Hacks for more energy

For many, it's the vacation you go on – juggling work, family and a bunch of extra activities or responsibilities… a little extra energy could go a long way

It's the festive season. Between work, family, friends, and the rush of holiday activities, it can be easy to get a little tired. If you eat and drink extra, you may feel generally tired at the end of the month. Signs of festive burnout. It is a state of physical, mental and often emotional exhaustion that is triggered by prolonged exposure to stress. Prolonged exposure to stress—like during an extremely stressful vacation—puts your body into fight-or-flight mode, and well, it gets stuck there. But here are some tricks to have more energy.

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In the long term, getting enough sleep, exercise and a healthy diet will help your body return to normal energy levels. Sleep is crucial, and not having enough during the holidays or having alcohol in your system, causing difficulty sleeping, is hard on the body. But during the holidays, you need a perk that doesn't involve caffeine. Although it increases alertness, it has limited effects on higher cognitive processes and cannot mask underlying fatigue over time.

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Consider making slight adjustments to your daily routine and power nap. “A power nap of 15 to 45 minutes can improve memory and reduce fatigue for the rest of the day,” said Dr. Michael Grandner, director of the sleep and health research program at the University of Arizona in Tucson. “If you are otherwise well rested, a nap like this can actually improve your performance quite a bit.”

Don't leave it to chance, set an alarm so that it doesn't turn into a long nap that later disrupts your sleep.

During the holidays, most people drink and eat more for energy and drink more water. It helps flush out excess toxins, ensures regularity, transports nutrients and oxygen and most importantly increases energy and helps fight fatigue.

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Here are more hacks to have more energy.

Take 10 even breaths.
Breathe in and slowly count to 5. Hold for 5. Breathe out to 5. Hold until 5. This type of breath work can change your energy.

Stand up.
Taking standing breaks, especially if you've been sitting for long periods of time, can wake up your muscles and stimulate blood flow.

Eat a handful of shelled pistachios.
Pistachios provide you with a protein boost and cell-supporting antioxidants. Plus, removing the peels can help prevent you from overeating.

Drink green tea.
Tea contains less caffeine than coffee for a boost of energy without the jitters—plus beneficial plant chemicals.

Check in with a friend/colleague.
Socializing can boost self-esteem, even if it's virtual.

Watch a funny video.
Laughter releases endorphins, the “feel-good neurochemical,” which can reduce your stress and boost your mood.

Inhale a touch of peppermint essential oil.
Peppermint is known to improve memory and increase alertness. You can add a few drops to a diffuser or sniff straight from the bottle.

I hope the tricks for more energy during the holiday season will help and make your time more joyful.