Trouble Getting Up in the Morning? Food Coma? Simple Tips To Be Healthy, Energetic & Productive

Ups and downs throughout the day are normal and are part & parcel of our lives. However, with some easy tricks, you can feel good all day (for most of it, at least!).

How to become a MORNING person

Not everyone is a morning person and some of us have difficulties getting started. Why not try starting your day off with a BANG? Literally jump out of your bed and get moving!

Let's get moving

Movement involves light stretching, jumping jacks with your eyes closed, anything that moves your limbs. ‘Exercise’ doesn’t need to involve a gym or excessive sweating. You can even try mind body activities such as yoga, tai chi, meditation or active stretching, which includes breath work.

Stick a mat in your room or place some resistance bands/straps near you so you will be more motivated to do so.

Feel the immediate effects of core firing

Breathing is incredible to ignite your core through rapid exhales and engaging your abdomen (check out the Kapalahbhati breath here), plus it's instant!

Increasing your core temperature is actually the first step to warming up your muscles and your body.

With the 'wake-up call', some will then have the feeling of wanting to sweat more once they are fired up, due to the release of endorphins.

Through constant practice and developing your mind-body connection consciously, mindful exercise can become integral to your daily life.

Setting intentions and practicing gratitude

Grab a glass of water (or lemon water if you'd like) and take a few minutes to access your clarity, be connected with your mind & body, and set an intention.

An intention is a choice. "By setting your intention, you pave your way, you set yourself up for success."

Then, remind yourself of 3 things you appreciate in your life daily. Remember that generating enormous amounts of positivity at the beginning of your day is key to going out and achieving your goals set for the day!

How to avoid food coma after LUNCH

The choices you make for your lunch break heavily influence how you will feel in the afternoon. The two main factors in this 'food coma dilemma' are your blood sugar levels and the digestion work of your stomach.

Keep your blood sugar levels balanced with these tips

Include complex carbohydrates such as brown rice, wholegrain bread, sweet potatoes, buckwheat, legumes, quinoa for slow releasing energy.
Add lean protein sources to keep you full. Example: chicken, turkey, eggs, legumes, tofu.
Top your lunch up with healthy fats to slow down the rise in your blood sugar. Example: nuts and seeds, avocado, olive oil.

Heavy digestible food concentrates all your blood in your stomach, not leaving anything for your brain. Therefore, opt for easily digestible food when it comes to your lunch break:

Reduce fat overloaded food such as deep fried food, heavy sauces, sausages or oily dishes.
Cooked food is easier to digest than raw food (yes, salad can produce some heavy bloating).
Try to chew your food - the more you chew, the easier it will be to digest.
Eat slowly to give your brain time to realize when you are full - avoid overeating.

Apart from food, your choice of drink also does influence energy levels. Our body consists of 60% of water - just a 1% loss of your body weight in water can reduce your concentration levels. To stay focused during your work and fight your afternoon tiredness, get at least 2-3 litres of plain water daily.

Stay awake in the AFTERNOON

Still feeling sleepy at 4pm in the day despite a well-balanced lunch? Use the below tips to effectively boost your energy and focus levels again:

First of all, STAND UP and take a walk. Nothing beats tearing your eyes away from the screen, going into a different environment and stretching.

Busy working professionals, and even students, not only have problems with tight hamstrings and hips, they often have strained necks and limited wrist mobility from sitting too long at the desk. Educate yourself with some simple wrist exercises that you can do at your desk and literally anywhere else.

Not having time to pause at all during work is 100% not an excuse. Go to the bathroom and stretch, breathe, close your eyes for 2 minutes if you have to. If you make yourself and your body a priority, there is nothing more important than clearing your mind so that you can become even more productive and energized.

Sleep like a baby at NIGHT

Sleep heavily affects our body and day-to-day functions. If we don’t get enough rest, we are more irritable, have more cravings and are less likely to smile.

Note that in addition to the quantity of sleep we get, the quality of sleep also has a huge impact on how we feel. 5 hours of great rest can be worth more than 8 hours of tossing and turning.

With just a few tricks you can set yourself up for better sleep -

just like a baby:

Make yourself some calming tea such as camomile or lavender, before going to bed
Mist your pillow with lavender spray to calm your senses
Meditate for 10 minutes to clear your brain
Take a shower or a hot bath
Avoid having electronic devices in your bedroom to the extent possible - no televisions, game consoles, video players, computers
Get rid of phone chargers next to your bed
Turn off all lights in your bedroom

Take little steps daily to improve your general health (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual) & wellbeing for greater productivity and success! It is a step-by-step process - little tweaks towards a better lifestyle, rather than no action at all!

Intention setting, breath work exercises and gratitude lists are 3 great ways / takeaways to start connecting with your conscious self!

CONSCIOUS LIVING starts from the simple act of being more aware. By living in the moment and gaining consciousness of how and why your actions can actually affect yourself, other people, the society and environment, you can then create a space where you are making thoughtful decisions, instead of going with the flow.

We challenge you to partake in our exploration of the various aspects surrounding Conscious Living:

How else do you practice Conscious Living? What does Conscious Living mean to you? Drop us a note at: ladies@thebusywomanproject.com
Share with us Conscious Brands that you are aware of which are for the Environment, for Women (i.e. Women-owned/led and supports Women Empowerment), etc. Simply hashtag #TBWPXConscious on any of your social media posts.
Feedback to us what are some topics you’d like to learn or hear more of with regards to Conscious Living. Email us or post on our closed Facebook group and how you’re exploring to be more conscious.

Article contributed by #TEAMBUSYWOMAN community members Dominique Musey, a nutritionist & Melissa Dorai, a personal trainer based in Singapore.

Together, they initiated a monthly newsletter on Nurture Your Happiness, with topics surrounding nutrition, fitness and leading an overall healthy lifestyle. These ladies are not doing this for financial goals, but to share advice genuinely and freely so that you can help others too in your own way, and thus establish a rippling effect throughout our society!