5 Daily Habits To Have More Energy | Hea Boosters

Reviewed and edited by Ruchika Parmar, Masters in Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics

There are some who wake up with energy that can even put the sun to shame. For the majority of us though, that isn’t really the case. A lot of us sleep through the entire night but if we’re being honest, tend to wake up feeling more than a little tired and drained all the same.

Fatigue is not a new feeling for moms. Sleep deprivation is common during the first few years of motherhood and that’s totally understandable, though not entirely unavoidable. In addition to catering to their baby’s requirements, the mother often ends up taking on far too many things. 

With planning meals, getting ready for work, dealing with daily tasks and pressures at the office and/ or at home, entertaining friends and guests and tedious house chores too, is it any wonder that moms feel exhausted before their day has even begun?

While some amount of lethargy is totally encouraged, (everyone is entitled to a few days of binge eating or Netflix-and-nothing-else), things become a problem when all you want to do is stay in bed every day without getting up at all.

If that’s the way you’ve been feeling lately, poor nutrition and a lack of physical activity are the more likely culprits Ironic as it sounds, with all the innumerable things we do to take care of everything and everyone around us, self-care often takes a back seat for moms. So we’ve listed a few easy ways of building healthy habits that work well for us and will keep you energetic throughout the day. 

5 daily habits to have more energy:

1. Adopt a nutritious, well-balanced diet:
   Eating well doesn’t mean eating a lot or eating beyond your body’s requirements. Having a balanced diet is essential for ensuring adequate energy throughout the day. Please do not cut down your carbs completely into your diet as it's a biggest source you can get energy
   A lack of the right type and quantity of macro and micronutrients leads to deficiencies in energy-providing vitamins and minerals that help your body with better energy absorption.
   It’s a slippery slope after that where you find yourself clinging to quick fixes in high-pressure situations, reaching for that extra cup of coffee or giving in to sugar cravings, both of which are detrimental to your overall health. 
2. Get more exercise:
   This is probably the last thing on your mind as you are already feeling tired, but a short work out, especially in the morning actually energises and keeps you feeling more alert throughout the day? Exercise helps in releasing endorphins (happy hormones) and enhances your sense of well-being in general. Doing this with a group or in a structured way usually helps ensure that you don’t put this off on days that you’re just feeling lazy.  
3. Stay hydrated:
   Water activates your metabolism which is directly linked to energy. Dehydration causes a reduction in the amount of oxygen that reaches your brain which in turn causes your heart to pump harder so it can circulate the required amount of oxygen to various organs. This makes you feel tired and reduces your alertness. By staying hydrated, you avoid all this and stay energised.
4. Cutting down on caffeine:
   Coffee gives a spike of energy but that slowly dwindles down leaving you exhausted. What’s worse is that having too much caffeine actually keeps you awake at night, making it difficult for your to get the amount of sleep your body needs to feel and function well.
   As a diuretic, coffee tends to dehydrate you too. So while it may sound counter-intuitive, decreasing your intake of coffee could actually make you feel much more energetic over the course of the day.  
5. Spend time with your friends:
   A quick way to recharge yourself is to spend time with friends. While the current scenario may have limited your ability to meet people at the moment, technology has created several ways to do this virtually.
   Setting aside a few hours to talk and laugh with friends goes a long way in reducing stress and allowing you to unwind from the pressures of motherhood. Less stress = more energy.

Apart from the above, doing a few things like picking up a hobby (so your mind can focus on something you enjoy doing), add atleast one vegetable juice in a day which gives good amount of energy and hydrates the body well. getting some fresh air and boost your vitamin D levels so you can feel energised the natural way, allowing people to help you, instead of trying to do everything yourself), and starting your day positively will help you have more energy throughout the day. 

Creating a healthy lifestyle to have more energy doesn’t mean changing your life totally or introducing schedules that may make your life more complex. Changes need to be sustainable and well thought out to be followed for an extended period. Asking for help from people around will give you some time to relax. 

Remember, most chores can wait until tomorrow. Yes, the to-do list cannot always be ignored, and not every problem can simply be let go of. However, when your energy is depleted, it’s okay to let go of some things. In ten years, no one will remember whether your house was clean or not, but they will not forget the laughter you shared with them, the games you played with your kids and the moments you’ll have shared together.