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When you’ve spent all day looking after your kids, taking care of the housework, and fitting in work as well, it can be difficult to find time to look after yourself. But neglecting your own physical and mental health will only lead to burnout. Today we’re sharing these quick and easy diet, lifestyle and sleep tips that can easily fit into a busy lifestyle for working mums.
So move self-care up your priority list with these 10 simple health hacks, which you can start today!
Drink plenty of water and/or herbal tea to keep yourself hydrated. Water helps boost your energy levels and brain function. If you don’t drink enough and become dehydrated, you can feel sluggish, slow, and tired.
Aim to drink around 2 litres – or 8 cups – of water a day. Keep a bottle of water with you at your desk, in your car, or in the pushchair and keep drinking throughout day. To help you get into the habit of drinking regularly, set reminders on your phone at intervals throughout the day.
This is just as important for you as it is for the kids! Having a regular wind-down routine in the evening signals to your body and brain that it is time to let go of the busy day and start to relax, ready for sleep.
Turn off your devices about an hour before you want to go to bed and do something calming – take a bath, read a novel, keep a gratitude journal or practice some gentle yoga.
We know, it’s totally tempting to stay up late once the kids are in bed just to enjoy some time doing grown-up things without little people around! But you’re robbing your future self of precious sleep. So instead of binging on box-sets or scrolling through Pinterest until late at night, try to get to bed around the same time every day – ideally by 10pm. This helps your body get into a regular rhythm, so it can produce all the hormones you need at the right time for you to get a good night’s sleep, every night. It also makes it so much easier to get out of bed the next morning, ready for the day!
No, we’re not talking power suits here. When you get up in the morning, put your workout clothes on straight away. Put them by your bed before you go to sleep the night before. This helps you resist the temptation to stay in your PJs and skip your workout. Once you’re in your workout clothes it will help switch your brain into exercise mode and you’ll feel much more motivated.
Do you ever have good intentions of fitting in a workout during your day, and then at bedtime realise that time has slipped away from you and it just didn’t happen? Following on from the previous step, fit in your exercise first thing in the morning before your shower. Make it part of your morning routine – do it before the kids get up, or get them to join in if you like! Exercising first thing in the morning helps to increase your energy levels through the day, so make it your first priority when you get up.
What you eat in between meals matters too! When you’re tired it can be tempting to rely on sugary treats to give you an energy boost, but this only works in the short run. After a couple of hours your energy levels will come crashing down again. Stick to healthy snacks – sign up for Treat Trunk and we’ll send you a box every month!
Here’s a really simple diet tip to boost your energy. When making a meal, fill most of your plate with veggies. Vegetables are absolutely jam-packed full of nutrients. Whatever you are having for dinner that night, if you can pack your plate with vegetables, you’ll make sure your body has everything it needs to give you energy. Eating stodgy carbs and meat can make you feel sluggish – focusing on vegetables will help you feel lighter and more energetic.
Stick to whole foods whenever possible. Eating whole foods can give you a steady flow of energy throughout the day, avoiding the peaks and crashes associated with sugar and refined carbohydrates. So opt for unrefined, natural foods as much as possible such as wholegrains, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables. Again, simply swapping your snack options to ones that avoid refined sugar and focus on grains and nuts can work well-our healthy snack boxes have plenty of these!
There’s no such thing as perfect. We’re all only human, so if you do get tempted to reach for a chocolate bar or have a glass of wine too many now and then, don’t beat yourself up. Food is about enjoyment as well as nutrition, so enjoy those naughty treats, then get back on track with your healthy habits – without an extra serving of guilt.
Your mental health is just as important as your physical health. Don’t take life too seriously and give yourself time to laugh every day! Playing with your kids can be an easy way to do this as kids naturally laugh much more than adults. Not sure what to play? Just go with the flow, let your kids take the lead, and follow the giggles. Or once the kids are in bed, watch your favourite comedy shows, read a funny book, listen to a comedy podcast, or whatever floats your boat.
Have you tried any of these? What are your favourite ways to boost your energy levels? Leave us a comment – we’d love to hear from you!
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