are you spent? holiday rush. end of the year stress. just writing about healing and recharging makes me feel more whole. these are my three top ways for recharging bit by bit when I'm worn out. they are also tremendous for fighting off colds or nursing your way out if you've gotten knocked down already.
1) put lemon in your water.
lemon water has a number of benefits, not least, making water more yum and interesting so we drink more water in general. I try to get in the habit of just popping one or two slices of lemon into every glass of water I drink, as well as tea. when I use lemon for cooking (great with kale), I plop the already squeezed slices into my water glass. I also like adding cucumbers.
2) cook with cayenne pepper.
I like spice. I put cayenne in just about everything I cook in the winter. I love it the most on potatoes. it's been used for herbal remedies for ages in Native American, Chinese, and Ayruvedic medicines. it helps reduce pain and even burn calories.
3) sleep.
easier said than done, I know. especially with a high stress job, financial pressure, and/or kids. the benefits of sleep have been documented and written about all over the place. what I know is that sleep is critical for physical and emotional healing, processing, and resistance to getting sick. when times get crazy, I actually make it a point to get more sleep. in a culture crazed with "the cult of busy," you might be equating sleep with laziness. chances are, if you take a look at your life and schedule, there are at least a few things that you are prioritizing over sleep that aren't actually serving you. getting enough sleep actually goes hand in hand with self-value, creating and honoring boundaries, and saying no.
taking care of yourself give you space to heal, regenerate, and get back to a place where you can really thrive by being active.
even top athletes in training know that self-care is mission critical for getting stronger. a few of my other favorite recharge ingredients are: fuzzy sweaters, listening to music by myself, candles, kombucha, and journaling.