Tired Mom Needs Energy in the Morning
I remember dragging myself through the day during those newborn stages. With my last baby, I was so tired in the mornings I started drinking coffee daily, sometimes two or three times a day. I know first-hand that a tired mom needs energy, a quiet bath, and hugs.
I may not be able to hug you or produce a quiet bathtime for you but I will tell you how to get the energy to chase those kids around and still have something left.
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Why are Stay at Home Moms Always Tired?
I wouldn’t say that it’s just Stay at Home Moms who are tired, although when you look at the list of duties of a mom at home you might think differently. In motherhood, it’s difficult to keep up. Kids just zap your energy reserves. Plus, if you are in the early stages of motherhood, your body is still recovering.
Yes, there is a reason you are a tired mom and energy is slow-coming. A nurse once told me it takes appropriately 3 years to fully recover from birthing a child. As a stay at home mom who was always tired, I was happy to hear this. l was having trouble energy-wise and in other areas of my new mama life and I couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me.
Ladies, 3 years is a long time.
During this time our babies turn into toddlers, and chasing a toddler when your body is not fully up to speed is difficult. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking, like I did, that it’s just your body or your lack of ability.
This is one of the guilt-trips we put ourselves on because of what we visually see other moms around us, apparently, doing. Even within the first year most moms are on the go, even with lacking sleep and proper nutrition, appearing to be supermom.
This leaves you wondering, how can I boost my energy? How can I get more done?
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Thing is, this isn’t about being supermom.
This is about feeling good, enjoying life and being able to serve the Lord willfully. Serve Him, not just in a church building but in our own homes with the kids He’s given to you.
You don’t have to become a morning person or any other type of person.
You just have to be yourself and I want you to be your best self. So when we are talking about how to feel energetic in the morning, keep things in perspective that this isn’t a competition to do the most. If you act like you are in a competition of life, you will continue to be a tired mom.
How to Be a Morning Person When You are Always Tired
I gave this section this title for those who are skimming this page looking for quick tips. Yeah, it’s a bit of a ploy, however, I gotta drive home that learning how to have more energy isn’t about changing yourself into something you aren’t. Yes, kids are up in the morning, and so you have to be up. But some people thrive at night.
It’s ok to still do your cleaning or best work in the evenings. You can definitely have a slow morning and get going closer to noon.
That’s the best part about being a stay at home mom. You can create your own schedule. Keep in mind, that your kids will likely thrive later in the day too since they are -your- kids. Yet I do have some suggestions if that’s not the case, or you just want to wake up with more energy in the morning.
How can Moms get more Energy?
If you want to know how tired moms get more energy, there are a few tips you can use as a guide.
First
Know your own body.
In the midst of motherhood, it may be hard to really hone in on what’s going on with you physically. However, if you don’t pay attention to yourself it’ll be hard to notice the rhythms and routine processes your body is going through.
I’m going to talk mostly about sleep, but we as women have a monthly energy cycle that follows our menstrual cycle.
I’ve decided to start logging my daily energy levels just so I can find out what are my personal most productive times of the month.
But as I said, knowing your body’s internal clock, sleep rhythms, will help you get more energy by priming your energy reserves.
Your internal clock for sleep, also known as the circadian rhythm, is your body’s natural bent of sleepiness and wakefulness. We can mess up this clock with things like computer screens, television, pushing past our sleep cues so we can stay up longer.
RELATED: Do you have a Love-Hate Relationship with Sleep?
If it happens enough times your body will stop alerting you when it’s time to rest, which messes up your wake up time also.
When you do awake, your body may have not gotten enough rest. This will cause you to either sleep in or feel awake but a few hours later hit a wall.
How Can I Wake Up Easier in the Morning?
If you really want to know the best way to get energy in the morning: Watch, look, listen to your body and sleep (as much as you can) when you feel sleepy. Yes, that might mean going to nap when your child naps. We aren’t perfect people, I don’t even do this as much as I should. But it does help to know you should ^_~
Second
Know your sleep time. This goes right along with the first point. Just knowing when your body is tired helps you gain morning energy.
But generally, most adults need around 8 hours of sleep, so that means going to sleep at 10 pm.
In some cases, 9:30 might be the time. Sounds like you are 10 years old again, but if you want to wake up feeling energized, going to sleep earlier, consistently, will bring the results you seek.
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Third
Know your needs.
We need to eat right and exercise. Some moms pile on the coffee like it’s nobody’s business. However, if that’s you, slowly add in exercise. I mean, slowly.
I started with a 7-minute workout – no joke! I felt weak with no stamina. Also, I thought I didn’t have time for it and I wanted to finish before my daughter woke up. In the beginning, I tired so quickly I couldn’t sustain anything for too much longer than that.
That’s ok, at least I started.
It took a while but eventually, I got to 45-minute workouts. I now have so much energy, I can race my 8 and 10-year-old and occasionally win!
I obviously teach school and run a business every day on top of managing my home, so I’d definitely say that my energy is better now than a few years ago when I felt sluggish all day and like I’d fall asleep at 10 am!
If it wasn’t for online workouts like Jessica SmithTV I don’t know if I would’ve made it. She’s not high stress. She’s knowledgable and easy to listen to.
You can try them out because I know you’ll love her!
Exercise doesn’t have to be one of those high-intensity workouts where you feel like you are going to die in the first 5 minutes.
Maybe for later, if you like that sort of thing. But if you are a low energy mom, start slow. You’ll feel like a winner because you completed your workout while improving your body.
Too Tired to Be a Good Mom? Eating is the Answer.
Knowing your body also means knowing what food to eat.
The biggest issue with food (that has to do with having more energy) is too many sweets. Sugar gives you a great burst but then the drop can leave you lower than you were to start. Doing this over and over can lead to health issues.
This is the problem with so much coffee – most people drink coffee with sugar. The caffeine can be bad enough but mixing in the sugar is awful for establishing your body’s own morning energy.
I know you want to be there for your kids and for yourself. Just be thoughtful of what’s going in.
Veggies, water, some fruits, protein all will add to your energy. And instead of coffee, you can try one of these all-natural energy boosting drinks. They look so good!
How do you deal with high energy in children?
You can’t outpace your children. It appears to be that even if you were a well-trained athlete you still couldn’t outdo your children when it comes to energy.
But what we can do is get some gains in this area that will allow us to do the things we can and should be doing to create the life we desire for them. How? Get your kids to expend their energy.
- Take them to the park and encourage them to run, race or play games like tag
- Have regular times daily when they exercise, like a phys ed of sorts
- Have them workout with you
- Take them rollerskating, hiking or some other exerting activity
- Put them in a sport or class (my sons loved being in gymnastics)
- Have a trampoline or jungle gym setup in your backyard
Even expending creative energy can give mom the advantage. Giving your kids playdoh, drawing supplies or building supplies will give them an outlet and less of those destructive powers!
I know some of these things use financial resources, but you don’t need to use money (or a lot of it) to get them moving. Be creative.
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These are all great tips! I find with two little boys, it’s so helpful to try to wear them out during the day 🙂
I definitely need to implement some of these ideas. I feel ragged and have a headache by 9 am! I think I just need to eat better. But I may try to fit in some exercise too.