Yay, a new baby! It truly is an amazing thing and one that will turn your world upside down in the best way possible. But in the process of taking care of baby and devoting all waking hours to him or her, we can easily become overwhelmed and experience a constant state of low energy. With non-stop diaper changes, continuous feeds, and simply trying to figure it all out (never mind the constant worry that new moms can experience), it’s no wonder our energy tends to fall flat.

Truth be told, we moms actually have a superpower: being able to function on the least sleep possible while continuing to take care of this tiny human (or humans) while STILL managing to keep ourselves alive. Pretty remarkable.

But, this really does take its toll and if we don’t get a handle on this new life situation in good time, we will eventually reach the burnout stage. And that, my friends, means we can’t properly take care of ourselves, let alone anyone else in the family.

Think about it. If we don’t have energy, we have virtually nothing to give to others. And you know how it feels to have low energy… everything seems so much harder to accomplish than it should, and it’s hard to find joy in anything. In a word, ugh. So, we need to make our health a top priority so we have the energy to keep showing up as the mamas (and wives, daughters, friends etc.) that we want to be.

Here’s What Not To Do

Rely on caffeine – Hey, I’m all about enjoying my green tea lattes (in fact, it’s my last tip below), and sure, they do give me a boost, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to rely on caffeine day in and day out to function. The reason is that caffeine, being a stimulant, takes a toll on our adrenal glands, AKA our stress glands. And we need top-notch adrenals to be the happy, healthy mamas we want to be. So enjoy your coffee, sure, but just try not to go overboard (read: don’t rely on it to function).

Use quick pick-me-ups – Yeah, I’m lookin’ at you over there, unwrapping that chocolate bar. Listen, once again, since I’m human I do love me a good chocolate bar, but it is not a long-lasting source of energy so it should only be enjoyed here and there. In fact, sugar and carbs in general (unfortunately yes, potato chips are on this list…) can deplete our energy and lead to mood swings and other undesirable symptoms. Ummm no thanks.

Eat too many hard-to-digest foods – Our digestion takes so much of our energy. Like, a ton. Ever wonder why everyone is so tired after a big meal? Their bodies are working so hard trying to digest everything! Just thinking about Thanksgiving dinner makes most people want to lay on the couch. Generally speaking, grains tend to be harder to digest (bread, pasta, rice, crackers, cookies, anything with flour), and legumes as well for some people (lentils, peas, beans).

Overeat – No matter what you’re eating, don’t let yourself get to the point of being stuffed. I’ve always found that being bloated goes hand-in-hand with feeling tired. And who wants either? Eat until you’re satisfied and happy rather than stuffed.

Here’s What To Do Instead

Eat 3 meals per day – I know, easier said than done as a busy mom, right? Believe me, I get it. But hear me out. When you skip a meal, your blood sugar can go out of whack, causing you to crave foods, especially carbs, badly. And it is so much harder to say no to that voice when your blood sugar is involved. So you eat the carby food, feel good for a minute, then your blood sugar swings again, and the cycle repeats itself. Not. Fun.

Have snacks at the ready – Just like I’m suggesting you don’t skip meals, I also believe it’s important to have nourishing snacks on hand for when you need quick energy. Homemade trail mix, toasted pumpkin seeds, a boiled egg, full-fat plain yogurt, apple slices with almond butter and coconut oil, straight-up peanut butter from the jar… these are all great examples of protein- and fat-rich snacks. There are also some snack bars that are handy to have on hand… a couple of my favourites are Love Good Fats bars and Larabars.

Move your body – The last thing you feel like doing when you’re feeling low in energy is work out, right? But that’s actually the very thing that you should be doing! Now, I don’t mean you should be pushing yourself; if you’re actually feeling tired and rundown, then you need to rest. But, if it’s a “blah” kind of low energy that’s plaguing you, then girl, get going! Trust me – you will feel so much more energized, and bonus: you’ll also feel pretty dang proud of yourself for making that great decision.

Get up earlier – This seems counterintuitive, I know, but I’ll explain in a minute. First, a caveat: I’d only suggest this if you’ve gotten at least 6-8 hours of sleep, and had minimal baby wake ups overnight. I mean, we need our rest first and foremost. However, if you’ve gotten a restful sleep, then getting up a bit earlier just does something fantastic to your body and mind. It gives you an extra spark and starts the day off on the right foot. Not only do you feel proud of the fact that you didn’t sleep until the last possible second, but it also gives you a bit of time in the morning just to yourself. And you can use that time to plan your day, write in your journal, exercise, meditate, read, just be… the choice is yours. Whatever you choose, it is an amazing, energizing start to the day.

Eat real food – Fake foods don’t give us energy but instead deplete us, and this is simply not sustaining. So, we must focus on nourishing our bodies and eating real food. What does this include? Water (and herbal tea), meats and fish, butter and fresh oils like olive and flax, vegetables, fruits, legumes, and nuts and seeds. If you were hoping bread would make this list, well, it could, but aim for sourdough or sprouted, as these are easier to digest.

Bonus: Enjoy a green tea latte – My beverage of choice has been a matcha green tea latte for a long time now. There’s just something satisfying about a hot drink (that can also be iced) that I know is good for me. Yes, it has caffeine, but it’s more of a slow-release vs. a jolt like you might get from coffee. Matcha is green tea leaves ground into a powder, so you’re actually consuming the leaves rather than steeping them and thus drinking a dilution. Because of this, the antioxidant content is huge even in comparison with regular green tea. Matcha also contains L-theanine, an amino acid that encourages focused, calm energy. As a mom, just yes please.

I sincerely hope this has given you food for thought, both literally and figuratively. And I hope you’ll try some (or all!) of the above tips so you can start feeling more energized, asap.

I know for me, I literally cannot afford not to have energy. Everything suffers when I’m depleted – but when I’m full of it (energy, that is), I’m a better mom, wife, friend, daughter and so on. For me, it’s a matter of quality of life… not just feeling better myself but affecting the rest of my life in a positive way, too.

Give me a “yes” in the comments below if you’re going to try something in this list. Bonus points for telling me which one(s) you’re going to incorporate!