Cut down on your caffeine. Caffeine, ironically, is one of the biggest causes of lethargy in our society.
Think of high doses of caffeine(>50mg) caffeine as borrowing energy from your future. It ramps your system up to a really high state, that is unnatural, and keeps you there for hours. Thus, your body compensates by bringing your energy system to a very low point after the caffeine wears off in order to maintain a semblance of homeostasis and balance. And what do people do when they reach this low point? They drink another coffee/soda and ramp their system right back up again! This kind of unnatural manipulation of our body’s metabolic rhythm has, in my opinion, caused millions of Americans to develop an insanely unhealthy and dysfunctional energy system.
They cannot function without caffeine. Think about that. They are every bit as dependent on caffeine to lead a normal life as alcoholics are to alcohol and as heroin addicts are to heroin.
This is NOT how the human being is meant to function.
Stop drinking caffeine completely for sixty days. Then if you decide to have some drink no more than 25mg, in the morning. The morning is naturally when our bodies are revved up. We have high levels of cortisol and are naturally at our highest point of energy/wakefulness. A little caffeine here can be beneficial in improving your cognitive function. Don’t drink caffeine in the afternoons when you get in that slump. You are tired because your body wants to REST. So, motherf*cking REST. A 20 minute nap, 20 minute meditation, or just 20 minutes sitting quietly is all you need. Then you’ll be good to go for the rest of the day. Use caffeine to enhance your body’s natural rhythms, not FIGHT against it.
Your energy levels also greatly depend on your blood sugar levels. Look at your diet. Is it full of fast digesting carbs(sugars, grains, breads, pastas) that spike insulin and cause blood-sugar rises and dips? If so, you’re going to again have energy problems. To get away from this you need to cut out all of these things that cause high levels of glucose to be released into your bloodstream quickly. Don’t eat carbohydrate dense food in the mornings. Breakfast(if you eat breakfast) should consist of fat and protein. I like to do 3 eggs with an avocado. Get your carbs from sweet potatoes, plantanes, fruits, veggies. Eat this way consistently and you will have steady blood sugar throughout the day, which means you will have consistent levels of energy throughout the day.
It is not normal to be tired all day. It is not normal to need caffeine to function. It is not normal to be brain dead after 5pm.
So. Go caffeine free for 60 days. Eat a diet that evens out your blood sugar. Take a small rest/nap in the afternoon when you’re tired. Be disciplined about when you go to bed so that you have 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep.