Skip to content Skip to navigation

Five Things You Didn’t Know Were Making You Tired

Five Things You Didn’t Know Were Making You Tired

Are you constantly feeling tired or run-down at work or school? You may be getting enough sleep, but there are other factors that may be leading you to feel sluggish as the day goes on. These five factors may be causing you to feel fatigued, and by adjusting them, you may see changes in your performance and energy levels.

Having a cluttered desk

A cluttered desk is associated with a cluttered mind, which may be associated with mental exhaustion. The more objects you have in your visual field , like having a ton of stuff on your desk, the harder it is for your brain to filter them out and focus. The result? Your brain will end up tired.

Going too long without eating

Eating at consistent intervals every day (and not putting off lunch to meet a deadline or skipping afternoon snacks) sustains your energy levels and helps you get through the day feeling less tired. If it will keep your energy levels up, feel free to snack throughout the day on foods high in fats and protein to create long-lasting energy.

Skipping your morning workout

It turns out that skipping your morning workout to sleep more may actually cause you to be more tired in the long-run, so skipping the gym because you think you need an extra hour of shut-eye can actually backfire. Research by the University of Georgia discovered that working out moderately hard for 20 minutes helps boost energy (compared with sitting quietly), and an earlier study found that sedentary individuals felt energized after completing a regular exercise program.

Not eating enough iron

Your diet plays a big part in how you feel on a day-to-day basis, and an iron deficiency can make you feel sluggish, irritable, weak and unable to focus. Iron is vital to oxygen transportation to your muscles and cells. Boost your iron intake by chowing down on dark leafy greens, whole eggs, tofu, kidney beans, lean beef and nuts, and pair these iron rich foods with foods high in vitamin C, which improves iron absorption.

Sleeping too much

This might sound odd, but if you’re feeling sleep deprived, you might actually want to try sleeping less. It’s quality of sleep—not necessarily quantity—that matters. Sleeping too many hours in a night can prolong the amount of time it takes you to fall asleep and compromise restfulness.

 This article originally appeared in PureWow