What Lifestyle Changes Can Make You Feel More Energized And Youthful

As people get older there are often noticeable external changes such as aging skin, greying hair and weight gain or loss, these are usually directly linked to how you feel internally and mentally. Many people have experienced exhaustion and fatigue at some point in their lives, which can have negative impacts on someone’s appearance as well as their ability to perform tasks at home and work.

Although it is normal for your body to age and stamina to decrease over time if you don’t take care of your body then you are more likely to feel tired or unmotivated. Fortunately, there are several lifestyle changes you can make such as sleeping more, altering your diet, cutting out sugars and exercising daily.

For anyone looking to increase their energy levels and become more youthful in appearance and attitude, here are some simple lifestyle changes anyone can make.

Get Enough Sleep

It is common knowledge that getting enough sleep is very important to leading a happy, healthy, and productive life. To get a good night’s sleep you may want to ask yourself What time should I go to bed? and ‘When do I need to wake up?’ so that you can ensure you are getting the recommended 8 hours of sleep per night. Getting enough sleep helps your body and mind to maintain good levels of attention, concentration, energy and memory throughout the day.

The other benefits of sleeping well are better regulation of weight, decreasing the chance of getting sick, less stress, better moods and reducing the risk of experiencing serious health issues such as diabetes, strokes and heart conditions.

The best way to get enough sleep is to get into a routine of going to bed at the same time every night and waking up at the same time each morning. To avoid feeling too awake at night, naps during the day shouldn’t be after 3 pm and should only brief at around 20-30 minutes.

Other factors can also affect sleep leading to shortened and fragmented sleeping patterns; these include alcohol, caffeine and nicotine.

There are some lifestyle changes you can make to help you sleep better including eating more fruit and vegetables and getting regular exercise.

When going to bed at night you should try to minimize the noise in your house and lower or turn off lights to induce sleep faster, so turning off TVs and smartphones is recommended.

Eat a Healthy Diet

A balanced and healthy diet becomes even more important as you get older as it provides your body with all the fuel and nutrients it needs to give you plenty of energy, a better complexion and protection against chronic pains and diseases.

You can make your diet healthier in several ways including:

  • Adding sources of vitamin C such as broccoli, blackcurrants, limes, oranges, peppers and strawberries.
  • Eating calcium-rich foods like yoghurt and nuts.
  • Omega 3 fatty acids found in oily fish
  • Avoiding heavy lunches full of fat, salt, starch and sugar.
  • Cutting sugar from your diet by excluding things like candy, chocolate and sodas.

Take Supplements

As well as eating a healthy diet and having a good night’s sleep, your appearance, energy and mood can also be given an extra boost by taking certain health supplements. The two types of supplements that can help to increase energy levels are:

  • Commonly used and well-known minerals and vitamins used to treat usual deficiencies.
  • Nootropic supplements, designed specifically to boost energy levels and improve mental and physical performance.  

Mineral and vitamin deficiencies often cause people to feel exhausted and lethargic, some common deficiencies people experience are due to a lack of magnesium, melatonin, iron and vitamin D and B-12. Not all supplements work for everyone and the supplements someone takes are specific to their condition so it is worth reading into the individual effects of each supplement.

Exercise Regularly

The amount and intensity of exercise you choose will depend on your natural body type and how you would like it to look. Some people simply go jogging a few times a week to keep a reasonably slim shape whilst others do weights to work on muscle mass and tone.

Frequent light or intense workouts have big impacts on your health including a better complexion, improved stamina and stronger muscles. Exercising daily will help maintain good circulation and a healthy heart.

Experience New Things

Although people love the comfort of their own homes, staying inside for too long or doing the same old routine can lead to feelings of boredom and depression. Poor mental health has knock-on effects on physical health such as increased fatigue and faster ageing.

A good way to boost your mental health is by experiencing new things whether that be visiting another city, going on holiday or taking a walk at the beach. A change in scenery helps to refresh the mind and promote better health.

Other ways people maintain good mental and physical health when getting older are having a variety of hobbies and interests, getting a pet, taking classes and joining clubs.

Meditate

Stress has many side effects including poor sleep, an increased heart rate, decreased concentration and lower energy levels. One way of naturally treating stress is through meditation, which is widely accepted to soothe the mind thus improving your energy and mood. Here are a few tips to get into meditation if you haven’t tried it before:

  • Reserve at least 20 minutes of your day to meditate somewhere quiet
  • Don’t meditate after drinking coffee, soda or tea
  • Try some light exercise and stretching before meditation

Have a Good Social Life

Staying social whilst aging is also key to feeling and looking more youthful. There are many health issues related to loneliness and social isolation which include cognitive decline, depression, high blood pressure, increased risk of heart disease and obesity. However, these can be offset by maintaining an active social life made up of regular contact with family and friends, going to social gatherings and meeting new people.

Unfortunately, youth does not last forever and over time everyone will feel and show signs of aging, and common symptoms people experience are fatigue and looking worn out. However, you can dramatically improve your energy levels and health by making some simple lifestyle changes.