Back to work with a bump!
The end of the summer holidays. The kids going back to school. The welcome return of structure and routine and for some of you, less hassle of ferrying kids to childminders or summer clubs, and for others, less voices in your head.
However, in my experience, going to back to work and the kids going back to school also means greater depletion of energy, or just more exhaustion. How do you handle your tiredness at the end of the day? Here are my tips for having more energy to see you through.
1. Stay off the sugar.
It's so easy to reach for a sugary snack when your energy is low. It makes sense after all, replace energy with energy. Sadly however, that sugar fix is a short lived shot of energy and very often, within an hour, you will feel tired again. A sugary snack increases your blood sugar levels so you may temporarily feel better. However, it won't be long until you feel tired again, if not worse as you sugar levels balance back out again. If your'e anything like me, reaching for another sugary snack is the option.... but this really isn't the way forward. As you are aware, too much sugar leads to excess weight - and guess what, carrying excess weight around will just make you tired!
2. Stay off the alcohol.
Yep, sorry. Although a nice glass of wine or two in the evening may help you unwind, research shows that drinking alcohol affects the kind of sleep you get each night. Alcohol effects the amount of REM sleep you have - the good deep sleep you need in order to feel refreshed and at your best the next day. So, ditch the wine and sleep better. Also, drinking alcohol each day can lead to addiction and also affects your liver function - meaning you will feel tired.......
3. Exercise more
Exercise does amazing things for you. Just a small amount (30 mins) 5 times a week will help you feel better, improve your mental health, keep your weight under control and also help you sleep better. Whether it's an early morning run to really get you going each day, or an evening stroll, exercise is an all round winner.
4. Watch what you eat.
Eating heavily processed food affects your digestive system. It goes in easy but there is little work for the gut to do so the body doesn't get the vital nutrients you need. Cook from scratch when you can and make sure you have at least your 5 servings of fruit and veg a day (as serving size is what you can hold in your hand). Having a happy digestive system helps your brain as it is able to pull the vital nutrients it needs from the food. And, if your gut is working as it should, you will have more energy.
I hope this helps you feel more energetic as we head into those cold and gloomy winter months!
