I’m Sophia- I’m 43 years old, I’m a full-time working mom of two little ones, and by the end of my days, as you can imagine, I was exhausted. I struggled with fatigue for years, I felt old and tired all the time. I didn’t have energy and my afternoon caffeine wasn’t cutting it. I want to share with you 7 Habits or otherwise known as lifestyle changes that are proven to work. If you’re a woman like me in your 40’s, these are the 7 habits that helped increase my energy level, and I’m sure will increase yours as well- here we go:
Habit #1 10 minute motivation/spiritual meditation/bible scripture reading/gratitude journal.
It’s important to take the first 10 minutes of your day to meditate. Whether it’s mindfulness, motivational talk, spiritual prayers, meditating in general, or writing in a gratitude journal- take the time to quiet your mind the first 10 minutes of your day.
Habit #2 Amino Acids & Vitamin Supplements
Take Amino Acids and Vitamin Supplements. I can’t tell you what a difference this has made. I wake up and make a shake- I put two scoops of amino acids in my protein shake and boom- I feel so good and so energized. I’m getting protein for fuel, and energy from the amino acids at the same time and I feel ready to start my day. Along with the Amino acids, I also take a vitamin supplement- very important to take that too on a full stomach!
Habit #3 Sleep
Getting enough beauty sleep is so important. Your mind is more alert and you don’t feel like you need caffeine to make it through the day. Sometimes getting too much sleep can have the adverse effect, and make you more tired as well, so calculating the amount of hours you need is important. I know there are sleep apps out there that you can try to help you. I even set a bedtime alarm on my phone to help me set the amount of hours I want to sleep each night and it reminds me to go to bed.
Habit #4 Make a list
Make a list to Prioritize your day/week so you’re not running around endlessly. Order everything online such as your groceries and have them delivered to save time and energy. Just planning the day, writing it down, making a list, lessens the space in your mind so you don’t feel exhausted trying to remember everything you need to do.
Habit #5 Lower your carb intake and limit sugar.
Just by limiting your carbs, you will feel less bloated and tired. Remember, carbs, especially refined carbs slow you down, make you feel sluggish, and then turn into sugar. What does sugar do? It gives you energy for a few minutes and then you crash and burn. By limiting sugar and carbs, you will increase your energy during the day.
Habit #6 Listen to upbeat Music
Just by listening to your favorite songs, you will instantly start to uplift your mood and energy level. If you feel tired, take a walk, bike ride, or take a drive in your car- blast the music and dance or sing like no one is watching. The endorphins in music elevate your spirit and make you feel energized instantly. Not only can music distract you from “bodily awareness” aka the aches and pains of old age or working out, it has a health effect too. Listening to music releases endorphins in the brain. Endorphins give us a heightened feeling of excitement. Listening to the music you love will make your brain release more dopamine. A new study has found that dopamine — a neurotransmitter that plays an important role in our cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functioning — plays a direct role in the reward experience induced by music. Pretty cool, right?
Habit #7 Exercise
Exchange cardio for weights. Weight training helps your body prepare for times when lots of energy is needed for a short while. The training ensures that after these short bursts you won’t drain yourself completely, leaving you with enough energy to keep on. Exercise is a life changing habit. This type of energy comes from your body releasing several hormones such as endorphins (that exhilarated feeling), Dopamine (that Pleasure feeling), Serotonin (which is Increased Energy and mind clearness). The most important thing is to get in the habit of the mental and physical effects of working out (Energy and mind clearness throughout the day). This realization will make you wake up to exercise every day, and creating the habit of exercising will become easier.