You have no idea how you do it each day. You get up, you get the kids to the school bus, you get to work, you kick butt and take names in the office, take the kids to their respective after school activities, come home, prepare meals, help with homework, start bedtime routines, clean up after everyone, and if you’re lucky, you get about 4 to 5 hours of sleep before it starts all over again.
Being a mother is tiring. You spend every waking minute tending to the direct and indirect needs of your family. There are essentially no days off and while you have the support of your significant other and/or relatives, you find that most days you don’t have the energy to get through the day.
As most women would have it, they don’t call in the calvary, call in sick, or take a break. Instead, they turn to unhealthy methods for jumpstarting their bodies into action. Some turn to caffeine, medication, and even sugary energy bars and drinks claiming to keep you up for 8 hours at a time. What they find is that none of these solutions really work and some even make matters worse. That’s why you need to quit Adderall and other prescribed stimulants, energy drinks, drinking 5-10 cups of coffee a day, and whatever other tricks you have up your sleeve to get more energy.
If this sounds similar to what you’re experiencing, perhaps this energy-boosting advice below would help you get through it.
Replace Refined Sugar with All-Natural Sugar Options
That sugar rush you get from candy, coffee, or energy drinks might seem to give you the “pick me up” you need to get through the next few hours, but that’s not the case. The sugar does turn into energy, but only temporarily and then your insulin levels drop and your body crashes. There’s also the added fact that too much refined sugar can cause weight gain and increase your risk of related illnesses.
Look for an all-natural sugar alternative like stevia, organic honey, or agave to sweeten beverages like tea. You should also start consuming more natural sugars like those found in fruits. Replacing that sugary energy drink with a fruit and veggie smoothie will give you the energy you’re looking for without the crash.
Drink More Water
Did you know that if you’re dehydrated you automatically lose more energy? In fact, when the body is dehydrated it causes the blood to thicken. This means that your heart has to work faster to pump blood throughout your body to keep it operating. The harder your heart works the less energy you have to complete your day to day activities.
You may not like water very much, but drinking it is vital to your health and will give you an increase in energy. You want to try and drink at least 8 glasses of water each day. If this is hard for you start off drinking a glass with each meal and then increase your consumption until you’ve reached the recommended amount. You can also add pieces of fruit to it for additional flavor.
Get Active
Okay, so this one might come as a surprise. You barely have the strength to brush your teeth and wash your face for work. So, how in the world is getting active going to help you out? Believe it or not, exercise can boost your energy levels. Exercise helps to get that heart rate pumping which helps to ensure that energy makes it to your muscles. As you work out regularly, you’re also increasing your strength, endurance, and stamina.
You don’t have to join a gym if you don’t have the time but find ways to get active throughout the day. Turn on music and dance a bit while doing household chores, work out at your office desk, use stairs instead of elevators, do some yoga in the mornings before you wake the kids up or after you’ve tucked them in for the night, or make it a family affair and go play fetch with the dog at a park or ride bikes.
There are a lot of “products and life hacks” that are said to help overworked and busy women to get more energy, but most of them do quite the opposite. Outside of asking for help, simplifying your life, and lightening your load, the best way to boost your energy levels is naturally. Change your diet, drink more water, and get active and you’ll find that you feel more charged than ever before.