NEW YEAR NEW DECADE NEW YOU! WELCOME TO 2020!
A NEW YEAR! And just in the blink of an eye, the frenzy of the 2019 Festive Season is over and sadly, Eden On The Bay is already starting to say its farewells to the very welcome holiday-makers who have made it a truly special Festive Season and who have started making their way home.
(PS. Your favourite parking bay is about to become available again… just saying…) 😊
It’s not surprising how, after the warm Summer holidays spent in Cape Town especially, that so many visitors leave, wishing to live in this beautiful place that we are privileged enough to call home.
More than just a new year, 2020 begins a new decade, which without doubt, will bring with it its own highlights and challenges.
As usual, most of us start every new year feeling super-stoked, especially that goals would already have been set, and never of course forgetting all those wonderful New Year Resolutions, which often don’t last a week! No need to be so hard on yourselves!
Eden On The Bay decided that instead of setting the bar too high, a few helpful and do-able tips would be the best way to embark on our 2020 journey, which should help get you through the year, feeling positive and a little less tired whilst slogging towards your next holiday.
So here goes……
For some reason, our first thought when feeling tired is that it is due to lack of sleep. Especially after over-indulging during the Festive Season parties!
NO! NO! NO!
Sleep deprivation is not all that drains your energy. Lots of little things you do and don’t do take their toll on one, both mentally and physically, resulting in difficulties getting through an ordinary day.
By just changing a few bad habits and slightly tweaking your lifestyle, the spring in your step will soon be back!
HERE WE GO:
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Drink enough water
Being dehydrated by even as little as 2% short of normal fluid can have a bad effect on energy levels. Dehydration causes a reduction in blood volume, making blood thicker and resulting in your heart pumping as efficiently as it should, reducing the time within which oxygen and nutrients are able to reach your organs.
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Check on your Iron levels
Iron deficiencies cause you to feel sluggish, weak, unable to focus and irritable. Reduce the risk of anaemia by pairing foods high in Vitamin C with green leafy veggies, nuts and peanut butter. Should you suspect an underlying health problem, you should visit your GP as soon as possible.
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A bit of OCD?
We all want to be perfect, but let’s be real here – it is impossible and striving for perfection is hard work and projects take a whole lot longer than they should. Limit unrealistic goals and set achievable times for projects. Most importantly, ADHERE TO THEM!
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Stop making mountains out of molehills
Before expecting the worst-case scenario, which you believe could develop out of an ordinary occurrence, take a deep breath and ask yourself how likely it is that it will really turn out that way? Eg. Your Boss calls you in for an unexpected meeting and your first thought is that he is going to fire you. This type of anxiety can exhaust you both mentally and physically. Get outside, meditate, exercise or go and catch up with a friend and share your concerns.
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Skipping breakfast is not a good idea
Breakfast is like starting a fire and kick-starting your metabolism. Even whilst sleeping, your body continues using the food you consume and keeps the blood and oxygen flowing. When you awake in the morning, your body needs to refuel with a healthy breakfast to avoid feeling sluggish.
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Junk Food
Yes there is a place and a time, but so as not to irritate you so early in the New Year, perhaps we should leave it right there for another day and time. Let’s just say that food loaded with sugar and simple carbs (like the ones you order in a box at the drive-thru, will cause sugar spikes followed by sharp drops and inevitable fatigue.
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You cannot please all of the people all of the time
Start learning to say ‘NO’! Continuously trying to please people at the expense of your own energy and happiness is not the way to go! Over time, it can even result in one becoming resentful and angry. Remember, you don’t always have to say yes!
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De-clutter that ‘Piggy-Wiggy’ desk
It’s a really good idea at the end of the working day, to make sure that you tidy your desk and neatly pack away work and personal items. Not only will this allow you a positive early morning start the next morning, but clutter mentally exhausts one by restricting your ability to focus and limits your brain’s ability to process information.
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Choose between Wining and Whining
Just one or two glasses of wine or alcohol before falling asleep can sometimes leave you whining the next day. It may sound like a good idea at the time, but alcohol can create an abrupt surge in the adrenaline system. Try not to drink three to four hours before going to bed.
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Stay off technology at bedtime
The glaring lights of tablets, smartphones and computers suppresses Melatonin, a hormone which helps regulate sleep. Sensitivity to the glow varies from person to person, but by avoiding all technology for an hour or two before bedtime is a good idea.
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Your morning Java kickstart
Without it most of us just cannot get going. Some studies sow that up to three cups of coffee daily is good for you, but copious amounts of caffeine can seriously disrupt you sleeping cycle. Cut your intake six hours before bedtime (mid-afternoon) and take note how it changes your sleeping pattern.
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Too much weekend
Although great fun, late-night Saturdays can have a snowball effect on your next working week. Yes, it’s great that you can sleep in on Sunday morning but that leads to difficulty when trying to fall asleep on Sunday night, leaving you sleep-deprived on Monday morning, and so the cycle continues.
AND IF ALL ELSE FAILS, VISIT US AT EDEN ON THE BAY! WHETHER FOR THAT KICKSTART JAVA, A HEALTHY BREAKFAST, A CATCH-UP WITH A FRIEND OR TO BUY CLEANING PRODUCTS FOR THE ‘PIGGY WIGGY’ DESK, WE ARE WAITING TO WELCOME YOU!
WE WISH YOU ALL AN AWESOME 2020 AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AT
EDEN ON THE BAY