7 Tips to Boost Your Energy – Naturally

People are more tired than ever before. Recent studies show that fatigue and low energy affect nearly 50% of adults. I dove deep into the evidence, seeing what actually causes a measurable difference in energy that isn’t crystals or 17 coffees.

In this video, I’ll give you 7 tips that completely transformed my daily energy. Each one is based on scientific evidence and no tip is drinking more coffee, energy drinks, or anything like that. Just the good stuff. All natchy.

If you don’t know me, my name is Zach, and I was an Internal Medicine Doctor but am now a Life-sciences consultant in NYC. I remember using many of these fixes to transform my ability to study for extended periods of time and stay focused all day while in medical school. Before using them, I remember drinking way too much coffee, not getting enough sleep, and feeling stressed all day. These are the exact fixes that changed me from getting 3 hours of good work a day done to 12 hours of work a day, and, more importantly, feeling much better).

Two quick caveats before we get into the actionable things you can do today to improve your energy:

• Firstly, biggest and longest lasting fix is proper sleep, purposeful social relationships, proper maintenance of your health conditions, and exercise. Nothing replaces these fundamentals.
• Secondly, you may actually have good energy but you simply have too much on your plate or are doing too many things that drain your energy.

Ok, but, here are the things I’ve started doing that have made the most noticeable difference. Based on the evidence.

1. Adjust Your Thermostat

Room temperature dramatically affects cognitive performance and energy levels with interesting sex differences. For example one study that ranged temperature between 60 and 75 degrees among 200+ women and had them take a math test showed there performance dropped about 1% for every 1°F below 75°F! So at 60°F the women scored about 15% lower, just from temperature changes!¹

They physiological explanation here is that when your body works tirelessly to keep your body at a perfect temperature so all your cells and chemical reactions can operate optimally, when you are too cold, your body expends energy to shiver or constrict blood flow to bring your temp up. When you are too hot your body has to sweat, pump the heart faster to expose more blood to the skin to vent heat and bring your temp down. These things take large amounts of energy and can drain you in a couple of hours! Just try sitting in a sauna for over 30 minutes, or in an ice bath for more than 10, it’s tough!

Men, compared to women, struggle more with higher temperatures (75°F and up) showing about a 0.5% degree score change for every 1°F above their optimal temperature in the 60s.

And once you go below 60°F or above the mid 80s°F? Both sexes performance suffer dramatically.

Bottom line: Males do better a little bit colder, females a little bit warmer, with the median optimal temperature being around 71°F. However, this could mean a 10% score difference depending on where your optimal point is. To test this, set your thermostat at 62°F and have a separate temp sensor somewhere, and at the same time every day, take a typing test (typing.com). Then, every day, increase the temperature by 2°F until you find your highest WPM and accuracy. My optimal temp is around 66°F, I run hot!

2. Use the 20-20-20 rule for Eye Strain

Screens affect us in so many ways that we don’t realize. The biggest one I didn’t understand was digital eye strain. When I stare at this artificial screen for so long it can cause things like headaches, tired eyes, and neck strain, just from my eyes being tired.^2,3

The little muscles in my eyes get tired, which can cause headaches, I blink less, which can cause grittiness and burning in the eyes, and screens might be too high, too low, or too close, causing me to strain our neck or shoulders to acomodate my eyes. The physical load of awkward eye positions or body position drains physical energy, and, more significantly, the discomfort from all of these things when you are trying to focus makes your brain expend extra mental energy to actively ignore these discomfort signals and focus on the task at hand leading to cognitive fatigue.

Bottom line: The 20-20-20 rule can help this by every 20 minutes, you look at something 20 feet away, for 20 seconds. This relaxes the muscles in your eyes, allows for some blinking, and can help prevent this fatigue. Proper screen height (top of screen at eye level), and distance (arms length) help too.

3. Wake Up With Bright Light, Exercise, and Friends/Family

THIS IS THE BIGGEST ENERGY IMPROVING TIP THERE IS, SERIOUSLY, morning exercise + sunlight + friends + nature is magic.

Nature exposure, exercise, and quality social connections show strongest evidence for boosting subjective energy in healthy adults, while popular interventions like Wim Hof breathing, B-vitamin supplements, and cold showers for immediate alertness lack supporting evidence despite widespread claims. Not saying those things won’t help, but there seems to be a consensus in the literature for these as the winners.^4-6

Moderate-intensity combined aerobic and resistance training (45-60 min, 3-4x/week for ≥12 weeks) produces robust energy increases (g=0.415-0.537) through mitochondrial biogenesis, with resistance training surprisingly outperforming aerobic exercise alone and morning timing optimizing daily energy levels.

Light exposure interventions demonstrate clinically meaningful effects on energy and alertness in healthy adults, with bright light therapy (10,000 lux for 30 minutes) showing small to medium effect sizes (SMD=-0.28 to -0.34) for subjective and objective alertness, morning sunlight reducing afternoon slumps and improving sleep by 32 minutes, and seasonal light therapy producing large effects (0.84) for winter fatigue comparable to antidepressants.

These fancy words mean that it seems exercising 250+ minutes a week (lifting AND cardio), having 200+ minutes in nature a week, being with friends or family for at least 30 minutes a day, and having bright light in our eyes for at least 30 minutes in the morning can cause tectonic shifts in subjective energy.

Bottom line: The absolute best would be a sunlit nature hike, lift, or run within 30 minutes of waking for at least 30 minutes with a friend. Now, I understand this isn’t possible, so a replacement would be trying to do at least 10-15 minutes of exercise as soon as you wake up and using a lux light therapy lamp of at least 10,000 lux for at least 10 minutes that’s no more than 2 feet from your eyes. I usually wake up and lift weights and then do some morning work with a light therapy lamp. But on the weekends I try to go for a 2-4 hour hike with friends in nature (it’s magic).

4. Eat Breakfast that Is Protein Rich and Low Sugar

Skipping breakfast causes significantly higher blood glucose spikes at lunch and increases overall 24-hour blood glucose levels, reducing energy throughout the day.^7,8 Eating a high-energy breakfast (versus a high-energy dinner) lowers all-day blood glucose and improves metabolic wellness.

Why glucose spikes are bad is that your body reacts to them by dumping insulin, which causes your cells to eat sugar like crazy (storing it for later), however, it takes a while for this signal to go down so they keep munching away even when your levels of glucose get low. Causing blood glucose to go too low, this is why so many people experience after lunch slumps.

Some other food and water tips:

• Eating dinner by 6 PM (versus 9 PM) significantly improves next-day glucose metabolism and reduces blood sugar fluctuations. Stop eating 3 hours before bed as this improves sleep as well.
• Mediterranean diet adherence shows 4%energy improvement in older women, while high glycemic load diets increase fatigue by 26-38%. Even mild dehydration (2% body mass loss) significantly impairs cognitive performance and mood.
• Obesity-related fatigue is primarily driven by metabolic and psychological factors rather than sleep disruptions, with insulin resistance impairing cellular energy production and metabolic syndrome doubling chronic fatigue risk (OR=2.12).

Action item: Eat breakfast within 2 hours of waking. Focus on protein (eggs, Greek yogurt, protein smoothie) and avoid high-sugar cereals or pastries. Stay hydrated throughout the day and aim for an optimal body weight. I know many people can’t stomach breakfast, if you can just manage one low-sugar high protein pre-packaged yogurt that would even be enough and can dramatically change your daily energy.

5. Go to sleep at the same time every night

I go to bed at same time every night (±15 min) – Sleep regularity is stronger predictor of mortality than duration, so regular 6-hour sleep outperforms interrupted 8-hour sleep. Consistent sleep times can reducing mortality risk by 20-48%.

Harvard Health, and sleep doctors, recommend something called sleep restriction to help people find their optimal time in bed especially when they fight with insomnia. To do this:

• Keep a sleep diary of when you get into bed, fall asleep, wake up, and get out of bed. Your sleep time is only when you actually fall asleep and wake up
• Keep your desired wake-up time but calculate your new bedtime by subtracting your average actual sleep time from your wake up time (so if you only sleep 7 hours but are in bed for 9 hours and wake up at 6 am, then you are only allowed to get into bed at 11 PM instead of 9 pm).
• Stick to this schedule rigorously, no naps. It will be difficult at first but eventually you will fall asleep as soon as you hit the bed.
• Now, likely, you will need more sleep than your restricted sleep time. To do this (and not blow up the work you just did) only go to bed 15-30 minutes earlier than your set time once a week. If you notice your sleep efficiency (time asleep/time in bed) go down then you’ve gone too far.

For me, I find it much easier to adjust my wake time and then I naturally get sleepier earlier. I also have an hour wind-down routine, keep my bedroom at about 65°F, have an Eight Sleep, have blackout curtains, and do nothing other than sex or sleep in bed. That means no reading and no phone. Classical conditioning is a powerful thing.

Action Item: Set a wake time and bed time, stick to it religiously even on weekends. If you struggle use sleep restriction. The goal is high quality sleep of 7-9 hours.

6. Have an Energy FIX Routine For The Daily Slump

Now, for me, this is around 2 PM, when I have the luxury of not having to work that much I’ll simply stop working and enjoy my life for the rest of the day. As this, for me, is a natural sign I am cognitively tired (I’ll usually start working at 6 AM). But, if I have to keep working, I have an energy routine.

The specifics of the routine aren’t that important, all though I will give you some evidence-based tips, the more important thing is that it’s a standard routine that you always do to gain energy. So, over time, you will classically condition yourself, and even placebo yourself, to work hard after your “Energy FIX routine.”

Here’s mine:

• Clean my apartment and work zone for 10 minutes (usually I’ve been staring at a screen or in the same place for a while and food and junk might have accumulated, and it makes it nice when I come back to work). I also lay out comfy clothes like sweatpants.
• Step outside for a 10-minute walk in nature with no phone (good evidence for nature and having a movement break^9,10)
• Take a cold shower for as long as I can handle it (5 mins usually, releases norepinephrine¹¹)
• Brew a hot chocolate or tea, put on comfy clothes, put on a higher energy work playlist, and set myself up for three to ten 25-minute Pomodoro sessions (usually 3).

This helps me get some “nice stuff” that rewards me for working. But, most importantly, because I think it works it works.

Also, a change of location can help. So I’ll sometimes head to a coffee shop or library in the morning or afternoon to break things up.

Bottom line: What’s an “energy” routine you can think of? Usually some form of movement, a nice drink or snack, and nature can help. Some evidence points to napping (though it doesn’t work for me), upbeat music, hydration, protein snacks, and bright light exposure.

7. Only water, less caffeine and alcohol

Caffeine reduces sleep quantity by about 10 minute per cup consumed the previous day, alcohol decreases subjective sleep quality by 3-4% per drink and objective REM sleep by 15-20%, and caffeine and alcohol increase your risk of dehydration. Even a 2% dehydration can increase the feeling of being tired by up to 20%. So, not only does over-indulging on these decrease your sleep, and therefore your energy, but many people also become subsequently dehydrated from these drugs (and they are drugs) leaving you in an energy blackhole.^12-15

Now, I’ve gone the whole of 2025 without alcohol and only drink 1 coffee a day at around 7 AM (90 minutes after I wake up at 5:30) and the change in energy is insane. Mainly, the alcohol difference has let me rescue my weekends. Sure an energy drink may give you a small boost in energy, and a nightcap or two might help you fall asleep more quickly, but what you are solving for (energy and sleep quality) are actually being harmed according to the evidence.

Bottom line: Try to only drink water, reduce or eliminate alcohol especially within 3 hours of bedtime, replace afternoon coffee with water or tea, and if you must have coffee choose decaf or limit it to the morning only.

Summary

1. Optimize Your Temperature (71°F median, test your personal sweet spot) A 10-15°F difference from your optimal temperature can drop cognitive performance by 10-15%. Test yours with daily typing tests at typing.com while adjusting your thermostat by 2°F increments.

2. Implement the 20-20-20 Rule Every 20 minutes of screen time, I look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Digital eye strain affects up to 97% of screen users and causes headaches, tired eyes, and cognitive fatigue from the brain actively working to ignore discomfort signals.

3. Morning Light + Exercise + Social Connection = Energy Magic This is the single most powerful intervention. Natural light exposure, particularly in the morning, has stronger evidence for improving energy than any supplement or biohack. 30+ minutes of outdoor exercise with friends within 30 minutes of waking. Minimum effective dose: 10-15 minutes of movement plus a 10,000 lux light therapy lamp. I aim for 250+ minutes of exercise weekly, 200+ minutes in nature weekly, and 30+ minutes daily with friends or family.

4. Front-Load Your Calories with Protein I eat a high-protein, low-sugar breakfast within 2 hours of waking. I make breakfast my biggest meal and stop eating 3 hours before bed. I also front-load the day with hydration (even 2% dehydration increases fatigue by 20%)

5. Sleep at the Same Time Every Night (±15 minutes) Sleep regularity predicts mortality better than duration. Consistent sleep timing is the foundation everything else builds on. I use sleep restriction if it’s needed: track actual sleep time, eliminate time in bed when not sleeping, and gradually expand my sleep window by 15-30 minutes weekly.

6. Create Your Personal Energy Routine Design a standardized routine for your daily slump (usually 2-3 PM). Mine includes: 10 minutes cleaning workspace, 10-minute outdoor walk (nature exposure again!), cold shower, hot chocolate/tea, comfy clothes, and upbeat music. The specifics matter less than consistency.

7. Hydration Over Stimulation Caffeine reduces sleep by ~10 minutes per cup, alcohol degrades sleep quality by 3-4% per drink and REM sleep by 15-20%. Both increase dehydration risk. I limit caffeine to morning only, don’t drink alcohol, and only drink still or sparkling water during the day (no soda).

Remember how I said I went from 3 hours of productive work to 12 hours while feeling better? Here’s the embarrassing part: I didn’t discover some secret. I just started doing what humans have done for 200,000 years.

I wake with light. I move my body. I go outside. I sleep at the same time. That’s it.

We’ve convinced ourselves that human energy is this complex optimization problem requiring 47 supplements and ice baths, when really we’re just trapped indoor animals in a small cage wondering why we’re tired.

The research seems clear to me: Light. Sleep. Exercise. Nature. Friends. Those five have stronger evidence than everything else combined (ignoring chronic or acute health conditions).

We aren’t broken or lazy. We are just biological organisms designed to be outside and moving in daylight with friends and family and we, unfortunately, don’t do it that much. Now, of course we’ve gained amazing things and inventions and luxuries from humanities advances, but why can’t we have both? Energy and those strange stuffed animals that people wear on their backpacks…

Start with one thing today. Touch grass. Set a bedtime alarm. Walk. That’s it.

Work Cited

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