We’ve all been there (and if you haven’t, I’m a hater, so please exit this post and read another one.) You’ve gotten maybe five or six good hours of sleep. Now, you’re getting yourself prepared for the day, hyping yourself up, convincing your mind and body that six hours is ample enough rest. In your heart, you know good and well eight used to be your bare minimum. Before I get swept away daydreaming about the sleep I got pre-baby, let me stay on task.
Right now, I am TIRED. But I also have to mom, wife, and work full time. After a long night, I still have to get myself ready, make sure my son is ready, drive him to daycare, and then drive myself to work. All while being mindful that our world is in a scary place, and I need to consider others’ feelings while I’m hanging onto my sanity for dear life. Let’s ignore the fact that I’m so sleepy I stood waiting for an elevator for three minutes before realizing I never pressed the “up” button.
So on days like this, I have to be very mindful and downright strategic about how I’m going to get through the day.
Spoiler alert – the answer isn’t caffeine; you’re gonna need more than that mama.
- Allowing myself to be annoyed, angry, peeved, and cranky. Physiologically, there’s no snapping out of it. There’s no breathing through it. Right now, I want to close my eyes, and that’s not an option; therefore, I’m irritated, and that’s okay. I recently saw a TikTok about how other cultures name emotions. Instead of “I am angry,” they say, “Anger is passing through me.” I actually tried this out on my way to work, and it instantly calmed me. The guilt of feeling angry left me (the emotion was still there), but the guilt of the emotion was gone because I acknowledged that it was temporary and doesn’t dictate how I show up.
- Eating fruit. A paragraph ago, I said the answer isn’t caffeine. To clarify, caffeine is a given, so go grab that cold brew. When you’re going on two years of broken sleep patterns, you need to pull out the big guns. I’m talking bananas for potassium, tangerines for vitamin C, and apples for fiber. Not only will fruit give you energy with natural sugar, but it’s also going to strengthen your immune system, which is significantly compromised when you’re running on fumes.
- We’re walking outside. We’re giving delusion. We’re putting on our headphones, turning on the one song that is going to boost your mood, and getting some fresh air. Even if it’s for five minutes, stepping outside will give your brain a reset and encourage your nervous system to know it’s okay to breathe and calm down. Minimally, the blood flow will wake your body up, and maximally, you get to take in some Vitamin D.