Dealing with low energy days - any tips/hacks etc?

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bonnieUK
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Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2007 2:37 pm
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Dealing with low energy days - any tips/hacks etc?

Post by bonnieUK » Tue Jul 31, 2012 3:07 pm

Hi guys

ok, so the "low energy" days I'm talking about in my case are related to PMS but I didn't want to make this post just about a women's issue. I have a husband so know that men get "low energy" days too, just not on a convenient (LOL) 28 day schedule.

I know that I'll have 3-4 days every month where my energy levels, ability to concentrate, motivation, ability to cope with stress etc. are diminished. But, I stll have the same daily commitments e.g. be productive at work, exercise, plan and make good meals, keep the house clean and tidy, spend time with DH etc.

I'm sure men have similar days too, just with less prior warning!

I get frustrated because I feel like my body is betraying me, it just kind of goes on strike and says "sorry, I just want to sleep or sit around in PJs" :D

(I guess I should consider myself lucky that I don't have kids to take care of as well!)

Just wondered if anyone has any tips, hacks, tricks etc. for dealing with low energy days? What do you do when your body says it wants to rest and can't cope with much, but, you still have a long list of things to do and commitments to fulfil?

The worst thing for me is not the lack of physical energy, it's the lack of mental energy/focus that I find most frustrating.

I plan ahead a little bit by making sure I eat well, take my vitamins etc. (extra magnesium and B vits seems to help), but, these annoying days still get the better or me more times than I would like!

Thanks in advance :)

kccc
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Post by kccc » Fri Aug 17, 2012 2:40 am

Hi Bonnie,

The thing that helped me the most is when I realized I HAD low and high-energy days...and that I was setting my goals as if all my days were high-energy.

Like, if my "normal" is 100%, then high is about 120% (I can conquer the world!), but low is 80% (can barely get through the basics). I would set my standards on the high days, and have trouble meeting them on the normal days, much less the low ones. Took a while to adjust that.

On low days, look at the list, triage, and be a bit forgiving. The house can get a bit less tidy, or you can pull a meal from the freezer. Above all, don't waste what energy you have in beating yourself up. Just do what you can, and give yourself credit for "minimum level" effort - really only 15 minutes of exercise, doing the most routine work tasks.

And monitor your future schedule so that you don't get quite as locked into stuff-that-must-be-done.

I dn't always do this, but I try. It helps if I use some of my high-energy time to make the low-energy time easier... Like, putting meals into the freezer for later.

HTH

mastermesh
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Post by mastermesh » Sat Sep 08, 2012 9:53 am

Do you drink coffee, soda, or some other form of caffeine. There's always highs and lows with that stuff. I've been addicted to sugar free soda and coffee for years, but have finally started knocking it out of my life... and that has helped a low with having more energy.

Do you or your husband snore? Sleep apnea is another serious energy drain. I finally got a bipap machine earlier this year and that has caused a 3000% increase in my energy levels. I used to be a zombie all day until about 3 PM most days. Now, between the no caffeine and the bipap my energy levels sore most days. There's still some days I have problems, mostly due to allergy season and not being able to breathe as much with blocked nasal passages because of that, but I still am way better now than before I made these changes.

Something else I've read about is squeezing a lemon in to water in the morning for breakfast. Supposedly it helps your digestive system absorb stuff better, and also 'wake up' a little more with some energy in the morning... I've tried it a little and it does help some but not too much for me since I probably water it down to much as I use a 52 oz glass of water as I do my workout in the morning, so need the extra fluid to help counteract the sweat... oh, and that too is another thing to help with energy. Try working out in the morning before breakfast! :)

Crafty
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Joined: Sun Dec 11, 2011 11:07 pm
Location: Chicago, IL

second

Post by Crafty » Mon Sep 10, 2012 4:46 am

Work out first thing in the morning. I am not a morning person, AT ALL, but it works. take a shower right after, then eat, you feel invincible for the next hour or two. I've heard around the web, and it works for me, that the shower should be first half Cold, second half Hot. It helps your muscles recover quicker by forcing out the lactic acid (or something like that). The workout and cold also really perk you up but the warm relaxes you so you aren't manic for an hour and then crash.
Sometimes anti-social, always anti-fascist.

friscobob
Posts: 91
Joined: Tue Jan 24, 2006 1:57 am

Right On Crafty!

Post by friscobob » Mon Nov 21, 2016 9:37 pm

I have just started doing a morning workout before breakfast, and it really makes your whole day so much better. I take a warm and then cold shower afterwards, and it makes me feel like a million dollars! You burn a lot of calories this way, exercising in a fasted state.
Health Is The Greatest Wealth!

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