There’s a movement to “stop glorifying busy,” and I’m all for it. Realistically though, I know that there are seasons that are “fuller” than others – it could be a day, weekend, week, or longer. When we’re on the go, how can we maintain energy throughout the day in a healthy, life giving way? Here are 5 tips to maintain your energy all day long (tips I was able to use this past weekend when we traveled to go see family).
5 Tips to Maintain Your Energy All Day
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Wake up at the same time each morning
I know, I know – when you’ve been up too late and you don’t have anywhere to go the next morning, it can be tempting to sleep until noon. It’s highly recommended that you get up at the same time each morning, regardless of when you go to sleep or whether it’s a weekday or weekend. I still don’t have this down (as you can see if you look closely at my weekly time tracker sheet) but I’m working on waking up around the same time regardless of the day of the week. Another thing that’s recommended? Get in front of natural sunlight first thing in the morning – that could be by sitting outside or drinking your coffee next to a sunny window.
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Plan some movement in your day
When our schedules are packed, exercise is sometimes the first thing to go. Scheduling some movement in throughout the day, whether in short bursts or at the beginning or end of the day, will actually help increase your energy when you’re feeling a slump. Try taking a 5-10 minute walk (or do some jumping jacks or stretches) when you’re tempted to reach for that second cup of coffee – see if it increases your mood and energy level.
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Drink lots of water throughout the day
Letting your body get mildly dehydrated is a sure fire way to fall into an energy slump. The popular measurement of enough water is to drink 8 glasses of 8 ounces of liquid a day (coffee, tea, and other liquids count). This is a great starting point, but keep in mind that if it’s especially hot or you’re particularly active that you should increase the amount of liquids you’re consuming. A very simple way you can check if you’re getting enough liquids is to make sure your urine is clear or pale yellow. I carry a Camelbak water bottle with me throughout the day. It fits about 2.5 cups and so I know that I need to drink at least 3 of them to reach my daily intake (plus my intake of other liquids).
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Schedule in “regroup time”
This is totally open to personal interpretation. Everyone has a different way to replenish themselves. I personally just need some time alone to read or write or sit when nobody is asking me for things or talking to me. The times that I schedule in movement are also regrouping times – going for runs or a yoga class.
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Keep healthy snacks close by
The best snacks are high in protein for energy. Our go to snacks when we’re at home are greek yogurt with fresh or frozen fruit, cheese and crackers, or apple slices with peanut butter.
We recently tried these protein bites from Lorissa’s Kitchen and they were a big hit. When you’re traveling by car, planes, or trains, these are the perfect snack to bring along. They don’t need to be refrigerated, are easy to grab and go, and convenient to order on Amazon.
We took a weekend trip to my sister’s house and had a full schedule. These were gobbled up while we were at my nephew’s baseball game, then off to the pool for a wonderfully refreshing swim. We didn’t grab lunch until the end of my nephew’s baseball game and these kept us going until we could eat.
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I was lucky to get a few bites of each of the four flavors that were sent to us. It was pretty unanimous – the top two flavors we loved were Szechuan Peppercorn Beef and Sweet Chili Pork.
How do you maintain your energy throughout the day? What are your go to snacks for the road? Share in the comments!
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These sound like wonderful snacks to have on hand. I agree with all of these tips you listed. When I get outside first thing in the morning, I always end up having a more productive day. Exercise does help wake a person up.
Hey Crystal! They were super yummy – lasted about 5 minutes with 5 hungry boys eating them!!
Thanks for the great practical tips, Angela! I need them because I am in that particularly busy season of life known as “having teenagers.” 😉 Also, I love your bio. YES to “progress not perfection.” I often tell my girls and myself a variation of that: life is not about perfection, it’s about process and progress. With regular infusions of chocolate thrown in, of course. 🙂 Stopping by from #FridayFrivolity!
I love your motto of “process and progress!” And also chocolate!
Great tips! My boys tend to wake at the same time no matter how late they stay up and this has always stressed me out thinking that they are not getting enough sleep. I had no idea it was actually recommended.
My boys do too but they’re normal time sounds like it might be much later than yours!!
Great tips! Love the one about finding a way to regroup. This is hard sometimes, esp. with little kids around, but super important to find a way to get that second wind. Visiting from Saturday Sharefest.
Yes Victoria! I used to put a short video on when my kids were little and stopped napping to get that regroup time!
These are some great tips! I know I need to work on waking up at the same time every day. I do well during the week, but that pillow just whispers in my ear each Saturday morning. I can definitely attest to hydration being key. I can always tell when I’ve been slacking on my water intake. Thanks for linking up at Sharfest; great post!
Thanks Brittany! I totally hear you about Saturday morning. Listen to your body and what it needs!
Oh my gosh I LOVE Lorissa’s Kitchen! It is my fave on the go snacking option! Great tips!
Thanks Jen – they’re so yummy and filling aren’t they?
Drinking water is such a big one for me! If I don’t fill my big bottle almost immediately after waking, I feel like I’m never able to get ahead of my water intake needs. I nearly snagged a bag of Lorissa’s Kitchen to take to Disneyland a couple weeks ago, but I really wanted the Szechuan Peppercorn or Sweet Chili and neither flavor was available at the little Walgreens we stopped at. I’ll have to track them down!
That’s so smart to fill up when you first wake up Abby! Those 2 flavors were our favorite!