️our cortisol increases ➡️ we can’t sleep ➡️we then wake up not feeling rested ➡️we then have more mood swings and our anxiety increases➡️we are more reactive to stressors ➡️ more cortisol is released ➡️we can’t sleep again.

See this cycle?

Start at the top! Address the stress on a regular basis.

While some stress can be positive for our body, long lasting stress can negatively influence so many systems within our body.

“Stress is not what happens to use in life but how we respond to what happens to us in life.”

Become more aware of your stress triggers and seek ways to limit or avoid them. On stressful days or seasons, intentionally engage in self-care such as exercising, using essential oils, taking baths, reading, meditating etc. While it is important to know our stress triggers, it is just as important to know our happiness triggers. What makes you happy? Lean on those triggers during seasons of stress. And remember, our mental health is just as important as our physical health! To learn more about breaking the stress response and how to utilize essential oils for stress, listen to this podcast I did with Whimsy and Wellness. While we are at it, here are my favorite 3 Stress Less Ways to start my day!

So now that you know the 4 pillars of energy: Sleep, Fuel, Hormones and Stress, can you find areas in which you can improve? Even small changes are still a change and can make a big difference!

Disclaimer: This blog is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice. The use of information on this blog or materials linked from this blog is at the user's own risk. The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard, or delay in obtaining, medical advice for any medical condition they may have, and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions.