TsMortgages
01-13-2012, 04:48 PM
In the past I have often found myself feeling tired and fatigued, mainly in the afternoons while at work. One of the main things you can do to avoid this is the obvious... Get a good night sleep. But this is not always the solution and there is plenty more that can be done to avoid this agonising feeling. For myself and im sure most of you, an afternoon nap at your desk is just not an option. As much as we would like it to be. So I decided to do a little research on staying more alert through out the work day and tips on getting a good, solid night`s sleep. Here is what I have come up with, enjoy:
1. Make sure you eat a good healthy breakfast in the morning! Research shows people who eat a good breakfast in the morning feel better both physically and mentally throughout the day! It can also reduce the stress hormone!
2. Eat 3 smaller meals and 2 snacks through out the day, or eat every 3 to 4 hours. This helps to stabilise your blood sugar and energy levels through out the day.
3. Fill up on more fiber. Fiber has a time-releasing effect on carbs, so they enter your bloodstream at a slow and steady pace, giving your energy staying power.
4. Found in fatty fish (such as tuna and salmon), walnuts, and canola oil, Omega-3`s are essential fatty acids that play a role in keeping brain cells healthy and helping you feel mentally alert. Eat some!
5. Drink plenty of water. Mild dehydration can actually cause fatigue due to an increase in thickness of the blood causing your heart to work harder!
6. Stop drinking coffee in the afternoon. This sounds counter productive, however Consuming caffeine in the afternoons or evenings can negatively affect your sleep at night, leaving you feeling fatigued the following day.
7. Listen to music. Seriously... Good music can wake you up, get the blood pumping and your favourite songs can change your mood from bad to good in a matter of minutes, Try it!
8. Computers and T.V`s off after 8 pm. The bright lights (White ones especially) emitted from your TV and computer can reduce the production of melatonin, a hormone that tells your body when it`s night time.
9.Lower the thermostat. Make sure your room is a comfortable cool temperature, cool enough for a light blanket. Your body`s internal temperature actually lowers while you are asleep so its a good idea to keep your environment in sync with this.
10. Hit the gym. Exercise has been proven to help you fall asleep at night faster, spend more hours in REM or deep sleep and wake up less often through out the night. Resulting in feeling much more rested and energised the next day!
11. Get things off your mind. For most of us we start to worry about all our problems, fears and issues when we hit the sack. This can be work related or in our personal life. Try this exercise: Spend 15 minutes every night before bed to focus on your worries and what is bothering you. During these 15 minutes write down on a blank sheet of paper or in a journal everything and anything that comes to mind. When the time is up turn the lights out. This can really help you to relax at night and ease the mind, knowing that it is all written down and you can come back to your worries in the morning. allot of the time we worry we will forget about whats on our mind in the morning, if it is written down, you will never forget it.
12. Crack open a book. last but not least, another solution to getting worries off your mind if you are not into keeping a journal is reading. You would be amazed how the mind can forget about all your worries and things stressing you out when you read before bed. If you are reading something you are enjoying, this can work very effectively. It has for me, I have woken up in the middle of the night on more than one occasion with my book flopped on my chest. Its just another simple and effective way to shut it all off.
Hope you enjoy my fatigue and sleeping tips. Would love to hear some to hear some of your comments!
Ts
1. Make sure you eat a good healthy breakfast in the morning! Research shows people who eat a good breakfast in the morning feel better both physically and mentally throughout the day! It can also reduce the stress hormone!
2. Eat 3 smaller meals and 2 snacks through out the day, or eat every 3 to 4 hours. This helps to stabilise your blood sugar and energy levels through out the day.
3. Fill up on more fiber. Fiber has a time-releasing effect on carbs, so they enter your bloodstream at a slow and steady pace, giving your energy staying power.
4. Found in fatty fish (such as tuna and salmon), walnuts, and canola oil, Omega-3`s are essential fatty acids that play a role in keeping brain cells healthy and helping you feel mentally alert. Eat some!
5. Drink plenty of water. Mild dehydration can actually cause fatigue due to an increase in thickness of the blood causing your heart to work harder!
6. Stop drinking coffee in the afternoon. This sounds counter productive, however Consuming caffeine in the afternoons or evenings can negatively affect your sleep at night, leaving you feeling fatigued the following day.
7. Listen to music. Seriously... Good music can wake you up, get the blood pumping and your favourite songs can change your mood from bad to good in a matter of minutes, Try it!
8. Computers and T.V`s off after 8 pm. The bright lights (White ones especially) emitted from your TV and computer can reduce the production of melatonin, a hormone that tells your body when it`s night time.
9.Lower the thermostat. Make sure your room is a comfortable cool temperature, cool enough for a light blanket. Your body`s internal temperature actually lowers while you are asleep so its a good idea to keep your environment in sync with this.
10. Hit the gym. Exercise has been proven to help you fall asleep at night faster, spend more hours in REM or deep sleep and wake up less often through out the night. Resulting in feeling much more rested and energised the next day!
11. Get things off your mind. For most of us we start to worry about all our problems, fears and issues when we hit the sack. This can be work related or in our personal life. Try this exercise: Spend 15 minutes every night before bed to focus on your worries and what is bothering you. During these 15 minutes write down on a blank sheet of paper or in a journal everything and anything that comes to mind. When the time is up turn the lights out. This can really help you to relax at night and ease the mind, knowing that it is all written down and you can come back to your worries in the morning. allot of the time we worry we will forget about whats on our mind in the morning, if it is written down, you will never forget it.
12. Crack open a book. last but not least, another solution to getting worries off your mind if you are not into keeping a journal is reading. You would be amazed how the mind can forget about all your worries and things stressing you out when you read before bed. If you are reading something you are enjoying, this can work very effectively. It has for me, I have woken up in the middle of the night on more than one occasion with my book flopped on my chest. Its just another simple and effective way to shut it all off.
Hope you enjoy my fatigue and sleeping tips. Would love to hear some to hear some of your comments!
Ts