5 Tips for More Energy
Thank you to the makers of 5-hour™ TEA shots for sponsoring this post.
The last seven months of my life have been incredibly transformational. It all started a year ago, when I restarted my yoga practice in February of 2018. For me, yoga is a game-changer. It provides me with a completely different way of life–wellness physically, mentally, and spiritually. It is something that I had been longing for, for so long, especially since becoming a mother and facing major upheaval in my life post-motherhood, including moving houses three times, a divorce, and so on.
Even after I began my love affair with yoga, there has been a lot of trial & error as I’ve struggled to find a balance between work life, mom life, and yogi life. I’ve often found myself praying for just a little more time in the day, or at the very least just a little more energy. It seems that both of these things are in short supply for for many of us. With all of that said, I have found a handful of things that have been super helpful in giving me more energy. I am excited to share them with you today.
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Sleep — Let’s start with the most basic component of energy, sleep. Every person is different when it comes to how much sleep they need to function optimally. This is a matter of biology. My father is an example of a person who does not need much sleep. He functions best with 4-5 hours of sleep per night, and if he gets more than that, then he feels tired. It’s mind-boggling to me and I am forever disappointed that I didn’t get that gene! Disappointing though it may be, I am like my mother and I function optimally with 8 hours of sleep each night.
Unfortunately, for those of us who function best on 8 hours of sleep, that can be difficult to attain. There are a lot of factors that are outside of our control, such as what time we need to get up in the morning for work/school or whether our children sleep through the night or not. As much as we’d love to have more control over those things, we don’t. So what we need to do is to change what is within our control as needed. In terms of sleep, the main thing that we can control is when we put ourselves to bed.
For me, it’s rare that I sleep later than 6 am. Therefore, in order for me to get 8 hours of sleep, I must fall asleep by 10 pm. Knowing that it takes me a solid half hour to wind down and fall asleep, that means I need to be in bed by 9:30 pm. Now a lot of people will say that getting to bed at 9:30 pm is impossible and I get that, I really do. I used to feel that way too. But eventually I realized that, ultimately, it’s a matter of prioritization.
I have had to make a lot of major adjustments to make it happen. Dinner happens earlier, bedtime routines begin earlier, chores are finished earlier (or pushed to the morning), and so on. It isn’t easy, and it sure doesn’t happen every night, but for me, the effort is worth it.
It all comes down to self-care. If I make my sleep a priority, I am making my wellness a priority. I am setting myself up to be the best version of myself and therefore the best possible mother to my children, the best creator for my audience, and so on. You cannot pour from an empty vessel. How you prioritize your life and your time is up to you alone, and perhaps, it is one of the most important choices that we make each day.
Hydration/Diet — After sleep, diet and hydration are the next biggest factors for me in terms of my energy levels.. Again, optimal nutrition varies from person to person, depending on lifestyle and many other factors, but there are some basics that apply across the board.
First of all, it is critical that you stay hydrated. Dehydration not only leads to exhaustion and illness, but it also leads to overeating and lethargy. I aim to drink a minimum of 2 liters of water a day. I always have a large reusable water bottle with me wherever I go. Having the water nearby to sip throughout the day makes it that much easier to stay hydrated. Another critical piece of advice in terms of hydration and energy is avoiding alcohol. Alcohol is so detrimental in terms of health because it dehydrates you, it decreases your quality of sleep, and so much more.
In terms of eating, the best course of action is to eat small, healthy meals throughout the day. Fresh fruit, vegetables, and other real whole foods are where it’s at. Do not eat by the clock! Eat when your body tells you that it needs fuel. Most days I practice intermittent daily fasting, wherein I do not eat from 7 pm each night until about 12 noon the next day. I highly recommend looking into it as an option for yourself if you are seeking increased wellness.
Exercise — I’ve talked a lot about yoga in this post, but I realize that yoga isn’t for everyone. When it comes to exercise, I think the most important thing is that you find something that you love. For years, I forced myself to exercise in ways that I hated, namely cardio and weightlifting. It was such a nightmare. I dreaded going to the gym and I loathed the time spent doing those things. It was so foolish and it led to me wasting money on gym memberships that I hardly used and eventually giving up altogether more times than I can count.
Now, I go to yoga class between 2-3 times a week (I want to work up to 4-5 soon!) and I am in the best shape of my life. I also walk or hike outdoors several miles a day when the weather is good. I absolutely love yoga and walking. These things bring me joy and wellness–the best combination. Best of all, of course, is the increase in energy that comes with exercise.
5-hour™ TEA — These little bottles of tea have been so helpful to me throughout this journey. Many days I just don’t have the time to sit down with a hot cup of tea because I am flying out the door to kindergarten drop off or yoga class. On those days, I am so grateful to have my 5-hour™ TEA shots made by 5-hour ENERGY®.
5-hour™ TEA shots help you feel alert and energized and the caffeine comes from real green tea leaves. Each bottle contains zero sugar and four calories and is packed with vitamins, nutrients, and about as much caffeine as a cup of the leading premium coffee. It comes in three flavors–Peach Tea, Lemonade Tea, and Raspberry Tea. Raspberry is my favorite. You can find 5-hour™ TEA at your local CVS Pharmacy and learn more about it right here.
Superfoods — I try to include superfoods in my family’s diet at least a couple of times a week. I am always looking to add things like chia seeds, raw cacao, and acai berries to our smoothies, salads, muffins and cereal to give us that little extra boost to keep us going strong through our days.
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We can all use a little more energy in our lives so that we can truly be our best selves. You can find out where you can find 5-hour™ TEA shots near you right here.
I hope that this post has been helpful to you, friends. These are some of my favorite tips and I thank you for allowing me to share them with you. If you have your own tips for optimizing energy, I would love to hear them!
Wishing you wellness and joy, now and always.
