With a new year in full swing we are ready to focus on creating a routine that prioritizes our health and boosts our energy. Between work, family and personal endeavors, our health loses its status on the priority chain pretty quickly. Sleep is always one of the first things we sacrifice; we find ourselves staying up late to finish assignments or take care of personal matters that get pushed aside during the day. When we forget to set aside time for self care and rest, it is really difficult to take care of others and to be the best version of ourselves.
This month we are focusing on how to increase our energy levels so that we can not only tackle the work day and be super productive, but also have enough stamina to be in the moment with our family and friends when we’re not working. Here are five methods we are testing out this month that have made us feel fantastic so far!
1. Morning Exercise
Let’s be real: we will find any excuse not to workout, especially if it’s in the morning. But when we actually commit to a morning class or run, we feel a million times more alert and motivated to get through our to-do list. We recently tried out a morning SoulCycle class and it really put us in a positive headspace for the day ahead. Our instructor Cole encouraged us to not let fear keep us from reaching our goals, and hearing this during class motivated us to take on the week. We’ve decided stick to a morning workout routine this month – whether it’s a SoulCycle class, jog around the block, or 30 minute weight lifting session – to nurture both our mental and physical health. We might not make it to the gym every morning of the week, but we know that when we do it will keep us energetic throughout the day which is definitely motivating.
2. Vitamins
Vitamins are overwhelming. I have a friend who always travels with a full bag of supplements and when I ask her which ones I should be taking I feel like I walk away with a huge list and feeling even more confused. We recently signed up for Care/of which is a serious game changer when it comes to navigating the vitamin world. The website takes you through a short survey and asks you which areas you want to focus on (like energy!), and then it creates a suggested list based on your preferences. You select which ones you want to move forward with and they send you a month’s worth of vitamins in individual daily packets with your name on it. Super cute packaging, super easy vitamin regimen. We’re into it!
3. Clean Eating and Lots of H20
Kathryn recently tried the Whole30 cleanse which eliminates all processed foods and added sugar from your diet (including alcohol). It lasts for 30 days (hence the name), but she swears by it and now has us all wanting to take the plunge. She will be sharing her full experience with us soon, but in the mean time, we are all taking notes and trying to implement more clean eating into our daily diets! The biggest improvements you will notice? No more brain fog in the afternoons and energy levels stay up. While Whole30 can be a bit extreme to follow strictly year-round (Let’s face it, we all need a little vino in our life), it taught Kathryn a lot about clean eating. Everything in moderation, but avoiding processed foods and paying attention to what you put in your body plus drinking tons of water really affects your energy!
4. Take Little Work Breaks
When you’re sitting at the computer for hours at a time it’s easy to feel uninspired and unmotivated. We’ve found that taking quick breaks to flip through a magazine, walk around the block, grab a cup of coffee, or call a friend to catch up helps us stay alert and productive throughout the day. Sometimes it’s hard to leave our desks, but this month we’re trying to find a little perspective. We don’t encourage procrastinating (even though we can be guilty of this!) but we do think it’s important to prioritize and think about if something really needs to be done right that second or if it can wait 15 minutes.
5. Unwind After 5pm
We recently talked with a few ambitious career women about tips for unwinding after a long work day. We lose a lot of sleep when we try to go to bed without decompressing first. We find ourselves tossing and turning and going over items left on our to-do list. This month we are making an unwinding ritual part of our daily routine so that we fall asleep more quickly and sleep soundly. From journaling to taking a hot bath and from reading a good book to a quiet dinner once the kids are asleep, little rituals can make a big difference. Read our full list of tips here.
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