Tips to give mums more energy during the day

Energy boost tips!

Start your day right! -- should you want to have a day pumping with energy. Here are some juicy bits on how you can wake up feeling like you can conquer the day—plus your hubby, your career, your four kids, pets (and the list goes on)…

1. Balanced diet

In order for you to start your mornings right, you’d have to end your evenings well. You don’t need a rocket scientist to tell you that, right? Well, know that what you consume for dinner will in fact affect how well you sleep. Quit late night dinners or suppers—if you don’t want your body to go into overtime digestion that will make it difficult for you to fall asleep. Bloating and indigestion will cause you to toss and turn or go to the bathroom in the wee hours of morning. So it is imperative that you keep the last meal of the day light.

2. Get enough rest

A regular sleep schedule is not only reserved for kids, we need them to. Loss of sufficient shut-eye will definitely affect the way we function the next day. We can train our bodies to adopt a certain habit of going to sleep and waking up at the same time. Routine helps.

3. Sleep in a dark dark place

We also advise that you sleep in a dark dark place, for being exposed to the light when you’re attempting to drift into slumber land can affect your internal cycles. This means kill all light sources—may it be the LED light from your air-cond or the slight luminosity from your digital clock. No light. Period.

4. Hydrate

Drink like a fish—wait…do fish really drink? OK, never mind that. What we’re trying to convey here is that you should keep yourself hydrated during the day; especially when you wake up in the morning. Try to gulp down at least two glasses of water because when you get up, you’d have gone quite a few hours without H2O and dehydration has set in. Drinking water when you wake up will promote circulation, which will in turn energize you.

5. Breakfast

Did your mum tell you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day? Well, now that you are a mum, don’t you think you should heed that advise? For those who don’t do breakfast, here’s why you should reconsider…The first meal in the morning will help you stabilize blood sugar levels, supply glucose to the brain and rev up your energy levels to help you get perky for the day. Do a healthy breakfast and give the same to your kid. They’ll thank you for it.

6. Bask in the sunshine

Bask in the sunshine—get outside and soak in the sun for at least 15 to 30 minutes. You’ll become more alert and awake when your melatonin levels fall and this happens when the pineal gland in your brain detects sunlight, which in turn causes melatonin production to be reduced.

7. Connect inwardly

Serenity is achieved through meditation. A little peace at the start of your day can mean that you’ll have that zen follow you as you go about your hectic day. Meditation can activate your brain by getting blood flowing through the brain. All you need is 15 minutes, and here’s an idea—sit near a window and feel the sunlight hitting your face and body and you’ll achieve tip number six.

8. Increase your physical activity

"You got to move it move it!" It does not take a genius to know that activity gets your blood pumping, which would lead to energy, right? Don’t exert yourself; take it easy, you don’t have to run a marathon. A simple activity will do—it can be as simple as walking your pet, yoga, gardening, tai chi or any thing that will get you off your butt.

9. Caffeine

Watch out for the amount of caffeine that you consume in a day. Yes, that morning cup of coffee is compulsory to give you that kick you need but too much of caffeine can lead to your downfall. Caffeine increases adrenaline production and since it is a diuretic, it can also cause mild dehydration—depending on how sensitive you are to caffeine. Stop caffeine intake at least 6 hours before bedtime.

10. Avoid energy drinks

Don’t be fooled that energy drinks will give you energy—so don’t get carried away. You will get a surge of feel good energy but most of these liquids contain too many stimulating substances that are not exactly healthy for you. Some experts say that these drinks can even cause reactive low blood sugar and eventually make you experience fatigue— meaning that when you overstimulate your nervous system, it can lead to adrenal exhaustion and you might just suffer from round the clock exhaustion.

11. Cold shower

At the end of your shower, reduce the temperature of the water to slightly colder. The cooler water after the warmth of the shower, will jolt your nervous system and lead to an energy boost.

12. Breathe

Throw your arms out, stretch and take a deep breath. Deep breathing brings in more oxygen to your body

Written by

Felicia Chin

Momparentingtips