Tackling Tiredness

You have work to do, but you feel sooo sleepy - what to do?
Image courtesy of Yanlev at dreamstime.com


Especially with our weather being so humid and unusually hot, I sometimes find the lethargy associated with this to be quite overpowering. I feel lethargic often, and it’s terribly frustrating. Other people I know also have found the weather affects them similarly,so I wanted to share with you ten tips to tackle tiredness that I have found helpful.

1.Have a cool shower. Actually what really gets me up and going again is when I have a hot shower, but toward the end of it, I put the water on all cold! I get out and feel simply wonderful afterwards!

2.Keep up the hydration levels. As your water consumption drops, your body dehydrates and it is harder not only to keep cool but to keep the body's normal functions working optimally. Don’t be tempted to rehydrate with coffee or alcohol as these are both diuretics and will actually dehydrate you. Soft drinks and juice will make you thirstier because of the high sugar content. If you find the taste of water bland, try a squeeze of lemon or lime. Water is also needed for normal circulation to the brain, which in turn fights tiredness.

3.Start the day with some exercise and stretch beforehand. I suggest morning because that is the time you want to begin to feel energetic for the day, and it's cooler then too! Both these activities will increase blood flow to your skin so you can dissipate heat more effectively, and will also wake you up, as your improved circulation will increase blood flow to the brain.

4.Avoid eating too much in one sitting. When you eat, blood is diverted to the digestive organs, leaving less for your brain and body, and tiredness follows. Instead eat small amounts of foods that are not processed or high in sugar as these will lead to a short feeling of energy followed by tiredness.

5.Have frequent breaks. Every thirty minutes, have a rest from what you are doing, and have a walk around and stretch. The brain functions best when five minute breaks are taken every thirty minutes.

6.If you can try to keep your environment cool. This one goes without saying, and hopefully air conditioning and fans are helping. I actually find splashing icy cool water on my face even better than these cooling devices.

7.Wear white and avoid wearing dark colours. The darker the colour, the more heat you absorb - and feel!

8.Change the kind of exercise that you do. Instead of walking or jogging, consider swimming, or aqua aerobics. Or exercise somewhere it is air conditioned.

9.Avoid hot meals like soup and even baked vegetables. Instead try a salad perhaps with fish. When food is significantly different from body temperature, it takes energy as the body needs to cool it down to your core temperature, leading to fatigue.

10.Play upbeat music. This can have a powerful psychological effect to energise and motivate.

#_tiredness
#_fatigue
#_energy
#_motivation
#_keeping_cool


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