Some Energy Tips For You...Not For Your House

During this holiday time of the year I know things can get chaotic.  We can stress over all the "stuff" we want to do before the end of the year and we start to lose our steam. 

And as these things pile up in our minds our energy meter begins to drop!

This is when you might work on those things that add that “extra energy boost” –  for your head and your heart. 

I'm actually writing this in Mexico, where I'm re-energizing with family and friends. Normally though, I'd be stressing because of all the stuff I had to do before Christmas. I would have to use my own tips I'm sharing with you below to keep my energy up during the holiday. 

When you feel your energy meter lowering here are some tips to get your energy back up so you can make it through the holiday season while still having fun:

Be aware of what things trigger you for stress. Stress-induced emotions consume huge amounts of energy.  Try to lighten your load by delegating things to other adults or children in your family.

If that isn't possible then you may have to do the unthinkable! Cut some stuff out! 

Here's a trick I've used that's helped me the most during the holiday season. I'm usually guilty of trying to get more done than I have time for. So now I make two lists. 

One is the "absolutely has to be done" list, and one is the "would like to be done" list.  You have to be honest with yourself on these...no cheating and putting things down on the "have to" list that you could do later in the year! 

Then each night, list the 3 things you want to finish the next day. If you finish those you can go on to another to-do. But having only 3 things helps with the overwhelm and stress you might feel if you looked at the entire list every day. 

This is normally a big time of the year for sugary treats. But sugar can sap your energy. You don't need to totally stay away from sugar (ya, like that's gonna happen) but you can be more aware and try to limit it to half a dozen cookies with your eggnog instead of the entire dozen.  

Stretch your body and exercise for just 10 to 20 minutes a day. Doesn't have to be heart pounding exercise either. Exercise creates endorphins which are basically energy for your body AND your mind.

Consume caffeine carefully. Sometimes those late-night present wrapping binges call for too much caffeine. Plan ahead or delegate some of the wrapping to others. Too much caffeine in a short amount of time can actually zap your energy.

I know you've heard this over and over again..."Get the right amount of sleep." I am a late night person so when I hear this I get annoyed. But it's true. Getting the right amount of sleep is so good for your body and mind and helps to keep you in a happy state. 

And that is where we want to be during this time with family and friends, right? 

Believe me, I'll be using all of these energy tips when I return from my trip. I still have a lot of to-dos, but I've already had to weed out things on my "would like to be done" list before I left. But the benefits of spending a week with my family and friends has been worth it so far.