This was me when I first tried to meditate – mind all over the place, trying to focus on my breath but the thoughts kept churning.

What am I going to cook for dinner?
Breathe in.
Did I run out of quinoa?
Breathe out.
Maybe I could go for a walk later.
Breathe in.
I should do a Facebook post about the benefits of exercise.
Breathe out.

And the monkeys kept screaming. I couldn’t focus so I gave up.

Then I discovered guided meditation. It’s the only form of meditation that keeps me on track. Guided sessions vary in length and lead us into a state of relaxed concentration and visualisation. Being in this state enables the mind to become still, clear and reflective. There’s no better way to overcome anxiety or a racing mind than by taking the time to practice meditation. The heart rate slows down, blood pressure returns to the normal range and inner peace and calm is restored. And it keeps getting better – the more often you practice meditation, the greater the benefits.

It’s important to find meditations you enjoy listening to. There’s a load of meditation apps on offer nowadays and I’ve downloaded many, but here’s a list of some of my favourites.

My favourite guided meditations

Relaxation meditation by Kate Reardon (10 mins) – Free
A beautiful meditation from Kate Reardon to listen to before bed or anytime you need to relax.

Happy heart meditation (9 mins) – Free
Enhances your mood, encourages the release of stress, fear and any negative barriers.

Surrender into sleep meditation (14 mins) – Free
Offers a progressive relaxation, giving your mind a chance to slow down and relax your entire body.

Surrender and let go meditation (27 mins) – US$8
This deep and relaxing meditation from Kate Reardon assists you into a deep, relaxing meditation to promote your innate healing capacity through breath and visualisation.

Healing the Body (31 mins) – US$8
Another beautiful meditation by from Kate Reardon. This one helps you relax and connect to your body to promote healing.

Take Back Your Power Ritual (28 mins) – $33
This one from Sara Brooke helps you discover any imbalances in your life. Perfect for over-achievers, perfectionists and those who give so much. It will help you to become aware of how you are managing your personal power and energy.

Body scan (10mins) – Free
Body scan (30 mins) – Free
The body scans run through each part of the body, paying special attention to the way each area feels. Perfect after a busy day or when your mind is racing.

If you just want some calming, ambient meditation or sleep music, stream or download for free Long Ambiants 1 & 2, more than 7 hours of immersive music produced by musician Moby.

Why wait to meditate?  Use any of the links above to get started on calming your nervous system and healing your body.  If you need a little extra help with stress, anxiety, sleep or any other health or wellbeing issues, please make an appointment.

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Make your meals and snack low GI

The simplest dietary change to make for all-day energy is choosing low GI meals and snacks.

Why low GI? Low GI foods will feed a slow and steady stream of energy into your body. This is because the other nutrients – protein, fibre and/or fat – slow down the absorption of glucose from the broken-down food. Foods that tend to be lower in GI are wholefoods – vegetables, low-sugar fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, wholegrains, eggs, meat and seafood.

On the other hand, high GI foods will give you a quick burst of energy, but then you’ll crash in an hour or two. Processed foods such as white bread, white pasta, most commercial cereals, white rice, sweetened yoghurts, lollies and milk chocolate are high in GI.

Looking for ways to tweak the GI of your food? Try:

• Adding nuts, cheese or nut butter when you eat fruit for a snack
• Including an extra serve of veggies with each meal
• Switching processed grain products for wholemeal options

Drink more water

Have you had enough water today? If you can’t say yes for sure, the answer is probably no. Very few people get sufficient water every day. But even mild dehydration of 1-2% can impact on your concentration, alertness, short-term memory and brain function. This can leave you feeling mentally exhausted.

Small steps are best for increasing water intake. Start with adding one cup of water when you feel fatigued. Give it an hour or two, see how you feel, and then add another. Even if dehydration isn’t the only cause of your low energy, it can’t hurt to include another cup or two!

Looking for more tips to help you get your H20? Check out Easy Ways to Boost your Water Intake.

Not a fan of plain water? There’s plenty of other ways to boost your water intake than drinking plain water.  Check out Summer foods to keep you hydrated.

Move your body

This might be a surprise, but one of the best ways to address fatigue is with exercise. When you sit for long periods of time, circulation can be impaired, reducing the flow of blood to your brain. This means your cells can’t get enough oxygen to work efficiently.

But even a couple of minutes of movement can get the blood pumping again. Here are some quick and easy movement ideas to get you started:

• Do a full body stretch for 1-2 minutes. Stretch out your neck, shoulders, arms, back and legs. If anywhere feels particularly tight or sore, spend an extra minute or two gently stretching that spot
• Go for a walk around the block
• Head to the mailbox to check the mail
• Get up and move around on your break instead of scrolling through Facebook

Schedule a time-out

Sometimes, you’re tired because you just need a break. You might not have hours to spare, but even 10 minutes can reboot your brain and energy levels.

Some good ways to give yourself a time-out throughout the day include:

• Going for a walk around the block
• Having a short nap
• Meditation
• Yoga
• Taking 10 minutes to sit or lie down in silence

Low energy can have many causes. If you’ve had low energy levels for a while, get in touch so we can uncover the underlying cause and reclaim your energy.

Not getting the quality sleep you need? Check out Simple Tips for a Good Night’s Sleep.

References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2908954/
https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F0033-2909.132.6.866

The post Natural Energy Boosters To Keep You Productive appeared first on Evoke Naturopathy.

Time your caffeine right
There’s nothing wrong with enjoying caffeine in moderation, especially when it’s organic. But caffeine can stay in your system for a long time.  The half-life of caffeine – how long it takes to eliminate half of the caffeine – is around 5 hours. So if you have a double-shot coffee at 3pm, you still have the equivalent of one shot of coffee in your system by 8pm.

Coffee fires up the adrenal glands, causing them to release the stress hormones adrenalin and cortisol. When we’re trying to calm the nervous and system and nurture the adrenals after years of stress and hard work, caffeine throws a spanner in the works.  Some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others. This comes down to how quickly you metabolise it – some people can still feel wired after 6+ hours. If you’re experiencing sleep issues, try keeping your coffee for the morning for a few weeks.

Minimise any bright light at night
When we used to live in caves, the sun going down would be the end of our day. But when we come home nowadays, we have bright lights in every room.
If you’re exposed to bright light, your body thinks that it’s daytime. This can switch off production of your main sleep chemical, melatonin. So when you go to lie down in the dark, it can take hours for your body to get the message that it’s time to sleep. This doesn’t mean you have to go stumbling around in the dark. But you might want to switch from overhead lights to lamps in the evening, and turn off any lights that aren’t necessary.

The same goes for technology like TV, tablets and smartphones. It’s best to have a minimum of 30 minutes tech-free before bed. I aim for around 1 hour. If you really need your tech before bed, I recommend blue-light blocking apps and programs like f.lux and Twilight.

Find a way to de-stress
A common cause of poor sleep is high stress and anxiety levels. Once your head hits the pillow, you have a million thoughts and worries rushing through your mind.
There are dozens of ways to reduce stress naturally – it depends on what you prefer. Some ideas might be:

• Talking with a partner or friend about your day
• Journalling
• Meditation
• Yoga
• Tai chi
• Sipping a cup of herbal tea
• Having a warm shower (magnesium baths are great)
• Read a chapter of a book

Create a night ritual
Habits and routine can tell our bodies what we’re likely to do next. A good way to ‘train’ your body to sleep at the correct time is to have a routine that you do each night before bed.
This routine can be as little as 30 minutes. Maybe you have a shower and change into your pyjamas, then make a cup of sleep-blend tea. As you sip your tea, you might review your to-do list for the following day. Maybe you find a quiet, relaxing place in your home and do some mindful breathing or meditation.  If you make small habits that support sleep part of your regular routine, you’re more likely to get a good night sleep on a regular basis.

References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK223808/

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