I’m not one to have great motivation, or the “drive” to continue doing something even though it’s hurting. I’ve been the kind of person to just stop exercicing as soon as i’d wake up with the muscle pain; while I know it’s what we want, because that means it’s working, I just always backtrack and stop there. I really don’t like it.
However; I’ve been in a state of constant tiredness for a while now. I would need atleast a nap every day, and especially if I was working at 1 or 3pm in the afternoon – I’d wake up around 9 or 10am, and around noon or 1pm my eyes would close so badly that I couldn’t do anything else but taking a nap before work. At some point I even wondered if there was something missing in my blood or something ..
Having such low levels of energy didn’t helped my mood/mental health either – as I would feel bad for not being able to do much of my days, as of which I still feel so guilty if i’m not doing anything productive at all in my days off work. But that’s all I could manage, as I would’ve been so tired from my days in a row of working, and i’d usually have to deal with an allergy headache; I wouldn’t even want to get out of the house.
This most definately have an impact on my blogging too – while my head hurts and im feeling so physically drained, I don’t even feel like bloghopping and reading/commenting on other’s posts – I could just reply and that would be it.. I’d shove the returning of comments and bloghopping on the next day, which most definately wouldn’t feel any better..
I’m only 24, and imagining a life for myself being so much different and full of things being done versus that life seemed like million years away. While I do know nothing can get done unless I decide to work for it – it somehow also feels like I can just wait around and *eventually* something would come up and change. But that’s not gonna be happening overnight ..
So I took a decision.
First step was to try the Beach Body program from my best friend; they were having a free week trial and as I told her many times i’d try one of thoses days and support her, I went « okay.. it’s time for me to actually try it now ». And I did, as you can see in the post where I talked about it, I got quite surprised at how much 30mins of workout at home could actually do! and hey – I didn’t postponed exercising as much I thought I would. Being someone who never liked working out or gym class in my life, I only took 3 rest days and did 3 programs in a sprawn of a week (which was actually 6 days and not 7, as it started on monday and got lifted on sunday).
After much thinking, and talking with my mom about it, I went ahead and bought a 3 months of Beach Body from my friend. Most times, mother is also doing the exercice with me, as although she wanna get more in shape aswell, having a useless arm because of her fistula that would burst if she put weight on it can actually restrict things by a lot! There’s plenty of things to choose from, so you don’t even need to keep doing the same thing! Right now we’ve been doing and liking “Youv2” quite alot.
Decision No.1 – Start to exercice. most days as possible, though probably not 7/7.
Note that I don’t specially care of even losing weight, although I wouldn’t mind losing some “belly fat” 😂 I’m absolutely fine with my body the way it is; getting myself to move is just so I can get a much higher energy level. If anything else happen, well that’s a bonus!
Second step is of course to get me to sleep at a reasonable hour.. some “wierd” of my low energy level, was that i’d be constantly tired until like 8pm; from 8pm onward i’d be totally awake… Of course this part probably got messed up from a year of working at the sexshop from supper time to 11pm. I’d need an hour to get back home, so i’d get in my bed at midnight, and well .. I wouldn’t be tired by that time.
Living like that for more than a year can quite mess up your sleeping pattern! It kind of kept up as when I started at my current job, I would do the evening shifts until 9pm; but without the hour to get home as it was much closer. I’m finally being moved to the daytime shifts permanantly – meaning i’m now asked to get up much earlier than ever, as i’m getting started at 6:30am, hopefully that can help getting me tired earlier. Plus, as i’m done at 2:30pm on most days, sometimes 3 or 4pm, I can now do so much more things than when i’m done at only 9pm! (let’s try to go for a “no nap” protocol .. *aherm*)
Decision No.2 – Get myself to sleep before 1am.
I’m a night-owl .. so I didn’t wanted this one to be dillusional. I absolutely cannot get to sleep at 8 or 9pm, as I know damn well that I would randomly wake up at like midnight and couldn’t sleep. I can usually stay up until 3-4am, which is really bad, so I thought that around midnight (or before if i’m really tired) sounds like a good start for this.
Bonus; I actually went ahead and applied aswell as paid my online courses to get my beginner’s permit!
As it’s something that would help me alot to actually drive, and there’s no way I wanna go do that with snowstorms and hail this winter – it’s better to get that out of the way before then 🙄 Why a course? well, it’s just because where I live it will cost you less in insurance if you do follow the driving course VS if you don’t (though the course in itself is passed $800 .. YIKES, eh?)
I’m slowly completing my 12 chapters online, having a quizz after each chapter, and I’m scheduled to go do the mandatory 5hour in-class on September 14th. I’ve heard they’ll also make us virtually drive on ice, while texting and while drunk aswell 😂 Then once that’s done, I can go take an appointment to get my learner’s permit so I can “officially” drive, and call the driving class agency back to start my 10,5hours of driving with an instructor.
THEN when all is completed I can get my begginer’s where I can only drive with one person having their full driving licence and after 8months (as I’d have followed the course) I can get my full driving licence and do whatever I want !! 👏🏼
What’s some other habits you’d say is best to get some energy back?
Congratulations. Someone was told me that when it comes to these kinds of steps forward, the hardest part is making the decision to do it. Once you make the decision, it is like a weight is lifted.
I had to sound obvious but diet has always been a big thing for me. I’ve noticed it while my finces have been awful. It isn’t about just losing weight. I’ve done plenty of that being broke. It is about what you eat. I was making shakes with all fresh vegetables, fruits and things like ginger, coconut oil, avocado etc… two a day and dinner? It was the best I ever felt! I didnt necessarily lose weight. I wasn’t really tracking it. But I felt incredible.
Yeah, the decision to do it and keeping up with it until you get the habit is the worst part..
Ah that’s wonderful!
Congrats on making progress with driving! I think a big thing is probably drinking water a lot? It does have a lot of properties – especially when you pair it with ginger. Getting into a proper sleeping cycle is very good for your body, I must admit that.
It sounds weird, but getting your goals into order does help your energy – helps you to know what you want and you figure out how to get there.
Right! Water is almost all that I drink anyway 😅 Getting the sleep schedule fixed is such a pain though .. specially if my manager decide to shove me back on evening shifts until 9pm ..
I can see it ! Though I gotta admit i’m not too sure how I can fix my sleep pattern yet. Saying no naps & going to bed before one is easily said but doing it is another thing XD
Drinking lots of water, exercising in general, and having a set sleep schedule ar all great ideas, I also know that eating the right foods as well as enough of them helps with energy too 🙂 I hope that you feel more energized!
Thank you ! I hope so too because well.. this ain’t fun at all XD