When we talk about boosting our energy, we often hear things like "drink more water", "get some exercise", "take your vitamins", and other things we need to physically DO.
But what are some external sources that can sometimes increase - or zap - our energy?
Exposure to Light
Have you heard of Seasonal Depressive Disorder? It's a real thing. That's when some people experience feelings of depression during the months when there is much less sunlight. The weather isn't as pretty, so we often stay indoors.
It's also common for people who work indoors under florescent lights all day to experience some symptoms of fatigue and depression, due to lack of natural light.
If you find this is the case for you as well, try making a habit of spending at least 10-15 intentional minutes outdoors each day. Even if it's cloudy, you can still reap the benefits of UV exposure and increased Vitamin D, which will boost your energy.
Scent
Our sense of smell is very powerful and can bring up a lot of memories. If we smell something that reminds us of something painful, that can drain our energy. Synthetic fragrances made in a lab with lots of chemicals can be incredibly draining as well, because our bodies weren't designed to process manmade chemicals. When we're around a lot of "fragrances", our bodies are fighting to work through those which means other functions (e.g. energy producing functions) can sometimes lag.
It's helpful to surround yourself with natural scents that uplift and encourage you. Fresh baked bread or desserts are wonderful if they invoke happy memories. Flowers and plants are great choices. An easy way to access scents like this is with essential oils! Just be sure you know the source of the oils you use, because so many are mis-labled and actually contain fillers or synthetic chemicals to make them more cost effective (I will only use Young Living because of their transparency and commitment to quality).
What You See
Scientists tell us that many different colors can invoke certain emotions, which can greatly affect our energy. Surrounding yourself with bright colors like yellow, orange, and green can be helpful. More muted colors such as grays, browns, and blacks might drain energy.
If you're able to paint your walls with colors that energize you, go for it! If that's not an option, some things you can do are to buy decorations like wall art, flowers, pillows, desk accessories in the colors of your choice.
What You Hear
When you surround yourself with sounds of complaints, or the musings of the melancholy, it's easy to take those feelings on yourself. Negative feelings like these can very quickly suck the life and energy right out of you!
If you find yourself listening to people who tend to complain a lot, make an effort to infuse the conversation with positivity, or consider spending less time with those people and more time with those who are upbeat.
Take some time to think about the music, podcasts, and shows you listen to. Do you feel encouraged, lifted up, and optimistic afterwards? Or do they leave you feeling sad or downtrodden? What enters our minds via words and music can have a dramatic effect on our emotions, which can then affect our energy levels.
After evaluating these different external elements, what are some areas where you think you could benefit from a few tweaks or changes?
To grab my FREE guide on 5 Ways To Boost Your Energy, click here!
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Sleep Hygiene
When I first heard that phrase, I had visions of a bathtub in my bed. 🛀🏻 Literal hygiene.
Apparently not. 😂
Sleep hygiene refers to the ways you take care of your health to promote better sleep.
Some people are diligent about making sure they exercise regularly, avoid caffeine late in the day, stick to a strict sleep/wake schedule, and turn off all electronics.
Other people are on their cell phones as they fall asleep, or watching TV. They don't exercise, they consume a lot of alcohol late at night, and have a tendency to go to bed at all different times.
Which of those people do you think sleep better and feel more refreshed and energetic throughout the day?
My money is on the first group of people. Those are the ones with good sleep hygiene habits.
Did you know that 35% of adults admit to getting less than 7 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period? This, my friend, is the definition of sleep deprivation.
What happens when you're sleep deprived?
Lots of things. For one, sleep deprivation is the cause of 1,500 fatalities and 40,000 nonfatal injuries every single year in the United States.
And what else?
- It can cause you to be less alert, less able to focus, and less able to problem solve.
- It hinders your ability to lose weight (and can actually cause you to gain weight).
- Causes your skin to age faster.
- Impairs your memory.
- Can lead to heart disease and high blood pressure - both of which can be fatal.
- Increases risk of depression and anxiety.
This is why sleep hygiene is so important!
There's a lot more than just a handful of habits that go into sleep hygiene - the foods you eat; the books you read; what you think about during the day can even affect your sleep.
That's why I have a FREE Sleep Checklist available for you to download and work through, to help you develop better sleep hygiene habits so that you can begin to sleep more soundly each night, and wake up feeling refreshed throughout the day. I want you to live your life feeling as good as possible
Click here to grab yours!
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Monday morning. 6 a.m. Your alarm goes off and your first thought is to tap that Snooze button once or twice, because really, you don’t have to get out of bed until 6:30 a.m.
But wait - those extra few minutes of “sleep” could actually do you more harm than good, and here’s why.
Think about the stages of sleep: light, then deep, and finally REM.
Light: your heart rate slows and body temperature drops.
Deep: your body is regrowing tissue, building bone and muscle, and strengthening your immune system.
REM: this is the good stuff, when your body goes through all of its restorative process.
This whole cycle takes about 90 minutes, and different stages are repeated throughout the night.
When your body wakes up, and then returns to sleep but isn’t able to process through a full cycle, it can result in:
Drowsiness
Irritability
Inability to concentrate
Inability to recall or retain information
Difficulty sleeping
Those aren’t quite the health goals we’re reaching for!
So how can you break the snooze button habit?
Good news - it’s easier than you think with just a few simple tweaks.
Put your alarm clock on the opposite side of the room, so you have to physically get up to turn it off.
Start going to bed 10 minutes earlier each night, until you’re consistently going to sleep 30 minutes earlier than you were. If you’re still tired upon waking, repeat until you’re getting to bed an hour earlier.
Make sure your sleep is productive, by discontinuing use of electronic devices 90 minutes before bed, ensuring your mattress is comfortable, the temperature in your house is cool enough, and your room is dark and quiet.
Avoid caffeine by mid-afternoon (even if you think you fall asleep just fine with a double espresso before bed, it could hinder your sleep quality)
Find something that makes you excited to get up, like a new workout, a new devotional book, a morning beverage you love.
Exercise regularly. The ideal is at least 30 minutes per day, but even just 10 minutes will give you some major benefits.
You’ll find that the more often you wake up as soon as that alarm goes off, the more alert and rested you’ll feel during the day.
Tell me, which of these tips do you think you can implement today to help you break the snooze habit?
And if you’re looking for more energy throughout the day, be sure to grab my free guide on 5 Ways to Boost Your Energy!
How often would you say you complain?
According to an article on entrepreneur.com, research shows most people complain about once a minute during a typical conversation. That's a LOT! 🤯
Most of the time we complain because we want to "vent", and it just feels good to know that other people feel our pain and empathize with our situation.
When we complain, our brain builds pathways to ease the flow of information, which just makes it that much easier to complain again and again. And again...
Eventually complaining becomes our default behavior, which not only damages our relationships, but it can also physically damage our brain as well.
Stanford University ran a study that shows complaining can damage the hippocampus. The hippocampus is what Alzheimer's primary destroys, so let that sink in for a minute.
You can cause the same type of damage that Alzheimer's causes just by complaining.
Complaining can wreak physical havoc as well. When we complain, cortisol is released in order to prepare our bodies for fight-or-flight mode, and this raises blood pressure and blood sugar. The extra cortisol released also impairs our immune system which makes us more susceptible to a whole host of issues.
Have you heard the saying that you are the sum of the 5 people closest to you? That's because our brains tend to subconsciously mirror the moods of the people we spend the most time with. If you're around people who complain a lot, you can experience the same damage as if YOU were the one complaining.
Likewise, when you complain, you can damage those you love and are closest to you in those ways as well.
In this season of stress and unrest due to the unpredictability of the COVID-19 virus, it is more important than ever to protect ourselves against anything that can damage our immune systems, our bodies, and our minds.
Fear makes it so much easier for us to complain under these circumstances, though, right?
So what can we do to keep ours hearts and minds positive and avoid the damaging effects of complaining, when our worlds feel like they're in a tailspin?
1. Be grateful.
According to an article on entrepreneur.com, research shows most people complain about once a minute during a typical conversation. That's a LOT! 🤯
Most of the time we complain because we want to "vent", and it just feels good to know that other people feel our pain and empathize with our situation.
When we complain, our brain builds pathways to ease the flow of information, which just makes it that much easier to complain again and again. And again...
Eventually complaining becomes our default behavior, which not only damages our relationships, but it can also physically damage our brain as well.
Stanford University ran a study that shows complaining can damage the hippocampus. The hippocampus is what Alzheimer's primary destroys, so let that sink in for a minute.
You can cause the same type of damage that Alzheimer's causes just by complaining.
Complaining can wreak physical havoc as well. When we complain, cortisol is released in order to prepare our bodies for fight-or-flight mode, and this raises blood pressure and blood sugar. The extra cortisol released also impairs our immune system which makes us more susceptible to a whole host of issues.
Have you heard the saying that you are the sum of the 5 people closest to you? That's because our brains tend to subconsciously mirror the moods of the people we spend the most time with. If you're around people who complain a lot, you can experience the same damage as if YOU were the one complaining.
Likewise, when you complain, you can damage those you love and are closest to you in those ways as well.
In this season of stress and unrest due to the unpredictability of the COVID-19 virus, it is more important than ever to protect ourselves against anything that can damage our immune systems, our bodies, and our minds.
Fear makes it so much easier for us to complain under these circumstances, though, right?
So what can we do to keep ours hearts and minds positive and avoid the damaging effects of complaining, when our worlds feel like they're in a tailspin?
1. Be grateful.
We've all heard the suggestion to start our day with gratitude, but I would challenge you not only to start your day, but maybe set a reminder for throughout the day to think of more things to be grateful for. The floors in your home, the roof, the people who built it, coffee, your family, your pets, a safe environment, anything you can think to be grateful for.
2. Hear truth.
2. Hear truth.
Recognize that our feelings are NOT truth. We may feel scared, we may feel hopeless, we may feel lonely, but we have to remember that God promises to protect us, to give us hope, and to never leave us. Focus on TRUTH.
3. Practice self-care.
3. Practice self-care.
Take some time to participate in some soothing self-care. Take a bath, go for a walk, search YouTube for some quick workouts, read Scripture, pray, listen to worship music. Just enjoy some relaxation and peace.
4. LAUGH!
4. LAUGH!
Watch a funny movie on Netflix, search YouTube for comedians, Google jokes you can share with your family. Laugh together, play some board games, just have fun.
5. Stay connected.
5. Stay connected.
Make sure to stay connected with the outside world however you safely can, whether by phone, social media, video chatting, or sending snail mail. Now is the perfect time to handwrite some letters to loved ones and brighten their day. Staying connected and doing something kind for others will surely brighten your day and lessen any need to complain.
The next time you feel tempted to complain or release any kind of negative energy, keep in mind that our goal right now is to stay healthy.
Try this: keep a rubber band or hair tie on your wrist and snap it when you notice yourself complaining. You'll start to see just how often it actually happens, and it can be surprising!
Which one of these tips will you try today to help yourself break the habit of complaining and get through this pandemic successfully?
The next time you feel tempted to complain or release any kind of negative energy, keep in mind that our goal right now is to stay healthy.
Try this: keep a rubber band or hair tie on your wrist and snap it when you notice yourself complaining. You'll start to see just how often it actually happens, and it can be surprising!
Which one of these tips will you try today to help yourself break the habit of complaining and get through this pandemic successfully?
If you're anything like me, you've probably been on a million and one diets throughout your life. Maybe you hit your goal weight, maybe you didn't - maybe you gained the weight back, or maybe you're trying now to maintain all of your hard work.
Cutting calories (safely) is a great way to lose weight.
But - the calories we DO consume can make or break our weight loss efforts AND our energy levels.
Eating a 150 calorie chocolate bar might not throw off your tracker for the day, but replacing it with some Greek yogurt and a banana can not only keep your tracker happy as well, but can also help you to feel great all day long and still keep your tracker happy.
There are SO many healthy foods that we already know we should be eating (and which ones we shouldn't!).
How in the world are we supposed to know exactly which foods can give us the energy we need?
To take some of the guesswork out for you, I've compiled a list of the best foods to keep you energized throughout the day. As busy moms, we need to keep our energy on high so we can get #allthethings done, so here are some foods that you can incorporate into every meal.
Breakfast:
- Bananas
- Oranges
- Apples
- Blueberries
- Watermelon
- Eggs
- Coffee and Green Tea
- Whole Grain Cereal
- Greek Yogurt
- Chia Seeds
Lunch and Dinner:
- Avocados
- Dark, leafy greens (Spinach, Kale, etc.)
- Quinoa
- Lentil
- Tuna Fish
- Beans
- Wild Salmon
- Lean Beef
Snacks:
- Dates
- Raw Almonds (no added oils or salt)
- Edamame
- Trail Mix
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Dark chocolate (70% cacao or more)
These are easy foods to spread throughout our day so that we can keep our energy on high.
Which of these are your favorites?
