Overcoming Low Energy
image shot at Ara Ha
The Daily Struggle of Low Energy
Technology has made it easier then ever to connect and complete tasks. Or does it? With the increase of technology we have continually added more and more into our days, pushing ourselves to the point of exhaustion on a frequent basis. 85% of Americans are using caffeine daily. (Caffeine Facts) The typical American is tired, overwhelmed, and burnt out, from just our everyday lives. If you have ever felt like your life is a never ending to do list, with no time to rest and recover, then keep reading on to learn about how you can address your energy needs in a healthy way that is sustainable, accessible, AND easy.
Causes of low energy
Too much stress:
Our lives can be overwhelmed by stress, especially this year. Stress steals from everything. It takes energy from our reserves, it steals building blocks for hormones, changes the pattern of blood away from our digestion and towards our organs of survival, & creates insulin resistance. When stress hormones are released our body is getting ready to fight, flee, freeze, or F-ornicate... These all require massive amounts of energy, so it's important to burn that energy in a healthy way, otherwise it just sits around in your body making you anxious.
Too Little Nutrition:
To be blunt our food system is jacked. We subsidize crops that are GMOs and increases health issues and increase costs of healthier options. People with less access to resource eat food that makes them sick and drives up their medical bills, putting them further behind.
We are what we eat. LITERALLY! It's not enough to eat foods "fortified" with vitamins, because its fake and isn't in usable forms. We eat empty calories that swing our blood sugar way out of wack. This causes our bodies to constantly look for missing nutrients. So, we eat more in order to get the nutrients we need to create & maintain our bodies.
"We are what we eat. LITERALLY!"
Lack of Movement
Our bodies only do what we tell them to do. If we are constantly using less energy, our body won't take the time to create it. It takes energy in order to make more (nothing is free). Whatever actions you take you're body will adapt to. So, to increase your energy, increase your movement.
In addition to creating more energy, movement helps your body clean out biproducts of life and waste. When you sit all the time, it's like having a sluggish sewage system. Ew. When you move, it helps your body clear the back up and get ready for the next adventure you take it on.
Not Enough Sleep (Can you say insommnia?)
In 2013, 65% of Americans got less then the necessary 8 hrs of sleep a night (I'm sure that number has risen since then). 8 hours of sleep is necessary for all the processes your body needs to complete while your mind reboots itself. And it matters when you go to sleep as well. Our bodies only release growth hormone before midnight, which is responsible for repairing our cells after we're done growing. Our liver and kidneys need to clean our blood, and only after that can our brain clean itself. Caffeine also affects our sleep, YES even you. It changes how well we can access our deeper sleep cycles and REM sleep which helps us integrate new memories and clean our brain of plaque.
Lack of Boundaries
Sometimes it's not about what you add to your life that increases your health and wellbeing, it's what you take away. Our modern society is so fixated on productivity. If you aren't working an 18 hours day, you won't be successful. This is bogus! You can do anything you want to, but you can't do everything.
"You can do anything you want to, but you can't do everything."
When we try to do everything, nothing gets done well. We neglect ALL of our responsibilities to try and make more and more fit in. We lack boundaries and try to serve every one everything ALL the time. This is completely unsustainable.
So what to do about all these things?
Quick Fixes
Managing Stress
Avoid stimulants. Caffeine makes you release stress hormones and puts you in the stress response. Switch to a non-caffinated drink, tea, or cut back to one small cup of coffee a day. Create a routine for self-care. It can be 5 minutes a day, but taking time for yourself is essential. Tap into some quick recalibration, check in with your breath, elongate your exhale, it causes you to switch back into rest and digest mode. Reach for some herbal allies. There are many amazing stress reducing herbs on the market. Some of my favorites are reishi, ashwaganda, and tulsi. Many people love CBD and/or THC too. Create a journalling practice to help make your stress more manageable and connect with a friend, community, or coach. Human connection can be some of the most healing because of the release of oxitocin (the bonding hormone) which literally stops the stress reaction in its tracks. Another GREAT option is to schedule a massage.
Eat Good Food
Eat REAL food, the smaller the label the better. Try and shop on the outside of the grocery store and buy organic or Non-GMO when possible.
There is a DIRECT correlation with increased use glyphosate (a major pesticide used) and rates of autism, depression, and much more. Try switching out one meal for a colorful salad, no cooking necessary! I suggest meal prepping and the Instant Pot! It's a life saver! Check out a dosha quiz to help guide you in eating for your body type!
Getting Good Sleep
Rest is so essential. Sleep is our reboot. Creating a routine around sleep will help your body subconsciously get ready for bed. Try to go to bed every night before 10 pm (super important for giving your body time to do the maintainence it needs). Give your self some time in between dinner and bed. Turn down major lights and make sure you are not using screens (phone, computer, TV) for at least an hour before bed. Drink some calming herbal teas. Great herbs for sleep and relaxation include: Chamomile, Kava, Blue Lotus, Catnip (yes the kind you give your cat), and milky oats. (Lavender and CA Poppy Seed is great for kids!) Sleep in a cooler room, if possible. Take a warm, but not hot epsom salt bath OR drink some magnesium.
Getting More Exercise
Exercise doesn't have to take an hour everyday to see the effects. Some quick accessible workouts can be found online. You can take a 15-20 minute walk outside each day, especially in the sun. The darker your skin the more exposure to the sun you will need in order to have the right levels of vitamin D. I suggest everyone supplements if your levels are less then 50. Quick stretching routines, 20 minute interval training or yoga sessions, or Qigong/ Tai Chi can be super easy to incorporate into your daily lives. Another really helpful way to get more movement is location based exercise. For example, everytime you go to the bathroom, do 5 squats.
Establishing Boundaries
When you are stressed out adding anything extra into your routine can be daunting, regardless of how well it might make you feel. So it's important to make sure you are really focusing your energy on things that are essential. We all need to practice saying "no" so that our "yes" can be move valuable.
"We all need to practice saying "no" so that our "yes" can be move valuable."
When we say no to things that are no longer serving us, we open up room for better things. Begin writing out to do lists and lists of your priorties. I actually like to establish what my goal as a human being is. (Working on personal growth in order to help others lead more healthy lives. Which in turn can help start a grassroots movement to make the world a better place to be in) If this action does not help serve my priorities, I decide not to do it. If it still needs to get done, I decide whether or not I should delegate it to someone else.
Giving others responsibility has been shown to make you and others happier and more satisfied. If you have kids, let your children learn the consequences of not follwing through early so they don't have to learn it as an adult. Teach others that your time is valuable, by only doing things that you are actually willing to do. Get comfortable with disappointing people. Those that are on your team and have healthy boundaries themselves, those who get mad at you don't have healthy boundaries and will try to blame you. This is in no way a reflection of you. It's their own inability being pushed back in their face. If they get mad, they weren't asking, they were begging.
Our time is valuable, so make sure you are filling it with what is best serving you. This is no excuse for laziness and it's no excuse to play the victim. When you hold your boundaries firm, you become the hero of your own story.
Creating personal wellbeing
When we begin to look at our troubles as a whole human, experiencing life, we begin to make lasting change. It's important to remember that we can't seperate our mind, body, and spirit from each other. It becomes a big problem, as we've seen in our medical system's inability to actually address our health concerns. The beginning of a new journey to health and wellbeing can be a daunting one. How do you know what food to eat, how to exercise, what supplements to take? Why are the things I'm trying not working?
All of these concerns are valid. We are often manipulated by marketing and false promises from would be "practitioners" guarenteeing results in 30 days or your money back.
There is NO magic bullet and there is NO one size fits all approach. That's where a suport network and qualified individuals like: Functional Medicine Practitioners, Naturopaths, Integrative Health Pracitioners, and Coaches come in. The alternative health field specializes in looking for imbalances that are contributing to your dis-ease and they focus on a holistic approach, taking into consideration your mind, body, and spirit.
Through my coaching and massage practice, I work to demystify your own unique experiences, needs, and situation when helping you navigate your path to wellbeing. We work to get at the root causes. We address why you are always tired and overwhelmed and then build a truly individualized program just for you.
