By contributing writer Tara González.

Nothing says fall quite like...

Sunset before 7pm.

The air is getting crisp, sure, but the days just suddenly feel so much shorter. Personally, I struggle with this seasonal shift especially. Yes sunlight fuels me but, when there’s less of it I just feel exhausted, no matter how much sleep I’ve gotten.

And that is the story of how I ended up trying every single energy product known to humanity in my quest for a much-needed pick-me-up.

NICE AND SMOOTH(IE)

Every morning I drink a smoothie. It’s my favorite breakfast of all time, and I love how quick it is to make. But once September comes to a close, my smoothie/iced oat latte combo isn’t enough to combat my predictable 12:30pm crash. So I started incorporating the Alia Energy + Focus blend, a superfood mix of matcha, spirulina, beetroot, and bee pollen, in my favorite peachy green breakfast recipe. Not only does it add a delicious matcha flavor -- therefore eliminating my need for a latte altogether -- but it gives me an all-day energy boost without the comedown.

PUT SOME TING IN YOUR STEP

In an attempt to wean myself off of aforementioned daily latte, I decided to try — water. Well, spiked water — via Moon Juice’s Ting. Almost all of my friends are addicted to something made by Moon Juice and, after hearing endless praise for its newest product, Ting, I decided to give it a shot. Literally. Ting is made with B vitamins that not only boost energy but also help to speed up metabolism. My favorite part is that just a half teaspoon scoop mixed in water makes for a mango-rich refreshment which instantly transforms an otherwise boring glass of H2O into a taste of the tropics. Which helps me to forget about the lattes I’m so fond of.

SO YOU DON’T SNOOZE AND LOSE

And then, there’s one of my favorite pastimes — naps. Though I’d never speak ill of them, naps often leave me feeling more groggy than even before I laid down. And there’s the post-nap snack attack (a bad habit I need to quit). Thankfully, I found Yumi All Day Energy gummies, which taste like healthy fruit candy and contain essential amounts of Vitamin A, C, D, and E. These gummies give me the instant jolt I need. I’ve even started carrying them with me so I can get a much-needed boost on the go when my social battery starts running low.

MAKE (SH)ROOM IN YOUR WORKOUT FOR THESE

While my morning smoothie powers me on my way TO the gym, rallying post-workout is a different story. Once I started adding two droppers’ worth of Rainbo’s Energy Super Mushroom Tincture to my water bottle, I noticed a considerable difference in how much more alert I felt afterward, when normally you’d find me on a hot date with my bed pillows.

Funny that I used to only equate mushrooms with dinner. Once I learned that these drops could potentially stabilize energy and stress levels, I knew I needed to try them. They might also enhance athletic performance by supporting endurance, stamina and oxygen uptake and, while that’s a bold claim, it proved true for me. My workouts do feel easier, and I no longer gasp for air after my intense, sweaty 60-minute Solidcore sesh. For fun, I sometimes swap out Rainbo for Wooden Spoon Herbs’ Solar Energy Drops instead — same vibrant energy, but with a delicious raspberry taste.

WEEKEND BUZZ

Any semblance of my regular routine goes out the window on weekends, thanks to my love of going out to eat. (Though I try to practice self-restraint and avoid dropping $8 on a matcha every time.) Not really a fool-proof plan because my at-home matcha latte game is not great. And that’s pretty essential when trying to not buy to-go. Lucky for me that Wylde One Matcha Brain Buzz came into my life, and it’s now my newest obsession — just pour a packet of matcha into a cup of hot water, stir... and it tastes even better than the expensive matcha latte my favorite cafe sells. Not to mention that this ceremonial-grade matcha is supercharged with nootropics and adaptogens. One cup a day helps me stay focused all weekend on my weekend passion projects and gives me an instant sense of calm.

So while I personally have been mourning the end of Hot Girl Summer for a couple weeks now, I think I may be more awake and ready to take on fall than ever before. And that in itself feels like a reason to get out of bed and get moving. Who needs extra sunlight?