Do you ever find yourself so busy that you miss out on meeting our basic needs?
We all have days where we neglect ourselves. Maybe you skipped your walk today, or missed an hour of sleep to work on an important project. Maybe last week you spent too much time working and not enough time in leisure, unwinding. Life gets in the way of balance – it happens to the best of us.
But eventually, everyone feels the effects of neglect.
It is okay; we cannot keep complete track of absolutely everything at all times. Just be sure that you do recognize what you need to pick back up on when the time comes.
For example, I used to be so busy treating patients that I barely had down time during the day. I did not have scheduled breaks, so on occasion I would come into the kitchen and take a snack back to my desk… back to work in less than 3 minutes.
By midday I was feeling exhausted, even though I had only worked 4 hours. My mind was groggy; I was having trouble concentrating and keeping track of conversations with colleagues without writing down important details.
(Tell me you do not also feel tired and burned-out halfway through the day! So many people I speak with struggle with this, too.)
I thought of course, it was my blood sugar getting low – that is why I was feeling so run-down. So in my short breaks I would grab a sugary pick-me-up and some coffee.
But I found that only made the problem worse. After a short boost, it became even harder to focus! This became a real dilemma, especially as I was caring for patients throughout the day.
Then, I read something that changed my whole approach…
“If your brain hydration decreases by 2%, you may suffer from fuzzy short-term memory, experience problems focusing, and have trouble doing basic math.”
Ah-ha! Water! It seemed like such a simple solution that had eluded me – but when we get busy, these things can get lost in the shuffle.
But even a 1% decrease in hydration can result in a 5% drop in cognition – and our mood, emotional stability, sleep, focus, and physical wellness also suffer. That is how important water is to our bodies – and I missed it!
Of course, right away I started adding a glass of water in the morning and in the afternoon. It took intention to add more water to my routine – and some patience – but it was not long until my energy and mental clarity began to return.
I began steadily adding more and more water to my day and I noticed a major change in my mood and clarity. No more lunchtime fatigue, reaching for sweets on breaks, or taking notes when talking to colleagues. I felt like I had my mind back.
It just goes to show how crucial it is to know how to live a healthy life and diagnose those things in ourselves – and the simple things we can do to feel better even from one moment to the next. Eat a balanced meal; go for a walk outside; think an encouraging thought; keep yourself hydrated, and watch yourself become a brand-new and revitalized person.
If you find yourself too busy this week to keep up with all of it, try something simple: just drink one additional glass of water each day.
Try adding one to your routine next week, and then another the week after; see how your cognition improves and how much more positive you feel.
Keep adding glasses until you are taking in about 2.5 litres each day. It sounds like a lot right now, but once you get there, you’ll wonder how you ever got by with less 🙂
Make today your masterpiece!
Florina
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