First, the obvious answer: you aren’t getting enough sleep. The ideal length of your sleep should be from 7-8 hours. But getting enough sleep isn’t the only thing that contributes to you being fatigued. Proper nourishment, activity, and stress can all be factors in you feeling tired. If you are constantly tired, here are a few things that might help.

Exercise

If you’re tired, exercise is probably the last thing you want to do. But getting enough exercise is important for your overall health. Even just taking the stairs a few times a day is a good start. Try to incorporate as much activity as you can into your everyday life. Things like walking to school or the store, going for a walk with you dog, or playing a sport can all have a huge impact on your overall health. Try going out for a walk, if you have the time. It might just help, and if not, at least you’ll have a couple of minutes to relax while you’re walking.

Diet

No, this doesn’t mean to go on a diet. It means to watch your diet. Eating too much junk and fast-food isn’t good for you. Eating healthier foods than that isn’t really too hard. Eating just a little bit better shouldn’t be difficult, but it can make all the difference. Poor diet is one of the biggest causes of fatigue, and once you address that cause, you can start to feel better in no time. Besides, eating a nice home-cooked meal has a certain satisfaction to it.

Keep your stress low

This is probably by far the hardest piece of advice to follow in high school. With so many assignments and factors that you have to juggle, it’s pretty hard to keep a handle on your stress. But high stress is another leading cause of fatigue – and for good reason. Stress just seems to drain your body and your mind. But keeping ahead of your assignments, taking some time to yourself, and getting help with your work from your friends can help you keep that stress level down.

Don’t isolate yourself

Humans are social creatures – we need to socialize to thrive. Take some time to hang out with your friends or go out and meet people. Just being around your friends can help you feel better. As long as you’re getting your work done and are on track, you can only benefit from hanging out with friends.

Don’t drink so much coffee.

Coffee isn’t good for you – its actually quite bad. Try to avoid drinking it when you can, or to stop drinking so much. Drinking a cup every so often isn’t bad, but drinking coffee everyday can have some nasty side effects – including fatigue. If you simply can’t live without it, try something that has a lower concentration of caffeine.

Being tired sucks. Nobody wants to go through their day like they’re a zombie. But with just a few adjustments to your lifestyle, you can get on track and start feeling well again.