Are you waking up tired and not even your morning caffeine fix is working, you battle through the day trying to remember basic things like the word for ‘fridge’, you know the thing that keeps the food cold? You’ve slept enough, you’ve hydrated, you’ve done all the things, but you still feel ‘deep in your soul’ tired. With the ‘Energy Reset’ you will not only end up having more energy throughout the day, but you will understand why it happens and what measures you can put into place to keep it like that.

You are far from alone in the way you feel. Feeling that ‘in your bones’ fatigue is as a result of a perfect storm of biological, lifestyle and emotional shifts that are all happening at the same time when we hit what I fondly refer to a ‘Midlife Mayhem”.

The most common causes are:

• Hormonal changes: Estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone all decline during this time. These imbalances can greatly disrupt sleep, mood and energy.
• Sleep Disruption: Hot flushes, night sweats and anxiety can cause broken sleep patterns. You can be in bed for 8 hours, but still wake up exhausted if your sleep quality is poor.
• Stress & Cortisol Dysregulation: Chronic stress and burnout can cause an upset to your cortisol levels, and these irregular patterns can affect your energy levels, mood and blood sugar control.
• Thyroid & Nutrient Deficiencies: Subclinical hypothyroidism or poor T3 to T4 conversion is common in midlife and can affect a whole host of necessary functions in your body. Low iron, B12, Vit D and magnesium can all contribute to the fatigue.
• Lifestyle: Not getting enough movement in, ultra-processed or high sugar foods and skipping meals, especially protein can also play a part in worsening your fatigue. And I’m sorry to say but your multiple cups of coffee during the day and glasses of wine after work will disrupt your sleep and energy levels.

Morning light is like nature’s caffeine, except it works through your biology and not your bloodstream. Morning light, especially rich in blue wave lengths and these reset your body’s master clock, suppress melatonin and ramp up your cortisol, your natural wake-up hormone. An extra bonus is the boost in serotonin.

Ensuring that your body is fueled correctly at the start of your day with a good source of protein and healthy fats. This will prevent a energy crash later on in the day and the possibility of bingeing on high sugar snacks too.

Getting in short bursts of exercise during the day, will stimulate your circulation, trigger your endorphins to lift your mood and reduce fatigue, reset your nervous system which counteracts sluggishness from sitting too long and metabolic flexibility which stabilizes your blood sugar and reduces energy crashes.

I don’t think I need to tell you to drink the water! Especially in midlife when hormonal shifts can make the body more sensitive to fluid balance. Dehydration affects concentration, mood and memory. It elevates cortisol which increases fatigue. Signs you are dehydrates are things like being sluggish and mid-afternoon crashes, difficulty concentrating, headaches and dry mouth.

Thinking that the high sugar energy drink or chocolate will make you feel energized when you hit that mid afternoon slump, it will, however the crash that follows can be quite sharp and worse than you expected. Try and rather swap your high sugar energy boosters for something simpler like fruit, herbal teas like ginger, or something that has a little protein and healthy fats in it.

If you are really battling to avoid the energy crashes during the day, especially if you have very full schedules, build in a little time to slow down and rest. A nap or some mindful meditation can work wonders to get you through the tough parts of the day.

After chaotic, stressful days it is essential to find a way to bring your day to a close so that you can have a good restful night of sleep. Going tech-free an hour before bed is a good start, also try journaling, reading, a relaxing cup of herbal tea like chamomile or a hot bath.

Supplements & Adaptogen	Benefits for Energy	Notes
Ashwagandha	Balances cortisol, supports thyroid hormone production	Shown to help with both hypo- and hyperthyroid states
Rhodiola Rosea	Enhances mental stamina, reduces fatigue, supports fat metabolism	May improve exercise tolerance and burn stored fat
Eleuthero (Siberian Ginseng)	Boosts endurance, supports adrenal function	Gentle and well-suited for chronic fatigue
Schisandra	Improves mitochondrial function, reduces stress	Also supports liver detox pathways
Maca Root	Balances sex hormones, improves mood and stamina	Not directly thyroid-related but great for midlife vitality
Vitamin B12	Essential for red blood cell formation and energy metabolism	Often low in midlife, especially with fatigue
Magnesium	Supports ATP production and muscle recovery	Helps with sleep and stress resilience
Vitamin D3	Regulates immune and hormonal function	Deficiency linked to fatigue and mood dips

I know that all these habits look so overwhelming, and you don’t know if you can stick to all of them at once. So I would suggest starting small, why don’t you try my FREE 7-day Energy Reset Challenge and try them one at a time, finding the one’s that make the most difference and then start with those. Each day includes a focus area, quick tops, and easy action step and a reflection space.

Remember: this challenge is about small, manageable shifts – not perfection.

Energy in Midlife is possible, you don’t have to drag through our days barely keeping your eyes open, or dreading your To-Do lists. With my list of actionable small steps, you will see a difference for yourself.