I want you to mentally check whether you have these symptoms:
☑️ You are not able to focus on anything
☑️ Your brain feels sluggish and there is a lot of mental fog
☑️ You forget things more often than usual,
☑️ It takes you forever to get through your work.
All of these can be really frustrating, especially when you're trying to do your best in life. I know coz I’ve been there.
Let’s dig deeper into why this happens and what you can do about it.
It turns out, that when we're constantly stressed and pushing ourselves too hard, it can take a toll on our bodies.
According to a study published by the American Heart Association, 1 in 4 heart attack victims in the world are younger than 45! That's a lot of young people facing serious health problems and this has a direct relation to the above-mentioned symptoms I shared.
Think of a rubberband you continue pulling without ever giving it a break. It’s bound to break, right?
Our bodies are kind of the same way! We need to take care of ourselves to function at our best.
Work and life are important, but we can't keep going if we're not managing our stress levels — because that impacts every aspect of your health.
So, what can we do to do everything we want to but without getting burnt out?
Here is a formula that I follow. It’s called the 5S RULE and this is how it goes:
➡️ Sleeping Enough 🛌: Just like our phones which need to charge to build up their battery powers, we need sleep to recharge our bodies and minds. I always aim for at least 8-9 hours of sleep each night (research shows women need more sleep than men)
When you're well-rested, you can focus better, have more energy, and even feel happier! Even our ancient texts have something to say about it.
➡️ Sugar Control: Sugar is a very controversial ingredient. Most of us are addicted to it thanks to the huge amounts of sugar that are often there in packaged food. But while we need it in minor quantities to maintain glucose levels and keep our energy up, too much sugar actually has the opposite effect.
Consuming high amounts of sugar overall leads to chronic inflammation in the body and that can affect every aspect of your health. And it leads to energy crashes, making you feel sluggish and tired. This article by Harvard Health explains it in detail.
That’s why, these days I avoid huge sugary fixes and focus instead on eating whole foods. I also avoid snacking to prevent blood sugar spikes.
➡️ Stress Mediation: Stress is honestly one of the biggest culprits of every major health condition. While small bouts of stress help keep us motivated, it’s when this stress goes unchecked and doesn’t go down for long periods, that it turns chronic. And this stress affects your metabolism, your energy levels, your physical health, and your mental health.
I refer to this chart most of the time and I am sure that it will help you understand how much damaging stress can be for you too:
It’s very important to manage your stress levels and two of the most effective practices I’ve found are:
Meditation: Just 5-10 minutes daily sitting in silence and focusing on my breath overall helps me become a calmer individual.
Writing or journaling: Because it helps deal with all the overthinking and keep obsessive thoughts at bay.
➡️ Sedentary Lifestyle Management: Post Covid 19, sitting around all day has become a new normal. But, it can make you feel sluggish and can damage your productivity as well. Coming to the medical damages, there lay a whole list of it. Therefore, the most simplistic way to get out of this is by getting your body moving!
Take a walk, go for a bike ride, or do some jumping jacks after every 2-3 hours of sitting. This will keep your body active and will help you deal with this sloth lifestyle with ease. You can get a walking pad like me and this helps you sneak in 10 minute walking sessions within your work day.
➡️ Sunlight Exposure☀️: I cannot say enough good things about sunlight exposure. All of us are chronically under-exposed to sunlight, which has a host of benefits — boosting production of Vit D, improving the circadian rhythm, and even improving sleep by regulating the production of serotonin and melatonin in the brain.
Typically, getting it right in the morning is the most beneficial (before 10 am) because the sun’s rays are not too harsh and they give you the maximum Vit D benefit. But if you can’t then, in the evening after 4-4:30 is also decent. Avoid the sun during the afternoon when it is at its peak and has the harshest light.
Use this chart if you are still confused about the time:
Taking care of ourselves with the 5S Rule isn't just good for your health, it can actually help you be more productive in all forms of life as well.
Now, it's your time to implement.
Reply and let me know if you are ready for the implementation.
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