As the summer winds down and fall starts up again for the year, a lot of our schedules will 

become hectic once again.  So how do you maintain a healthy lifestyle and manageable schedule during such crazy times? Adding healthy habits to your daily agenda can be helpful towards your success, but the key to a healthy start to the fall work and school season is creating consistency throughout your day. 

Daniel Schneider, a sociology professor at UC Berkeley, explored the negative effects toward one’s health and well-being when having an unstable work schedule. He discovered that an inconsistent work schedule leads to psychological distress, poor sleep quality, and unhappiness when compared to those with fixed work hours. 

The lack of sleep from an inconsistent schedule can not only affect your mental health, but physical as well. Luca Imeri, a Professor of Human Physiology, states that sleep loss leads to impaired immune functions. While you are asleep, the body releases a protein called cytokines that aids in immunity. Whenever an individual experiences sleep deprivation, a decrease in cytokines production occurs which in turn decreases one’s immunity. 

Having a consistent sleep schedule is important for one’s well-being and health, but also has other positive benefits as well. Creating a consistent schedule will help fight exhaustion when you wake up as well as give you long lasting energy throughout the day. 

Need help adjusting your sleep schedule? Click here to learn different tips and tricks to build a better sleep routine.

Now that I have talked about the importance of having consistency throughout the work week, what steps can you take to make sure that your days are not hectic? There are some simple tips that you can follow to help you wake up with enough energy to take on the day. 

Some Simple Tips for a Consistent Morning Routine:

1. Get out of bed and perform a task right when you wake up

We are all guilty of snoozing our alarms right when we wake up. The new early mornings may be an adjustment, but it will only get worse by lying in bed and falling in and out of sleep for an hour. Creating a morning regimen that you follow every day when you wake up can increase your energy levels. Here are some different things you can do right when you wake up for a burst of energy:

2. Do a quick workout

Some people enjoy working out right when they wake up, but it is hard for everyone to put aside 45 minutes to run or lift early in the morning. Make a quick and easy 7 minute workout to follow every morning when you wake up. It can be as simple as 5 minutes of stretching and 2 minutes of jumping jacks.

3. Drink a glass of water the moment you wake up

Water is amazing for your health. It aids in digestion, absorption, nutrient transportation, and much more. Consuming water right when you wake up will allow for you to be hydrated and ready to take on the day!

4.  Get out of bed and meditate for 5 minutes  

Many people feel stressed to take on the day when they wake up and press the snooze button for a little bit more relief. By meditating right when you wake up, you can prepare for your body and mind for your crazy schedule.    

5. Make weekly goals for yourself

It is hard to wake up and go on with your day if you are not trying to achieve anything. Setting short and long term goals can help motivate you to get out of bed and start the day. The goal can be as simple as cooking breakfast everyday for a week or working out before going to bed. If you have motivation to get out of bed in the morning then it will be easier to do so.

6. Maintain a good diet

Your energy levels are often dependent on the type of foods that you consume. Eating greasy, high fat food items will leave you feeling weighed down and unmotivated to take on the day. Having a healthy breakfast to start off the day will provide you with the energy needed to complete all of your tasks and goals.

Need more help creating more consistency in your life? Don’t worry. Give us a call. We’ll make an appointment to talk via Zoom or by phone. Together, we’ll find a way to make your day a little less difficult.

Call 301-869-1787 or click here to set up an appointment as my free gift to you.

Together we’ll create your healthy sweet life by building a healthy relationship with food.

Source:

Schneider, D., & Harknett, K. (2019). Consequences of Routine Work-Schedule Instability for Worker Health and Well-Being. American Sociological Review, 84(1), 82–114.

meri, L., Opp, M. How (and why) the immune system makes us sleep. Nat Rev Neurosci 10, 199–210 (2009).

To your Joy and Health,

Kay Loughrey, MPH, RDN, LDN

This blog post was written by Bailee Richman, Dietetics Student from the University of Maryland