3 Easy changes you can make TODAY to feel better, gain energy and increase productivity
[sc name="Affiliate Disclosure"]
Do you feel like Exhaustion is chasing you around at your heels all day? Do you have kids? Do you crave sugar or caffeine at some point during the day? If you answered yes to any or all of those questions then you might want to read further. By the end of this article, you will have three easy changes to make in your life TODAY to start feeling better, gaining energy and increasing your productivity.
Why Are You Feeling So Tired?
There are many reasons people feel chronically tired. The most common are poor sleep, poor diet, stress, and pain. At some point in my life I’ve experienced all of these, sometimes even all four simultaneously. Currently, my reason for fatigue is stress, but that source of stress is also my source of motivation. Go figure. Can I say “balancing act” is my new motto?
Perhaps your source of stress is being a mom? Sounds ominous but as mothers, we are the center of our child’s world. Which means you get those precious 5 seconds of being their Superstar Hero and another 23 hours and 55 seconds each day of being their emotional, physical and everything-else caretaker. Not to mention the laundry, dishes, cooking, etc. I don’t need to list it all, it stares us moms in the face at every turn. Add to that balancing work and motherhood for some, or being a single parent, or having a traveling spouse. I could go on and on about all the reasons mothers feel stressed these days. Feeling stressed can alone make one feel tired all the time but often it also leaves us with less time to eat healthily, sleep well, and take care of ourselves. This creates an even more vicious cycle. Are you wallowing in despair at this point? Fear not, there are some easy ways to start feeling better, and quickly!
3 Easy Changes You Can Make TODAY
Step 1: Feed Your Adrenals
How: Drink ⅛ - ¼ teaspoon of natural salt (sea salt or rock salt) each morning with the juice of a lemon in warm water.
Wait! Isn’t eating salt unhealthy?
NO! Most studies showing negative health effects were done using table salt (NaCl) which is NOT even close to natural salt. You can read more details here in an article by Chris Kesser. It is also important to get a good quality natural salt. Table salt (what you find in most restaurants) is not going to contain all the trace minerals and benefits of natural salt. We use many different types of natural salt in our house but my favorite is Redmond Real Salt (click to buy on Amazon). You can read more about the different types of natural salts in a great post by Wellness Mama here. One type of natural salt that is not recommended due to its high bromide content is Dead Sea Salt.
Not only will this new Natural Salt + Lemon routine help hydrate you and support your adrenals in the morning, but it may also:
Balance pH and alkalize the body
Aid in weight loss by producing more digestive enzymes
Provide a good source of vitamin C
Help stabilize blood sugar levels
Help relieve muscle cramps and tension
Lemon helps flush out toxins
And more…..
Step 2: Eat More Healthy Fats
Uh yeah. Did I lose you? No, this will not make you fat. At least, not if you do it right. In fact, research shows that not only will increasing your healthy fat intake NOT make you fat, it might even help you lose some weight! Say what? That’s right, I didn’t mean to go there in this article but it’s a nice bonus, right?
How does this help my energy level?
Many of us have habitually restricted fats due to the fear-mongering tactics of the media saying how it will make us fat or give us a heart attack. I won’t go into why that isn’t true in this post BUT IT’S NOT TRUE! Eating a low-fat diet can wreak havoc on our blood sugar levels causing them to fluctuate. Fast drops in blood sugar levels can mean a serious dip in energy. Adding healthy fats to each meal can balance these blood sugar levels.
Is that why I’m craving a cookie at 3pm?
Yup. (That... and perhaps because you see your toddler eating one?) Eating a low-fat diet will result in eating higher amounts of carbs, which don’t satisfy you as long. Hence the mid-afternoon energy slump, caffeine/sugar cravings, and late night sugar cravings. Just be sure to add an ample dose of healthy fats at each meal and you will begin to see more even-keeled energy throughout the day, fewer cravings and possibly some weight loss!
Step 3: Breathe More
Look, I know we are all breathing. It’s more a question of quality AND quantity. When we are stressed, busy, tense, multi-tasking in our monkey brains ALL day long, running around doing 15 errands with kids in tow, you get the picture… then we are much more likely to use shallow breathing. This will totally zap your energy!
Adding 1-2 simple breathing exercises daily can dramatically improve your energy and overall feelings of stress and anxiety. It can also lower blood pressure! While I wholeheartedly approve of adding in a daily yoga practice, especially one that helps you focus on your prana, or breathe, this may not be available every day. Don’t worry, there’s an app for that (actually a few!).
I actually totally suck at meditation, which is probably why I wasn’t doing it. And when you are not doing something because you think you suck at it, you don’t get better at it and you definitely don’t reap the benefits. So, I just didn't do it... until I found an app to help! I love Headspace (the App) but there are many others to try as well. Some people (not me!) may be totally fine to go it alone and sit quietly and practice deep breathing or meditation for 2-10 minutes at a time. Whatever works - have at it, just make sure you do it! Gaiam.com has a nice post about simple deep breathing, and it only takes ONE MINUTE! One minute. You can do this!
The Takeaway...
Now you have 3 super simple ways to feel better, gain energy, and increase your productivity. BUT changing daily habits is tough. Research shows it takes at least 3 weeks of repetition to change habits. So set up a reminder on your calendar, or hang a post-it on your bathroom mirror or fridge door. Make SOMETHING to remind yourself every day to:
Drink natural salt + lemon water first thing in the morning.
Eat more healthy fats at every meal.
Do 1-2 short breathing exercises daily.
When you have mastered these suggestions we can add some more simple ways to help you on your journey to feeling like your best self ever. I would love to hear how it goes for you, or maybe you have found some other ways to practice these suggestions...please let me know in the comments below!
