Ask HN: How do you keep your energy level up?
That said, after working 8 hours a day (I usually do 7-4 with a 1 hour lunch break) I find myself exhausted afterwards. I sometimes find myself going to bed not long after dinner. I don't have time for any of the hobbies I had in college like gamedev or video games despite having a similar if not greater workload in college.
It seems like the main difference is that the work was broken up by classes in college which spread the work out more and made it less exhausting.
To be clear, I'm not talking about "burn out", at least not in the sense that it's normally talked about. I still love my job (I just started!) and the work it entails.
I take vitamins, and I get a reasonable amount of sleep each night (7-8 hours). I tried working out but that just seemed to make me more tired.
As I look at my future, I hope to one day have kids and get married, and I'd be a pretty poor parent if I came home with this level of energy every day.
So how do you do it? Do you have any tricks to keeping your energy level up throughout the day?
15 comments
[ 4.0 ms ] story [ 41.1 ms ] threadExercise is a decent idea. I would suggest an antidepressant instead of a stimulant, though.
Again, OP is not talking about when he wakes up.
>Sativa brings you up with energy
Like a stimulant. This is not useful for OP.
Lumping all antidepressants together and saying they cause more problems than they solve is generalizing too much. Which ones cause problems, and for which people? The most common type is SSRIs, but if OP does not metabolize folic acid properly, it is off the table. I will concede that tricyclic antidepressants have more side effects, but SSRI use is relatively common, at 10% (https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-rise-of-all-p...). That is compared to 7-13% of adults who report cannabis use (http://www.gallup.com/poll/194195/adults-say-smoke-marijuana...).
Speaking from personal experience, antidepressant has made all the difference for me, in terms of energy. Unrelated, I use atomoxetine for focus throughout the day. As it is not a stimulant, there is no crash or feeling tired in the evening hours. Its levels are consistent throughout the day, and I code at all times of day with little fluctuation, in terms of motivation.
I agree with that.
>but that just seemed to make me more tired.
>I'd be a pretty poor parent if I came home with this level of energy every day.
This isn't energy, it's depression. Even if you are not talking about "burn out", talking about your energy levels is a mood issue, unless you are overweight, have a bad diet, or have irregular sleep (which, as you say, you do not).
I would mention these concerns to your doctor. 10% of US adults (http://www.healthline.com/health/depression/statistics) suffer from depression, and it has nothing to do with whether you enjoy your job. The difference, if treated, is that you will enjoy your job and have energy at the end of the day.
Get a full set of bloods taken. could be underactive thyroid or anything.
This sounds very similar to the kind of advice that gets normal people hooked to drugs and destroy their lives.
No one it's immune to the ups and downs of life.
Health reasons could be causing exhaustion from low vitamin levels, poor diet, thyroid issues etc. Depression is possible but to throw out something like without a thorough medical work up and off of just a few statements is irresponsible. The OP said nothing about no wanting to get out of bed, not wanting to communicate or be around people, or any of the classic signs of depression nor did he/she mention anything such as feeling blue etc. quite the opposite, enjoys his work, etc. If all it takes is enjoying your job and being exhausted at the end of the day to be diagnosed with depression there would be far more than 10% of US adults with depression.
To the OP, If working out does not raise your energy levels I would suggest having a medical work up to rule out imbalances that are easily remedied. Working out does take time and requires consistency in order to raise energy levels but if it does not then you may need to talk to a physician.
You are like the college football players who make it to the NFL and are used to 8-10 game seasons which in the NFL (including preseason) doesn't get you through the half-way point. You are working for a living now and not in Kansas anymore so it might take some time to adapt to the ebb and flow of life.
That said, it is important for the long term to make your health a priority. Unless you have a child, do not compromise that 7-8 hour sleep because in my experience sleep is one of the most important aspects of good health. Is that 7-8 hours of quality, uninterrupted sleep and do you wake up feeling refreshed? If that is not the case you need to investigate. Another concern that I notice in your post is that exercise makes you tired and that is not normal for someone (presumably) in the mid-twenties or even thirties. Unless you are extremely out of shape exercise should make you sleep better, think better and have more energy. Even if you are out of shape at your age a regular exercise routine should very quickly pay much bigger dividends in energy, sleep and general well-being. I highly recommend you pursue that lead and get doctor's evaluation to rule out any problems and start exercising as a life-long habit.
Finally, contra all the other's advice, I would kick the coffee/caffeine or any other stimulants to increase your "energy" (except on an emergency basis). Also, I would limit any alcohol to "relax" because if used more than occasionally the consequences to your well-being are bad. I recently quit drinking coffee and it has really improved my sense of well-being and quality of life. I think all these drugs are detrimental if used daily or even regularly -- they lose their effectiveness and have net negative impact on your capacity to function.