Wake up already feeling exhausted? Can’t get over the afternoon slump? These signs may indicate that various lifestyle factors are affecting your energy levels, causing brain fog and outright exhaustion.

When you’re constantly out and about, it can be difficult to find a way to charge yourself. Often, however, low energy levels can be corrected by making simple changes to your daily routine.

Experts say these seven research-backed habits can boost your energy:

Identify healthy ways to cope with stress.

Not surprisingly, emotional stress can make you feel less present.

Stress can have a huge impact on your physical health.If you’re stressed out, it can definitely lead to a lack of energy.

So, how do you combat uncontrolled stress to boost your energy levels? It’s crucial to find ways to incorporate meditation or mindfulness into your daily life, even if it’s just five minutes a day. Experts also say that finding coping skills that work for you — such as journaling or reading something that brings you joy — can help you feel less stressed and feel more energetic.

Limit the amount of caffeine you consume.

When you feel tired, you may be tempted to rejuvenate yourself with a third or fourth cup of coffee later in the day.However, drinking too much caffeine can have the paradoxical effect of making you drowsy.

If you drink a lot of caffeinated drinks throughout the day, it may affect your sleep patterns. This affects your energy levels.

It’s worth noting that suddenly cutting back on caffeinated drinks can also make you feel tired initially. As Thalia explains, the body gets used to caffeine as a stimulant, and when it’s not present, you experience an energy slump.

Most experts recommend gradually reducing the amount of caffeine in your diet until you find what works best for you, and not drinking more than one cup of coffee even if you’re tempted.

Practice good sleep hygiene and establish a routine.

It goes without saying that getting enough sleep is key to boosting your energy throughout the day. However, your energy levels are affected not only by the amount of sleep you get each night, but also by the quality of your sleep.

Practicing good sleep hygiene can help you sleep more soundly, giving you more energy the next day. Sleep hygiene involves developing habits, such as establishing a regular bedtime and dimming the lights at night. Additionally, it’s important to clear your mind by relaxing with nighttime activities.

Even with good sleep hygiene, you may find that you wake up feeling tired. This may indicate a sleep disorder, such as sleep apnea. If you suspect you have a sleep disorder, see your doctor immediately.

Move your body throughout the day.

Try to incorporate exercise into your daily routine—even if it’s just a small amount. Research shows that daily exercise and movement are crucial to boosting energy levels. You don’t have to lift weights or run five miles a day to reap the energy benefits of exercise.

Even low-impact exercise can increase your oxygen flow and hormone levels, thereby boosting your energy. This is the number one tip I recommend to anyone experiencing fatigue.

Drink more water.

Dehydration is a common cause of low energy. The science behind this is very simple: Our red blood cells carry oxygen.Ideally, plump and round red blood cells have full oxygen-carrying capacity. When we are dehydrated, red blood shrinks, which reduces the cells’ ability to carry all the oxygen. Low oxygen levels manifest as fatigue, irritability, and restlessness.

If you have trouble keeping track of your water intake, consider trying some tips, like investing in a smart water bottle, to make sure you’re drinking enough water each day.

Be mindful of your screen time during the evening hours, and also during the day.

There’s no doubt that too much screen time at night can disrupt your natural sleep cycle and your energy level the next day. Spending too much time on your phone, computer, or watching TV can cause fatigue by disrupting neurotransmitters critical to sleep and recovery.

However, time spent looking at your phone or computer during the day can also have a detrimental effect on your energy levels. Too much screen time can cause eye strain, which can trigger headaches and make it harder to concentrate.

We live in a digital world, so spending a lot of time looking at screens is inevitable for most of us. Making the “20-20-20 rule” a habit is one step toward combating fatigue. When you’re working on your laptop, take a break every 20 minutes. Give your eyes a chance to relax by looking at an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

Avoid skipping meals.

If you’ve ever skipped breakfast or been working during your lunch break, you may have found yourself feeling more groggy than usual. While missing a meal is completely normal, making a goal to eat nutritious meals and snacks regularly throughout the day can increase your energy levels.

Your brain needs nutrients to truly function properly. Many people skip meals and their blood sugar levels fluctuate throughout the day.

Also, avoid fad diets that encourage people to drastically reduce their caloric intake or eliminate essential nutrients like carbohydrates. This robs you of energy.

While it’s not uncommon to occasionally wake up feeling low on energy, chronic fatigue may indicate an underlying health problem.

If you eat well, get enough sleep, and incorporate movement and exercise into your daily routine, but you still feel tired for more than two weeks, you should consider seeking help from a medical professional. A persistent decrease in energy can be an indicator of a range of mental and physical health problems, from the fairly benign to the serious.

Ultimately, boosting your energy often comes down to taking inventory of different activities and current habits that may be draining your energy. Making some simple changes to your daily routine may be the key to eliminating fatigue for good.