The Energy Project, Day 5 (I missed Day 4! Oh no!)

Well, my first hurdle in gaining more energy has been officially leapt over a couple of times now: bedtime is about 10:30pm, and getting there on time (or at least, before 11), has helped with my waking up in the morning. Yay for hurdle number one!

Now, on to the biggest hurdle of all: discovering a way to have energy throughout my day.

I usually drink coffee from the time I get up in the morning until about mid-afternoon, and that helps with the initial waking-up phase, but does little else for me throughout the day. It can sometimes help me get over that horrid mid-afternoon hump, when everything slows down and it feels like I'm walking (and thinking) through a watery, thick atmosphere, but lately -- gasp! -- it hasn't even been helping with that. Even after two cups, I find my brain is still fuzzy and indistinct, as if I'm looking at the world through a gently spinning kaleidoscope. No matter what I try to do to focus during this time, the best I can do is give up on any activity that requires sharp thinking and turn to a more relaxing activity, like knitting or playing the piano. Such pastimes require only my fingers to think, and that helps my brain to take a break until it's recovered its equilibrium.

Sadly, the rest of my afternoon and evening is an exercise in self discipline as I make supper, clean up, and put the kids to bed. I'm so tired that it's all I can do not to snap at people and all I can do to keep moving.

I have a couple theories here:

1) I'm so addicted to caffeine that my brain can't function without it, and I just plain need more.

2) I need to eat a bigger afternoon snack and drink more water. Low blood sugar also really affects me, and by dinner time, I'm toast if I haven't eaten much since lunch.

3) I might need to visit my friendly neighbourhood homeopathic doctor for more advice and clearer insight.

4) My body is tired from healing a broken ankle (which still isn't quite better), and I should just give myself a break.

Who knows? I guess the logical next steps are to try a combination of numbers 2 and 3, while taking number 4 into account. Oh, the possibilities!