If you are one to over indulge over a short break and find it quite hard to get back on track after diving head first into fast food, alcohol and not enough sleep (or too much sleep) after the break – then follow these tips to quickly overcome all of damage you may have caused your body.
1. Don’t Beat Yourself Up New days, mean new starts. There is nothing that will hold you back from being the best version of you that you can be more than beating yourself up about the past. It is not effective and will continue to make you feel even worse. Starting the day with the mantra ‘fresh start’ can be helpful.
2. Get Back To Your Routine ASAP. Try not to sleep into 12pm on your first day back on the job. Structure is key, if you use structure your body will take care of itself. If your normal daily routine involves throwing your phone at the wall when your alarm goes off for 6am bootcamp – then throwing your phone at the wall is what you should do! (Not really – LOL, I hope you don’t actually do that every morning). The sooner you start getting back into your usual routine, the easier it will get and the sooner you will return to your usual structured day.
3. Start The Morning With MOVEMENT, MINDFUL EATING an MINIMISING. We all know that exercise can help activate serotonin the “feel good” chemicals that help regulate your mood – and when you’re feeling happier you are more likely to make healthier choices! When sitting down to breakfast, eat mindfully (meaning slowly, with minimal distractions). Cut out processed foods as much as you can throughout the week.
4. Expose Yourself To Bright Lights. Bright lights centres the SCN a part of your brain that controls your internal time clock. Sitting outside to read the paper, taking a walk or jog, or even waking up with a bright reading light if it’s cloudy outside. By getting bright light early in the AM, your body will recognise a more stable waking and sleeping pattern after a weekend of staying up late and sleeping in.
5. Drink Lots Of Water. When it comes to counteracting a weekend of drinking, of course the best recommendation is to HYDRATE! Days of sun and alcohol can leave you feeling depleted, so consider carrying around a water bottle during the day. Try to avoid salty foods, instead of snacking on pretzels or potato chips – opt for some nuts of a mandarin.
There you have it! Keep these tips in mind for the next time you have a long weekend coming up 😀