Energizer Mommy? Here Are The Tips To Get You There

🎵Work, work, work, work, work.🎵Anyone else channel their inner Rihanna when they are trying to muster up the energy to make it through the day? 

Energy is literally defined as the capacity to work. And motherhood is definitely hard work!

In Brendon Burchard’s book, High Performance Habits, he talks about 6 key habits of high performers. And one of those habits...is Energy.

Specifically, to Generate Energy! Brendon talks about building up reserves of energy so that you can maintain effort AND focus for longer periods of time. As well as take care of your mental and physical well-being, while bringing positive emotions to your work.

Having energy can lead to productivity, help you pursue your passion, and help you feel fulfilled. 

We all want those things, right?

It’s time to generate some energy. Here are our top tips!

1. Try to keep up with your kids. 

This one is kind of a joke because they actually are the main reason you have no energy. But we had to share this incredible proof of why kids have so much energy. 

A recent study found that children have more energy than endurance athletes! Young children were found to have fatigue-resistance muscles AND to recover faster after high-intensity exercise when compared to both trained and untrained adults. 

The researchers concluded that being a child is good for your health and energy :). 

2. Stress less.

Stress is THE WORST! It sucks up all of your energy, makes you grumpy, and can have negative effects on your health. It’s easy for someone to tell you to just stop stressing, but it’s another to figure out how.

Here are some quick tips to help with stress:

• Avoid alcohol and nicotine.
• Get more sleep. Let me rephrase. Sometimes sleep is impossible with little kids. Rest as often as you can. 
• Accept the mess. This one can be hard for Type A personalities. Maybe this means cleaning once the kiddos are in bed? Or once every couple of days? 
• ASK FOR HELP! This is the hardest one of all. Ask your kids to help you (if they’re old enough). Ask your spouse. Just ask!

3. Exercise.

You’ll definitely sleep better after a good sweat sesh (which also helps with energy)! But if you want to get all sciency, your body releases epinephrine and norepinephrine (stress hormones) that can help you feel energized! It also trains your heart to work more efficiently, which helps get more oxygen to the brain and other organs. 

4. Find your sweet sleep spot.

We touched on sleep above. When you have kids (especially kids who refuse to sleep) it seems like you will never sleep again. It’s easy to get stressed out when you try so so hard to get those 8 hours of recommended sleep in. Sometimes, it just won’t happen. So, find your sweet spot. 

Sneak naps in when you can. Go to bed early if you have a child who wakes up at the crack of dawn. Swap nighttime duties with your spouse. If you need help falling asleep at night, maybe it’s time for a good nighttime routine.

5. Eat energy foods.

• Bananas: Great source of carbs, potassium and vitamin B6
• Sweet Potatoes: (Hoping sweet potato fries count!) Packed with carbs, fiber, and more
• Eggs: If you want options, eggs are your best bet. Omelette, fried, scrambled, hard-boiled, over easy, etc. 
• Apples: With their rich content of natural sugars and fiber, apples provide a slow and sustained energy release. 

There are a lot more energy foods but we just picked a few.

6. Un-busy-yourself.

We live in a busy world. Do me a favor and look at your phone. How many apps do you have? Pull open your laptop, how many tabs do you have open? How often are you on your phone (social media, reading, looking at pictures)? How many streaming services do you have? 

You get the point. These are just screentime options--I haven’t even gotten into everything else we have going on. 

Want more energy? Put down your phone, shut off all of your screens, and just be!

7. Be strategic with caffeine.

Caffeine can be a lifesaver! But depending on your caffeine source, you can get some other consequences (like yellow teeth, weight gain, and a terrible crash).

Look for caffeine sources that don’t have a crash. 

And be sure to take them at the best times that will keep you up when you want to. Many sources recommend that you stop drinking caffeine after 12 noon so you don’t affect your nighttime sleep. But if you’re someone who works the night shift, you will want to adjust your caffeine intake to best keep you energized!

8. Drink H2O.

When you’re dehydrated, you feel more fatigued. And if we are being realistic, the more water you drink, the more you will need to GET UP and go to the restroom. Win win :). 

All jokes aside, water helps you digest your food, lubricates your joints, and it helps your body get rid of toxins, so if you don’t have enough water to do these things (and more) everything will stop. That’s not good. Drink that water!

9. Seek meaningful experiences. 

Think of the moments in your life when you felt most energized! Seeing your new baby for the first time (followed by exhaustion), spending time with friends, doing your favorite hobby, spending time with your family, traveling, seeing a beautiful sunset, hiking a mountain. 

Finding purpose and joy in the little things can add a little pep to your step. But when we are so busy mommin’ we sometimes forget about the little things. So, don’t forget to seek them out.

You deserve to live your best life! That means a life full of energy filled with meaningful experiences.