Energy Boosters

So the Christmas season is over. The family has gone back home, it’s back to school for the kids and back to work for the rest of us. As much as we all love Christmas, sometimes it’s nice to be back to the usual routine. However, after the holiday hustle there tends to remain a feeling of exhaustion. Whether it’s due to overindulgence, lack of sunlight or just constantly being on the go, January is often known as being a tired month.

However, the month of January is also when everyone tries to start getting healthy again. This renewed vigour at health is exciting and a positive change, but becomes quickly tiresome due to the exhaustion. Motivation quickly drains away when energy levels are low and this leads to further degradation into exhaustion.

How do we combat this? Some people increase their caffeine intake, while others increase their hours of TV time. While both of these might be a temporary fix, they’ll often leave you feeling more drained at the end of the day and worse the day after. Here are some natural, healthy energy boosters that can help with the January doldrums.

1. Stay Active: Increasing physical activity actually increases energy. The key is to focus on daily physical activity and not just “exercise!” Scrub, dig, shovel, walk, play, ride or wheel through your day. Take the first step and the second will follow.

2. Sleep Tight: Making time for sleep is essential to feeling alert and ready to take on the day. Most people need at least eight to nine hours every night. To help create a restful atmosphere - fully darken your bedroom, keep the room at a comfortable temperature, keep your phone/TV out of the bedroom and use white noise (a fan or quiet music) to help induce sleepiness.

3. Eat Right: Meal timing is another important factor in maintaining energy levels. People often skip meals, and wonder why they are tired in the afternoon. Skipping meals can cause blood sugar swings, often resulting in fatigue. You should eat at least three nutritious meals each day with the last meal well before bedtime.

4. De-stress: One of the biggest energy zappers is stress, which can leave you mentally and physically exhausted. Counter these energy killers by involving more relaxation activities into your day. Whether that includes exercise, meditation, spending time with friends and family or simply listening to music, find your relief however you can!

5. Sunshine or Vitamin D: The body makes vitamin D after exposure to sun, which can help with higher physical performance and improved mood. Try to get 10 minutes of unprotected exposure to the sun at least three times a week. Unfortunately however, we live in Alberta and that means sometimes we can’t get that sunshine as often as we’d like. So particularly in the winter months, supplement with Vitamin D to make sure that you get your correct daily intake!

Resources

Canadian Chiropractic Association. 2013. http://www.chiropracticcanada.ca/en-us/backs-and-health/back-care-tips/on-the-go/energy-boosters.aspx