Tips for when you're tired

We have all been there.  Our alarm goes off and we hit the snooze button six times before rolling over to the inevitable reminder that we have to get out of bed.  Right now, my daughter is my alarm clock.  She wakes up around 5:30/6am bright eyed and ready to start her day.  Now that daylight savings time has changed its often before the sun even comes up.  I must admit part of me enjoys witnessing the sunrise over the horizon and drinking a cup of coffee before tackling my day. 

Recently, I have gotten into the habit of meditating in the morning.  I can feel the difference in my mind and body when I start my day with a bit of mindfulness.  I am less reactive, more responsive and better able to tackle any obstacles that come my way.  Here are five things you can do to start your day on a positive note:

-       Drink lemon water.  It is the best way to wake up the body and stimulate the digestive system.  Lemon water has been known to alkalize the body and boost your immune system.  I feel alive and alert after a hot water with lemon in the morning and it makes me less dependent on coffee.

-       Limit your coffee intake.  I love coffee as much as the next person but when it comes to being tired, it will either (a) not work (b) make you crash later or (c) limit you from taking a much needed nap when the opportunity strikes (like when your little one takes a nap!)  My solution: make your cup of coffee and sip it throughout the day or switch to green tea.

-       Make a smoothie – smoothies are packed with nutrients that help to hydrate and replenish the body.  Here is a recommended recipe:

• 1 cup of spinach

• 1 banana

• 1/2 cup of frozen mango (or berries)

• 1 scoop of super greens from yoursuperfoods

• 1 scoop of skinny protein from yoursuperfoods

• 1/2 an avocado

• splash of ginger

• fill to the top with water, coconut water or almond milk

• blend and enjoy!

-       Take it easy.  Your immune system is already compromised from lack of sleep so it’s important to take it easy and not push yourself.  Instead, prioritize what needs to get done and complete the task (because who else forgets things when they are tired?!) and you might want to consider canceling any work out or happy hour plans you had later on so you can catch up before you get too far behind.

-        Meditate.  My secret ingredient to living a healthy life.  If you are tired I recommend the Meditation for Serious Sleep by Amy Budden on the Unplug Meditation App but you can check out multiple world-class teachers on the platform who have amazing content online.  I also recommend yoga nidra which has been known to give you the same benefit of 3 hours of deep sleep!

-       Move!  Moving your body will help to get the blood flowing and increase energy throughout the body.  Heart openers, backbends, side stretches, and even gentle inversions are very helpful to help energize the body and return to a state of relaxation when you feel stressed or overwhelmed. 

-       Last, but not least, nap.  If you have 10 or even 30 minutes sometime throughout your day to close your eyes and catch some zzz’s, it might be all the time you need for your body to complete a sleep cycle and help you feel back to your happy go lucky self.  If you are like me and sleep is imperative to your wellbeing, then it is the very thing you need to feel the best version of you.

Enjoy and thanks for reading!