Quite the coffee lover over here. I delight in the aroma, taste, comfort and the warmth of my coffee cup nestled between my hands each and every morning. And then again, most afternoons.
That afternoon coffee tho…every day, these thoughts…coffee? no coffee?? coffee, yes. No, just have tea. but coffee…Its so good. The struggle. Its real.
Knowing I’m not the only one who finds it tough to fight off the midday coffee-crave, the issue with that afternoon cup is the negative effect it has on our sleep. Without that afternoon cup, especially, day after day, I find myself getting tired & winding it down earlier and earlier. Aaah…this is the. best. feeling. versus being wired until nearly 1am. ugh
Blogging + a busy schedule definitely contributes to the problem. When I first started the blog last year, I found myself staying up until 1-2am several nights a week. Now, I’m doing better to shut it down somewhere between 1130-midnight.
So many of the things we do in life are purely out of habit. Putting forth consistent effort + some solid willpower to make small changes work towards creating permanent lifestyle changes. Coffee is just one of those things. Our bodies have the amazing ability to adapt to anything we throw at it – unfortunately, this applies to both the good & the bad.
Lack of sleep happens to be on that bad list. I know it may sound cliche, however, everyone really should be getting the recommended 8 hours of quality sleep each night – quality being the key word here. Deep, uninterrupted, restorative sleep…aaah yeah :) Unfortunately, many of us live our lives sleep deprived not knowing any different or how amazing it feels to truly feel rested.
Factors like caffeine & alcohol disrupt our sleep cycle contributing to elevated cortisol (stress hormone) levels in the body which can lead to:
– slowed metabolism
– poor digestion
– adrenal fatigue
– weight gain (especially around the midsection)
– fatigue
– weakened immune system
To beat that midday slump, swap your afternoon coffee for one of these easy-to-do, energizing tips:
♡ Drink. More. Water.
Dehydration – even in the mildest form – brings about that icky tired & sluggish feeling.
♡ Drink Your Greens.
Green smoothies & juices are the perfect way to get a little pep in your step sans caffeine. Even better, choose some green goodness including natural energizers like ginger and/or cayenne pepper, which also help to boost your metabolism.
♡ Green Tea.
Still containing caffeine, however, its effects on the body are quite different than the coffee bean, actually working to promote relaxation. Plus, its loaded with antioxidants and can help to lower cholesterol, among other things. Drink up. ;)
♡ B R E A T H E.
Find a place where you can sit for a few moments and just…breathe. Deep, fill your lungs, feel your chest lift breaths. This oxygenates your cells, improves your focus and elevates your mood.
♡ Go outside & get some Energy.
When my nephew was about 5 yrs old, he went thru a phase where he told us he was “going outside to get some energy”. Wise words from a 5 year old, as this makes perfect sense, right? Sitting on your ass all day only promotes more sitting on your ass. Just as the commercial says “a body in motion stays in motion….” go for a walk, run, yoga, bike ride, do some push ups, squats, hold a plank….just do something to move & get your blood pumping.
Much love & good sleep, xx
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