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Do you lose the plot on a regular basis? Do you forget where you were going, why you walked into the next room, or what you were about to say? Do you lose your keys, lock yourself out of your car or home?
Did you know this leads to anxiety and depression?
According to Ayurveda, this behavior is associated with a Vata imbalance.The wisdom teachings of yoga teach us that the balance of the 5 elements in our bodies will help us maintain our health and well being.
The air element is wonderful for moving energy, stoking new creativity, stirring up your enthusiasm. If the air element combined with the space element you can become spacey, ungrounded, and easily distracted. You will find yourself going from one project to the next never completing anything. You will often feel overwhelmed, anxious, and have trouble sleeping.
Usually this imbalance occurs more frequently after women go through menopause or are pregnant. But it also can also occur for everyone as they move into Vata time of life after age 50. Shifting levels of hormones, change of seasons, transitioning into Vata season (Fall) and travel all cause a Vata imbalance.
LACK OF ENERGY & FOCUS
Your lack of groundedness is causing you to have sleep disturbances which leads to unevenness of energy throughout the day. You can have moments of total clarity and focus followed by feeling spacey, tired, dull or exhausted. By constantly depleting your body you will feel like you are always running on empty. Napping is said to really improve your heart health. 15-20 minute power naps are really wonderful for rejuvenating your energy. If you need more than a 10-20 minute nap a day you need to get more rest. The effects of sleep deprivation over time are scary. The lack of quality rest and not enough REM cycles or deep sleep will adversely affect your memory, focus and concentration. According to Webmd.com here are the effects of sleep deprivation over time.- Heart disease
- Irregular heart beat
- High blood pressure
- Stroke
- Diabetes
- Kills your sex drive
- Causes accidents
- Dumbs you down
- Can contribute to causing depression
- Ages your skin
- Messes with your memory
- Puts on extra weight and makes it hard to lose it once it is on.
- Impairs your judgement (you might think you can get away with 6 hours of sleep…. NOT!!)
HOW YOUR BELLY DISTURBS YOUR SLEEP AND MIND FOCUS
What throws a lot of us off balance is chronic inflammation in our microbiome. Digestive issues will contribute to brain fog and sleep deprivation. If you have ever tried to sleep on a full belly you will get how important it is that you eat early and lighter in order to get a good night’s rest. What causes inflammation in your gut?- Processed Foods (breads, pasta, chips, cookies, candy ,cakes) anything that does not grow in nature.
- Any food that has been treated with radiation, chemicals, hormones, antibiotics.
- Meat and fish that has been given food that is not in the animals natural diet.
- Heating foods with microwaves in plastic containers.
- Eating too heavy late at night, past 7:00 pm.
- A diet that includes refined sugar.
- Having the same foods every day.
- Gobbling down your food too quickly while walking, standing, or driving.
- Taking a huge amount of supplements instead of eating wholesome fresh organic foods.
- Sitting down for a meal when you’re upset.
IGNORING THE PROBLEM WON’T MAKE IT GO AWAY
What if you are complacent or apathetic about your lack of energy and focus? This syndrome if left unattended over decades will eventually lead to some serious health issues down the road like: immune disorders, chronic fatigue, weight gain, diabetes, heart problems, chronic depression, anxiety, memory loss, or dementia.4 SECRETS TO SOLVE YOUR FOGGY MIND AND LOW ENERGY
1. Early to Bed Early to Rise…
Going to bed at 10:00 pm or earlier every night consistently will help you break this pattern. By staying up late and being on blue screens (TV iPhones, iPads, laptops), you rob yourself of essential deep rest that will help you keep your mind sharp and help you sustain your energy during the afternoons and early evening. Taking the TV out of the bedroom is the first step. Watch for Signs of Tiredness. Yawning, eye rubbing, and heavy eyelids. If you find that you are reading the same sentence 10 times without comprehension close the book and turn off the lights!2. Avoid Drinking Alcohol During The Week & Caffeine After 10:00 am
Drinking alcohol will cause you to wake up in the middle of the night disturbing your REM cycles and preventing you from being on top of your game the next day. Save it for the weekends.3. Practice Daily Meditation And Yoga 5 Days A Week
Doing 10-20 minutes of body breath practices will help you oxygenate your body and help you keep you mind clear and your energy even throughout the day. Even five sun salutations will help regulate your energy. Would love to exercise but have no energy to get yourself off the sofa? Daily exercise will give your more energy so that you can exercise and improve your health and mental clarity. Daily meditation helps you floss the mind and increases your gray matter! You get smarter! Read this great blog about Meditation. Meditating before bed helps you process your day and give you a deeper sleep.4. Eat Earlier lighter dinner for better sleep.
Closing the kitchen after an early dinner and fasting on water between meals will also help you get to bed earlier, leave you well rested and energized the next day. Stop eating at 7:00pm Do Intermittent fasting by putting 12-16 hour between the last meal of the day and breakfast. For example, if you eat at 6:00 pm dinner you would fast until 7:00-8:00am the next day. If you are hungry before bed try making warm Golden Milk recipe with either milk or Almond milk
