Thursday, June 12, 2014

rest-up sun-up tips

The last few weeks have been crazy! With commencement, Florida, a long weekend with an old friend, and countless of other dinners, drinks, and events in between, I'm exhausted!  I've been working at my new job for a couple days now, and adjusting to a working schedule again just wears me out!

I find myself wanting to just come home and collapse, kick off my shoes, and take a nap.  While I've done this on (more than one) occasion, it's important that I don't take a nap.  Taking a nap after coming home from work means I wake up with no motivation or I can't sleep that night and wake up even more tired !  I will miss 20 minute naps between classes versus the kinda nap where you wake up disoriented.  Not only do I struggle to get re-motivated and be sleeping at a decent time, I struggle to feel rested.  I found out last year that I have a Vitamin D deficiency, which tends to wear me out and get me in a mood slump (which doesn't help with motivation).  Although I take supplements*, I love getting the sun of summer and my Vitamin D naturally versus another pill.  Instead of just letting my head hit the pillow, I've come up with a few ways to stay alert and enjoy the summer sun after a long day.

Go on an adventure
After coming home from a long day, don't let yourself stop.  Keep going, grab a book or your iPad and get back into your car, hop on your bike, or keep on walking to the beach, lake, or park.  Getting things done and getting sun is a fantastic combination, and you can do it lying down, so it's practically a nap.

Sit down, stay alert, set an alarm
I do this often.  I sit down in my favorite chair, set a timer/alarm on my phone, and take 10 minutes to play a game on my phone, check Facebook, and generally just check out for a bit.  The thing I need to remember when I use this method is to keep my feet flat on the floor.  If I relax into my chair too much, it gets too comfy to think about leaving.  This method is nearly always followed by getting outside to go for a run!

Hydrate
Same with adventure, don't let yourself rest when you get home.  All you want to do is rest and stop moving, but you're probably feeling hungry (just me? Dinner not coming soon enough?).  Grab a glass or bottle of water, and drink it really fast.  Then go sit outside, sit in the sun, or sit down in your comfy chair.  That glass of water you drank will probably hit your system fast, and you'll have to get up to go to the bathroom.  By then, you've already been resting for awhile and are ready to take the rest of the day!


I know not all of these are easy - resisting the urge to nap takes an absurd amount of self-control (no? just me again?) but these are quick and easy ways to give yourself a break while also enjoying the sun.  The quicker you get stuff done, the quicker you can enjoy the rest of the sunny days.


*I take supplements from the direction of my doctor in a dosage she prescribed.  Please consult a physician before adding any medication or supplement to your regime.

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