If you're one to grab a cup of coffee or can of cola when you need a little extra energy, you may be making yourself more tired in the long run! This is partially because caffeine can keep you from experiencing restful sleep at night, creating a cycle of chronic sleep deprivation.

When your schedule's busy, often sleep is the first thing to be cut back, either intentionally or by default. This is unfortunate because it can leave you feeling lethargic and lead to errors that take more time out of your day to correct.

If you're feeling lethargic, a little exercise will actually leave you more energized, not less.4While busy people have a hard time fitting exercise into the schedule, there are some tricks that can help you get the exercise you need without spending hours at the gym, such as breaking up exercise into smaller chunks and spacing them out during your day, when you may naturally have time available.

Much of your experience of stress hinges on your attitude and what you tell yourself about your situation.5 For example, learning how to view stress as a 'challenge' rather than a threat can leave you feeling more energized.

If you don't have time for a new stress management regimen, these stress relievers provide maximum impact for minimal time expenditure. Things like taking your vitamins and playing music in the background, for example, fit nicely into even the busiest lifestyle but provide surprisingly significant stress relief benefits.

People have different reasons for being busy, but many people find themselves busy no matter what their circumstances because they have trouble saying no to other people's demands on their time. There are things that you can do to start saying yes to a freer schedule and saying no to other people's demands on your time. Telling people you don't have time, giving yourself time before you say yes, and saying yes to other things are three steps that you can try.