I don’t know if it’s age or just the lifestyle (i.e. being a parent) that makes me more worn out than I used to be. I always considered myself a morning person and a night owl, but nowadays I’m a "mid-day person" - can’t get up in the morning and can’t fall asleep fast enough in the evening! I have a window of opportunity for best activity during the day hours, sometimes feeling sleepy in the afternoons. Some days are obviously better than others, especially during the Summer when the days are longer. But in the Winter time…well, that can be a challenge. So if you are looking for some quick pick-me-up ideas for energy, here are 5 activities that help me:
- Hanging upside down. It works if you are skilled at doing a headstand, but since I can’t, I lean over the side of my bed so my head can hang down. Theoretically, it’s supposed to let the blood flow to the head and make you better able to focus. I definitely do find this to be the case.
- Yoga. Specifically there is a type of exercise move to do in bed upon waking. It involves sitting up like you are going to do crunchers, but instead of putting your hands behind your head, you place them on the back of your thighs (right above the back of your knees) and rock back and forth 5 times. It stretches your back and gets your heart pumping! Definitely works for me.
- Cold shower. If ever you want to shock your body awake, a cold (or lukewarm) shower can be most beneficial. Or, if you’re not brave enough, splashing your face with cold water can do wonders too.
- Shin massage. Yes, you read that right. I actually got that from a magazine a long, long time ago, that said that by rubbing up and down vigorously on your shins, it stimulates blood flow and makes you more awake. Go figure. I did find that yoga backs up the fact that stretching the legs so that they are taut promotes energy. So there is something to be said about such things. Who would have thought?
- Walking around and running. When all else fails, the best way you can keep from falling asleep is by walking or running. For that matter, take out the jump rope and jump a few times. Anything where you are moving makes a huge difference, because you can’t help feeling awake if your heart is pounding, releasing endorphins.
Hopefully, now that you’ve done all those things, you can face your morning or get through those mid-afternoon slumps so that you too can have instant energy without needing ever to drink or eat anything caffeinated!
