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Archives for February 2018

9 Ways to Boost Your Energy

If there’s anything working gals, wives and moms want more of at the end of the day, it’s energy.

I have seriously gotten up some days and been tired by 10 a.m. Not acceptable.

But there are a few things I’ve discovered the past couple of years that help me boost my energy level when it is low.

  1. Exercise
    This is one of those things I make myself do even when I don’t feel like it. I know that I always feel more alert and happier after as little as 20 minutes of movement.
  2. Get out in the sunshine.
    When I feel sluggish or a little blue, it is really helpful to get outside. I’ve found that even a 15-minute walk around the neighborhood makes a huge difference in my attitude and energy.
  3. Sneak in a power nap.
    This one is a bit harder to make time for, but many studies have shown that a short nap of 20 to 30 minutes has a huge impact. And if you’re someone who has trouble falling asleep that quickly, even lying down and closing your eyes for that long has benefits.
  4. Drink more water.
    Sometimes slight dehydration feels like tiredness. Make sure you are getting in those 8 glasses of water a day to avoid feeling draggy.
  5. Eat less sugar.
    This is by far the hardest one for me. But eating sugary foods causes your blood sugar to rise and when it goes down again, you just feel tired and crave more sugar. Sound familiar? The only way to stop blood sugar-related sluggishness is to cut back on the sugar.
  6. Improve your sleep.
    When it comes to sleep, it’s not just about getting enough (7 hours minimum). It’s about the quality of your sleep as well. If you toss and turn or wake up several times at night, you wake up feeling exhausted. You can improve the quality of your sleep by keeping your bedroom cool, blocking out all light, using a sound machine and/or avoiding screens before bed.
  7. Lower your stress level.
    It’s really easy to feel tired when worries and stresses are weighing you down. If this is a regular struggle for you, make it a priority to carve out time for prayer or meditation to help better manage your stress.
  8. Eat smaller meals more frequently.
    Ever had a big lunch and wanted to spend the afternoon napping it off? Or feel like Thanksgiving dinner should come with mandatory naptime? That is proof that you are better off eating small meals more frequently than eating large meals that leave you dragging. Some people swear by eating every three hours, but experiment to find what works best for your body.
  9. Make time for a dance break.
    Keep a playlist of your favorite, energizing songs to play when you need a pick-me-up. It may sound weird, but cranking up the music, singing aloud and dancing will wake up your body and spirit. My favorite feel-good song currently: this one by Carrie Underwood and Ludacris.

Start with the habits that seem easier to you. Save the ones that require more discipline for later.

And unfortunately, some of these will require you discipline yourself to do them even when you don’t feel like it. And discipline isn’t always fun.

But isn’t feeling better and having enough energy to live your life well worth it?

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Filed Under: Personal Growth Tagged With: energy, health

How to Have the Perfect Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day doesn’t seem to be a very popular holiday. There certainly aren’t many women telling their friends they had a perfect Valentine’s Day.

I’ve heard men refer to the holiday as something created by greeting card companies. And I’ve heard women say they dislike it because they either have no significant other or their partner doesn’t live up to their romantic expectations.

So what is it women really want for Valentine’s Day?

I informally polled my Facebook gal pals and these were some of the answers:

  • A clean house
  • A simple date together
  • Sleep
  • Dinner cooked by someone else
  • Some quiet time to myself

But when our culture tells our guys that we want jewelry, chocolates and flowers, how are they supposed to get it right? And how will we ever have the perfect Valentine’s Day?

DIY, my friends.

It takes a lot of the pressure off of our fellas, and the holiday itself, if we either tell him what we want or plan it ourselves.

If you want a clean house, call a cleaning lady and make plans to do something fun while she cleans.

If you want a simple date, get a babysitter and steal your man away for a couple of hours.

If you want to sleep in, ask your hubby to take the kids out for breakfast and turn off your alarm.

If you want a nice dinner at home, call in a takeout order and have him pick it up while you light some candles around the house.

 

I’m pretty confident that we will still enjoy the clean house, the date, the extra sleep and the dinner whether we make the arrangements or our guys do.

The point is, Valentine’s Day, or any day of your life, can be perfect.

Just decide what perfect looks like to you and go after it.

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Filed Under: Relationships Tagged With: husband, valentine, valentines day

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About Me


My name is Ashley. I’m the wife of the best guy on the planet, the mom of two crazy girls and a lover of all things country music, reading and group fitness. And I’m super passionate about helping you simplify your life so you can spend more time doing the things you love.

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