Imagine waking up in the morning feeling great, refreshed and motivated to start a new day!

Usually this is a moment many dread, getting up and looking in the mirror at tired eyes, wondering how you are going to get through the day. Email bombardment, back to back meetings, long hours, time intense deadlines are increasing the pace of work and life.

Let’s not forget also our daily commitments to our family, partner and children. To thrive in a relentless and accelerating pace is not about becoming motivated to keep going and ‘cope with stress’, but rather being able to increase your capacity, to sustain and enjoy high pressure, without experiencing the consequences of fatigue and burnout.

But instead of worrying about how you are going to force yourself through a day’s work or chores and how you are going to summon the energy to be social when you are done, how much would you give to have a sense of excitement as you take your steps out of bed?

If you are bothered by a lack of energy, no motivation, drowsiness, and a feeling of not caring about what happens, you may be one of countless Australians plagued by fatigue.

Why are so many of us so fatigued?
There’s no easy answer. Fatigue can stem from illness, poor sleep, and stress, lack of exercise, overwork, medications, and depression. It can make us trudge through the day yet hit our beds wide awake.

Research says fatigue comes partly from ignoring our limits in a society where sleep and relaxation are sometimes bad words and all too often neglected.

There are thousands of Australians who have called me over the years since discovering that I suffered with two bouts of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. There’s no magic pill. In fact, some drugs designed to fix causes of fatigue, including sleeping pills, can make matters worse in the long run. But simple lifestyle changes can definitely help.

To many in our society today including the average overworked, overstressed Australian, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) doesn’t sound like a disease. It sounds like reality.

Quick Self Care Remedies for Fatigue:
• Organise your time. Get up a few minutes earlier, so you won’t have to start your day feeling rushed and tired. Learn to delegate and say no when you have enough responsibilities and activities in your life.
• Be physically active. Try to get at least 30 minutes of activity most days of the week. Avoid exercising right before you go to bed, which can disrupt your regular sleeping habits and make you tired in the morning.
• Get the right amount of sleep. Most people need six to eight hours of sleep each night.
• Take a nap during the day. This may be especially helpful for teenagers who have hectic schedules studying for their Yr 12 examinations and older adults who tend to sleep less soundly.
• Quit smoking. Smoking steals some of your body’s oxygen supply, replacing oxygen absorbed by the red blood cells with carbon monoxide. Nicotine is a stimulant, and going through the withdrawal symptoms that follow smoking can cause temporary tiredness.
• Drink less caffeine and alcohol. Alcohol is a depressant and will make you feel tired, not boost your energy. Caffeine will give you a temporary boost of energy, but when the effect wears off, your energy level will drop drastically.
• Find your lunch style. Some people function best after eating a lighter lunch, whereas others need to eat their largest meal of the day at lunch. In either case, avoid high fat and high GI foods.
• Take breaks. Interrupt your workday with occasional breaks. If you haven’t gone on a vacation in a while, take a trip or unplug the phone and refresh yourself at home.
• Watch less television. If you depend on television to relax, you may find yourself relaxed into a state of sluggishness. Try something more stimulating, such as reading or taking a walk.
• Find ways to keep cool, calm & collected. Listen to music or relaxation tapes. Say a word, phrase, or prayer that gives you a sense of peace. Imagine yourself on a beach, at the mountains, or in your favorite spot.
• Embrace and live in the present. Practice “attention strengthening.” That’s the act of paying attention to what needs to be done now. People think that if they slow down and pay attention they’ll become less efficient. But you become more efficient, because you focus more clearly and revise priorities.
• Take a Breather. Take breathing intervals when you stop at a traffic light, wash the dishes or take a walk. When you’re anxious, sad or angry, focus on a few breaths as you feel the emotion. Take these breathing breaks to increase your focus and your energy in the present. Notice how you feel after you breathe.

Four keys to boost your energy levels:
1. Eat a wholesome, hearty carbohydrate-rich breakfast such as a big bowl of cereal and a whole grain bagel. Research suggests people who fuel well at breakfast tend to eat a better (more wholesome) lunch and have a better diet throughout the day than do people who skip or skimp on breakfast.

2. Eat abundant fruits and vegetables. When you are eating on the run both at home and on the road, you can easily fail to consume the recommended seven servings of fruits and vegetables per day. A simple way to boost your fruit intake is to have a tall glass of orange juice at breakfast, along with a big banana or other fruit on cereal, and then eat a double serving of colourful vegetables at lunch or dinner (such as a big salad or a generous portion of cooked vegetables).
Can’t stomach them or your kiddies won’t touch them…check this out

3. Limit your fat intake. Of all the types of foods, fatty foods contribute to the biggest health and low energy levels throughout the day that have you feeling like your tank is running on empty. Your best bet is to eat only small portions of fatty foods, or choose low fat alternatives.

4. Drink plenty of water or other non-alcoholic fluids to prevent dehydration. You should drink enough fluids so you have to urinate every two to four hours. The urine should be clear and copious (versus dark and concentrated). If you do not urinate, let’s say from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., you are dehydrated and need to drink more fluids.

Beat Tiredness & Fatigue Presentation today! Think Like A Champion Club Members click here to download the mp3 recording “Beat Fatigue, Boost Energy: How to Stop Working Yourself to Death” now which teaches you:
** The three mistakes, that almost every one makes, which CREATES stress and burns you out
** The 4 key principles of building mental toughness – your inspiration from within to the stress and pressure in your life
** How to develop a champion attitude
** Is there a right way to achieve a practical work-life balance?
** How to convert unproductive stress into energy & enthusiasm
** How to immune yourself from stressful clients, customers and colleagues
** Why fruits and vegetables are your best ammunition against all of life’s deadly oxidants

Nothing above is rocket science …then why is our society running around like headless chooks in a state of overwhelm crying ‘time poor’.

It really is crunch time at this time of the year! Make a commitment to you to get back your vitality, energy & potential to live life to the full, that Shelley Taylor-Smith says…is your birthright to achieve and enjoy too!

If you are sick and tired of being sick and tired. If you are unhappy about your fatigue, chronic fatigue, glandular fever, low energy and vitality and the impact this has in your life, please attend these life changing presentations with 7-time World Marathon Swimming Champion, Shelley Taylor-Smith. Read the 10 tips for recover from CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome).

Cheers to your good health!
Shelley Taylor-Smith

P. S. If you want to achieve greater energy levels, you might want to read what I have to say. It may help you with issues you are now facing. Review past blog posts and read the articles at http://www.thinklikeachampionclub.com/articles

PPS: Want to Pick Shelley’s Brain? Email Shelley directly at champion@championmindset.com.au with subject header: “I want to Pick Shelley’s Brain” and send your enquiry/questions.