Energy – Are You Tired?
So often I hear ‘I’m tired’, I have no energy’. Is this you?
Energy is something we all need, just to get up every day, to do the essentials, and to live. If you are feeling tired or feel drained of energy, what is actually happening to you? It means there is a disconnection between your body and your mind. You are not fuelling your body, not caring for your mind or your body. If you are feeling tired, then your brain is also struggling, struggling to think clearly, to make decisions, to act decisively, to be calm and organised.
Without energy, everything is an effort, a struggle. It is easier to put things off, to say ‘I’ll do it another day, not today’. It can even be dangerous. If you are tired, then driving or operating machinery can be dangerous; important decision-making can be jeopardised. Even simple things like remembering ‘did I put the alarm on, where did I leave my keys?’ Brain fog can be caused by tiredness.
If you are self-employed or running a business, you need to always be on top of your game, you need to feel fresh and active, mentally and physically. You need to be aware, to be proactive, to be ‘on message’ in all situations. How can you do this if you are tired and have no energy?
What to do if you are tired:
Eat: Look at what you are eating. Is it fresh food, or is it processed or junk food with lots of carbohydrates and sugars? What are you drinking? Is it water, or sugary drinks and alcohol? What times do you eat at? Do you eat breakfast, lunch and dinner, sitting down at mealtimes? Or are you eating on the go, a coffee/Danish here, a snack bar/soft drink there, in the car or at your desk? Do you snack/drink alcohol after dinner in the evening, watching TV? This kind of eating leads to weight gain and to tiredness.
When and how you eat are almost as important as what you eat. Become aware of your eating patterns. Eat meals, at mealtimes. You need to drink 2 litres of water per day.
12 hour nightly fast: Fasting is the best way to rest your system, to detox, to fuel your body and allow it to re-charge. All you have to do is to allow 12 or more hours without food/drink (except water). You can do this every night by eating your dinner/supper before 7 pm and not eating breakfast before 7 am. You will feel much more alert and energetic every day if you stick to this regime. And, sleep with the window open!
Exercise: Exercise does NOT make you tired! On the contrary, the more you exercise, the more energy you will have, the clearer your brain will be, the more alert you will be, and the more positive your mood will be.
Start with a 20-minute walk, and try to do 30 minutes of exercise every day (fast walk, cycle, dance, skip, bounce, run up and down stairs,) whatever is easy, and mix it up. While you do this, close your mouth, breathe through your nose and relax your body (check out Buteyko breathing, http://www.buteyko.ie/healthy-breathing.php). Quote:
The effects of breathing on your health:
If your breathing is incorrect, your health suffers. The effects of incorrect breathing are felt by a whole range of systems – immune, circulatory, endocrine and nervous – as well as by your energy production. By working with your breathing, you can improve a whole range of symptoms and conditions.
Breathing can be used as a tool for restoring rest, relaxation and energy. Many people with chronic fatigue syndrome have greatly aided their recovery using the principles of normalising breathing.
Feel your body move and enjoy the feeling.
Clara Trekking
Fit for Business:
Being self-employed or running a business can be stressful and demanding. You need to be fit for work and fit for your business. You have to be able to make decisions, respond promptly to enquiries and requests, look bright and alert to customers, and convey a positive can-do attitude. By following the few tips above, you can feel great, be sharp and alert, and enjoy the experience of living life to the full.