Guide to How to Boost Energy while Studying
The thought of studying can be daunting. Most of us would probably rather just watch Netflix or go to bed, which can be understandable. After a full day of school and work, it can be hard to find the energy to study and prepare for future tests and exams.
So how do you boost your energy while studying? Listed below are several things you can do to boost your energy levels:
- Drink Green Smoothies
- Caffeine from non-sugary sources
- Consistent Sleep Schedule/Naps
- Workout consistently
- Stay Hydrated
- Healthy Diet with Lots of Leafy Green Vegetables
There are several ways that you can muster up some energy to get your study session in. You just have to make sure you are making smart decisions that will benefit you and not hinder you. It may be tough, but you will be glad that you studied when you’re taking that test in the future.
If you are looking for study tips that can really have an impact on your academic performance, check out are 25 awesome study tips at the link below:
25 Tips to Maximize Your Academic Performance
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If you are looking for the best study tools out there, you should read our article on the best study tools to enhance your studying at the link below:
The Ultimate Study Tools You Must Use to Succeed!
How Do I Boost my Energy?!
There are several different ways to boost your energy while studying, but not all of them will work for you personally. Here are some of those ways:
Green Smoothies
Smoothies! Not Jamba Juice, filled with sugar and sherbert; I’m talking about green smoothies filled with fruits, vegetables, and in turn, vitamins and minerals. Smoothies are an amazing, easy way to boost your energy, plus they have a ton of other benefits as well. Start with some almond milk, add some spinach, berries, and your other favorite fruits and blend!
Some of the benefits of drinking a healthy smoothie (in addition to an energy boost) include weight loss, hydration, reduces cravings, keeps you fuller for longer, better digestion, antioxidants, immunity boost, better sleep, a healthy glow, body detox, brain boost, less depression, and anxiety, prevent cancer and disease, balances hormones, and getting your daily intake of fruits and vegetables.
So, not only will you get a healthy energy boost, but you will also be getting a nutrition boost that is incredibly beneficial for your body and your mind. Smoothies are popular in this day in age for a reason. As a student, it can be easy to let things like nutrition slip your mind. Smoothies are an easy way to take care of yourself.
Drink Coffee and Tea in Moderation
Another very popular way that students boost their energy for studying is, of course, coffee. This can be a good thing to do if you do so intelligently: no frappuccinos, or sugary lattes. Opting for something like cold brew is a much smarter choice. Tea is a great alternative to coffee if you aren’t a fan, or you just want to make a more nutritious choice. Green tea has a ton of amazing benefits in addition to an energy boost. Those benefits include improved health and brain function, increase in fat burning, improves physical performance, antioxidants, lowers risk of cancer, protects against Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, improves dental health, reduces risk of infection, lower Diabetes risks, reduces risk of Cardiovascular disease, weight loss, and it may even help you live longer.
Coffee and tea are much smarter choices than grabbing a Red Bull or any energy drink. Again, it’s all about making smart choices. Deep down, we all know tea and coffee will benefit our health, while energy drinks will hinder it. I actually wrote an article on the benefits of drinking coffee while studying, which you can find at the link below:
Drinking Coffee While Studying article
Power Naps
Many people would love to take a nap instead of getting their study session in. What if I told you that you could do both? The key here is to take a power nap, not a 3-hour snooze fest. Power naps can actually have incredible brain and body benefits, including a boost in energy. If you are feeling sluggish and tired, you obviously need sleep. A 20-minute power nap increases cognitive abilities and alertness. A power nap improves learning and memory, prevents stress, boosts mood and creativity, helps jump-start productivity and alertness, and even helps lower your risk for heart disease (Source). You have to set the alarm and make sure you get up instead of continuing to sleep. If you do, you will get too deep into your sleep cycle and will wake up feeling groggy, tired, and unmotivated. It’s called a power nap for a reason; it is short, sweet, and powerful if done correctly (Source).
One of the questions you might be asking yourself is what time of day is best for studying. If so, we have the answer and the reasons why in our article on studying at night vs studying during the day.
Workout
You can also do the opposite of a nap and workout instead. I’m not saying you should do an hour-long cardio workout and be dripping sweat from every crevice of your body. There are great workouts on YouTube, and there are great apps on your phone that can help you get a quick workout that will boost your alertness and energy. You can also just take 10 minutes and do things like jumping jacks, planks, mountain climbers, push-ups, sit-ups, or squats to wake yourself up. A quick walk around the neighborhood is another option. This is a great choice to help boost your energy because you are burning calories and preparing yourself for a study session simultaneously.
Showers
Baths can be an amazing way to relax and prepare yourself for bed after studying, but this means they aren’t great for before studying. So, try the opposite of a bath- a shower. To increase alertness, try alternating between hot and cold water during your shower. This is like a DIY-version of hot and cold hydrotherapy, which has been used for thousands of years for its healing and stress-relieving abilities. This method also reduces stress, strengthens your immune system, improves blood circulation, burns fat, and fights depression. These are all things students could use in this day in age. Most people take showers in the morning for a reason; it wakes you up and prepares you for the tasks that you face ahead.
Brighten Up Your Environment
Here’s an easy one. Open your curtains and blinds. Sitting in the dark can feel lonely and sad. Letting in some daylight and sun can brighten your mood and make you more productive. Our environment plays a huge role in our body’s energy. There’s a reason we keep the room dark on lazy Sundays. We can lay in bed, binging our favorite shows and rest, letting daylight in will make it more likely that you will work and cross off more items and your studying to-do list.
Stay Hydrated
Stay hydrated. Even mild dehydration can cause sleepiness. Make sure you bring a reusable water bottle with you wherever you go. I personally use the Hydroflask water bottle and absolutely love it. You can even get an app on your phone or smartwatch that will remind you when you need to take a sip. We could all benefit from drinking more water. It’s vital to life for a reason, and it can really help you conduct a more beneficial study session.
You will never know if any/none/all of these methods will work for you unless you try them. All students need an energy boost after a day spent in the classroom. It can be hard to study on top of all the work you already did during class. These methods are healthy and smart ways to help you along with that struggle.
The keys to boosting your energy include getting more sleep, reducing your stress levels, get more exercise, avoiding smoking, alcohol, and drugs, eating a nutritious diet, avoiding sugar, staying hydrated, and being social. Many of these can be hard in the life of a full-time student but try to check off as many of them as you possibly can. Your study session will only become more beneficial by using these energy-boosting tactics.
Which Foods Can Give Me the Most Energy?
We all know that food is converted to energy. Andy Dwyer taught us his kick was a cookie in Parks and Rec. So, we should be eating food that gives us the most energy during the day so that we will have the energy to study later on that day. It can be tempting to stop at the Panda Express at your school and load up on orange chicken, but this isn’t the best choice for your energy levels that evening.
Foods that give you more energy include bananas, fish, brown rice, sweet potatoes, eggs, apples, dark chocolate, goji berries, quinoa, oatmeal, yogurt, hummus, edamame, lentils, avocado, oranges, strawberries, seeds, beans, nuts, popcorn, leafy green vegetables, and beets.
Instead of a bag of chips, have some pita chips and hummus as a snack. Instead of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, grab some dark chocolate if you are craving something sweet. Grab some popcorn or nuts if you need something salty. Better, healthier choices will make you feel better in the end as opposed to a greasy bag of potato chips.
You can even try simply chewing a piece of gum. This raises alertness and improves concentration, possibly because of chewing increases blood flow.
Making smart choices throughout the day will help boost your energy later in the day and keep you awake instead of sluggish and tired. There are tons of ways to boost your energy, but you can also do things all day long that will keep you alert.
What about Energy Supplements?
We have already established that energy drinks are not the way to go. 5-Hour Energy and Red Bull type products risk your health and will lead to an energy crash later on. But what about energy pills?
Never take pills that are not natural supplements. Diet/energy pills pose health risks, just like energy drinks do. Try natural vitamins like B12. B12 helps transform the food you eat into energy that your cells can use (Source). B12 is something I take every single day. Personally, you can get a huge bottle at Costco, or a smaller one to try at stores like Walmart or Target. B12 keeps your nerves and blood cells healthy and helps prevent anemia that can make you weak and tired.
If you happen to be anemic, you will want to take Iron supplements. Anemia will have you feeling fatigued and weak.
It is also important to take allergy pills if you suffer from allergies. Allergies can leave you feeling drained and sluggish. You are spending so much time trying to breathe properly, that you don’t have the energy for anything else. Allergies can also make it difficult to sleep at night. Taking an allergy pill like Claritin will help ease these symptoms.
Not all supplements and vitamins are going to make you feel more energized, but it can’t hurt to try. If you do have a deficiency in a certain vitamin, that could be why you feel sluggish and tired. Your body has what it needs to function can obviously make a huge difference.
Manage Your Energy Instead of Your Time
You can boost your energy, but that isn’t going to last all night. You need to understand when it’s time to stop and move on from your study session. You know when you’re burnt out both mentally and physically. If you continue studying when burnt out, there’s really no point. You have to listen to your brain and body.
Manage your schedule based on your energy levels, not by time. Don’t say, “I have to study for 2 hours.” Say, “I’m going to study until I can feel my energy levels lowering.” It’s good to have time management skills, of course, but you have to be aware of your energy output that the time requires. Pushing yourself will only make boosting your energy harder and will make studying harder to do.
Your Body’s Energy Levels
We are constantly on the go in this day in age. From school to work to the grocery store to soccer practice and everywhere else in between. You can still feel tired after a full night’s sleep due to our constant on the move schedules. Regular exercise can help invigorate those energy levels, but it can be hard for many to find time to fit in a workout. We are also always glued to our phones, which can be draining. You are more likely to suffer from depression, the more time you spend on social media. It can be depressing, looking at other people’s vacations, relationships, and lives in general. Obviously, being depressed leads to lower energy levels. Our demanding schedules drain our energy, so it can be hard to find ways to combat this and boost our energy. Take the time to slow down and enjoy the ride that is life. Always being on the go becomes the norm for many of us, but our bodies and minds suffer from it more than we may even realize.
In Conclusion
It’s likely that as a student, in order to complete your study session, you are going to need a boost of energy. There are many different ways to do that and to do so in a healthy manner.
You can exercise, take a power nap, have a healthy green smoothie, have some coffee or tea, take a shower, stay hydrated, or even open your curtains and blinds to let more light in.
You should also pay attention to your food intake during the day. Making healthy, energy-boosting choices throughout the day will lead you to have a more productive evening when studying. Instead of eating chicken strips and fries (as tempting as that may sound when you are tired and overwhelmed), opt for a pita pocket and some hummus. You will feel better and more satisfied in the end than you would after eating something unhealthy. Unhealthy foods make you feel sluggish, while healthy foods make you feel energized, so making better choices throughout the day is way more beneficial.
You can also try to take vitamins and supplements to give you more energy. This can be very helpful if you are suffering from a deficiency, especially. In this day in age, many of us don’t get all of the vitamins and minerals we require through our diets, so supplements can help with that. Just make sure you are taking something natural and good for your health.
You have to learn how to manage your energy instead of your time. You do not want to overwork yourself as a student, or just a person in general. We are always on the go and constantly look at our watches. We should be managing our activities more so on how much energy we have rather than how much time we have. Slow down and take into account your personal health when tackling your busy schedule.
Know your body’s energy levels. Know how to make them the best they can be. Help them to be the highest they can be. There are several methods that can contribute to boosting your energy for a short while, but the choices you make throughout the day have an even bigger impact on your energy levels. Sleeping until noon and inhaling a whole bag of Doritos isn’t going to do you any favors.
“I have nothing in common with lazy people who blame others for their lack of success. Great things come from hard work and perseverance. No excuses.” – Kobe Bryant
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