I was constantly exhausted until I realized these 7 energy-draining habits were sabotaging my entire day

For a long time, I woke up tired, dragged myself through the day, and crashed at night only to repeat the cycle. No matter how much coffee I drank or how much I tried to “push through,” I couldn’t shake the exhaustion.

Eventually, I realized it wasn’t just bad luck or getting older. It was my habits.

Some of the things I thought were helping me actually drained me even more. Once I recognized these hidden traps, I started to feel a huge difference—not just in my energy levels, but in my overall mood and productivity.

Here are seven habits that were quietly sabotaging my days, and what I learned to do about them.

1. Multitasking

I used to pride myself on being able to juggle ten things at once—emails, texts, work tasks, even checking social media in between. I thought I was being efficient.

But here’s the truth: multitasking doesn’t make you more productive. It actually does the opposite. Experts say it can cut your efficiency by up to 40% .

That means almost half of my effort was being wasted every time I split my attention. No wonder I felt exhausted—I was burning more energy to get less done.

Now, I work in focused blocks. I pick one thing, silence the distractions, and see it through. My brain feels calmer, and I finish tasks faster.

2. Late night scrolling

I’d tell myself, “I’m just going to check one more thing before bed.” Next thing I knew, I’d be an hour deep into reels or news articles.

The problem wasn’t just the wasted time. The blue light from my phone was messing with my sleep. It blocks melatonin production, which is the hormone that helps your body wind down .

Even if I fell asleep eventually, the quality of that sleep was terrible. I’d wake up groggy and sluggish, like I hadn’t rested at all.

These days, I plug my phone in another room at night. I try to read or journal before bed instead. It’s a small shift that’s made a massive difference in how refreshed I feel in the morning.

3. Working insane hours

Like a lot of people, I once believed that longer hours meant more success. I wore overwork like a badge of honor.

But then I came across a Stanford study that hit me hard: once you pass 55 hours a week, productivity plummets. And those working 70+ hours weren’t achieving any more than people working 55 .

Basically, I was grinding myself into the ground for nothing.

Now I focus on working smarter, not longer. I stop when my brain starts to feel fried and recharge instead. Ironically, I get way more done this way—and I don’t feel constantly depleted.

4. Choosing convenience over healthy foods

I used to grab whatever was easiest—fast food, vending machine snacks, sugary drinks. It was quick fuel, but I always ended up feeling sluggish and mentally foggy afterward.

Turns out, there’s a reason for that. A Brigham Young University study found that employees with poor diets were 66% more likely to report losing productivity at work .

That stat hit me because I could see myself in it. I wasn’t just fueling my hunger—I was sabotaging my energy.

Now, I try to plan simple, balanced meals ahead of time. Even swapping chips for nuts or soda for water makes a difference. My body thanks me later.

5. Skipping exercise

Exercise was always the first thing I cut when life got busy. I’d think, “I don’t have the time today—I’ll get back on track tomorrow.” But tomorrow never came.

Here’s what I didn’t realize: skipping exercise wasn’t saving me energy, it was costing me energy. That BYU study showed employees who didn’t get movement during the day were 96% more likely to suffer drops in productivity .

Even just 20 minutes of walking, stretching, or lifting is enough to boost my focus and shake off that heavy, drained feeling. It’s less about “working out” and more about keeping my body and mind sharp.

6. Ignoring my emotions

This one isn’t about diet or sleep—it’s deeper.

For years, I tried to push through negative emotions like stress, frustration, or fear. I thought ignoring them was a sign of strength.

But what I didn’t realize is that fighting myself drained just as much energy as overworking or eating badly. I came across a powerful line from Rudá Iandê in his book Laughing in the Face of Chaos:

“When we stop resisting ourselves, we become whole. And in that wholeness, we discover a reservoir of strength, creativity, and resilience we never knew we had.”

That hit me. I saw how much energy I was wasting by trying to control or deny my feelings. When I started accepting them—just letting them be there instead of fighting—I felt lighter.

I’ve mentioned Rudá’s book before, but it really did inspire me to see my inner world differently. His insights reminded me that emotions aren’t the enemy—they’re messengers. Ignoring them only makes the weight heavier.

7. Saying yes to everything

The final habit that left me drained was overcommitting. Work requests, social events, favors—I said yes to it all, even when I didn’t want to.

It came from a fear of disappointing people. But every extra “yes” meant I was saying “no” to my own energy and well-being.

I eventually realized that people’s happiness isn’t my responsibility—it’s theirs. And by protecting my time, I actually show up more fully when I do say yes.

Learning to set boundaries hasn’t been easy, but it’s been one of the most liberating changes I’ve made.

Final words

Exhaustion doesn’t always come from one big problem. More often, it’s the little habits that quietly chip away at you throughout the day.

For me, it was multitasking, late-night scrolling, overwork, poor food choices, skipping exercise, ignoring emotions, and saying yes too often.

Once I saw the patterns, I could break them—and my energy transformed.

If you’re constantly tired, maybe it’s not just “life being hard.” Maybe it’s a handful of small but powerful habits draining you dry. Change even a few of them, and you’ll be surprised at how much energy you get back.