These are five simple habits that I swear by for supporting mood and energy levels throughout your day!
I wasn’t always a morning person. I would snooze my alarm multiple times and then drag myself out of bed giving myself JUST enough time to get to where I needed to be. I would head into my day sluggish and foggy-headed, relying on a constant drip of coffee to get me through the day. I felt like I was in a constant battle with my body. Without energy it’s really hard to show up as the best version of yourself in any area of life. It was affecting my ability to focus at work, I felt as if I had no emotional control and I craved sugar and carbs like crazy (my body was searching for quick energy!).
With a busy schedule and the constant pull in a thousand different directions, it can be easy to get complacent and make excuses as to why you can’t make a change. But things weren’t going to get better on their own, and I was worried about what would happen if I continued on this path, something had to change.
It sure didn’t happen overnight…it took time, trial and error and a commitment to show up for myself every single day, even in small ways. But through the process I became obsessed with the body’s ability to thrive when given the right tools.
I went back to school, dug into all the research and launched an online health coaching business so I could help as many woman as possible reclaim their energy and get back in tune with their body’s natural rhythms.
So here are 5 of my favorite daily habits that will completely shift the way you experience your day. Remember, this process takes time. We have all developed patterns over years, maybe even decades and it will take time to find a new flow. Be gentle with yourself, but CHOOSE to show up for yourself every single day.
- A Morning Walk: In today’s fast paced world we under-value the power of walking. We’re often in a constant rush to get from one place to the next so we resort to driving in our cars, taking elevators and opting for the quickest ways to get in our “workouts”. I get it, life is busy but a nature walk first thing in the morning, before you touch that phone 😉 not only gets your blood flowing but it instantly calms your nervous system, AND the morning light exposure will help set your circadian rhythm (more on that later) and trigger the release of hormones to increase your alertness and improve your ability to get restorative sleep that night. Talk about an efficient use of your time! We spend so much of our days indoors and in front of screens answering to the demands of everyone around us, a few moments in nature will set the tone for your entire day ahead.
- High-Protein Breakfast: Now we all love those delicious carb-heavy meals like oatmeal, pancakes and waffles, or you may be the type who skips breakfast all together or grabs a banana as you run out the door. Unfortunately these choices often come along with energy crashes, low mood and increased cravings, which can make it a lot more difficult to make healthy choices the rest of the day. I see transformations in my clients almost instantly when they swap their oatmeal or sugar-loaded bars for a high protein breakfast like eggs or ground turkey and veggies. It’s not about restricting yourself, but about giving your body the tools to feel it’s best and gaining a better understanding of how you responds to different foods.
- Movement Breaks: This one is especially important if you are sitting in an office chair most of the day. Movement isn’t mean to be something that is checked off your to-do list, it should be infused throughout your entire day. Whether that means walking to lunch, opting for the stairs, or setting a reminder in your phone to get up and do so stretching, find ways to change up your position and it will make a massive difference in your energy levels!
- Set a Consistent Bedtime: This is powerful one that I had a hard time committing to until I started reaping the benefits. Your body has an internal clock called your circadian rhythm that dictates everything from your mood, energy levels, digestion, hormone release and so much more! Your body uses external cues to determine where it’s at in time and it’s always looking for patterns. When you go to sleep and wake up at various times throughout the week your entire system is thrown off, which can result in you feeling sluggish during the day and wired at night.
- Close The Kitchen A Few Hours Before Bed: Or like I tell my clients, eat with the sun! Our body’s aren’t meant to be digesting food all day long, especially late into the night. Digestion is an energy intensive process, so the midnight snack while you’re watching Netflix can actually disrupt your sleep quality and take energy away from the detoxification and restoration that is meant to be happening.
