Being mentally exhausted

shireencarvalho79
shireencarvalho79 Posts: 8 Member
in Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
So many times, after a long day, we just don't have the energy or motivation to do anything. I found walking not only is a great form of exercise, but it helps mentally, the fresh air and beautiful surroundings. Actually relaxes the mind and helps to refocus. What are your ways to calm yourself.

Replies

  • Fascinationstreet10
    Fascinationstreet10 Posts: 31 Member
    shireencarvalho79 wrote: »
    So many times, after a long day, we just don't have the energy or motivation to do anything. I found walking not only is a great form of exercise, but it helps mentally, the fresh air and beautiful surroundings. Actually relaxes the mind and helps to refocus. What are your ways to calm yourself.

    Have to agree with this and that means any exercise. I work at home and now do a workout on my lunch break and even after a week I have more energy and sleep better ea h night
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I do my cardio in the mornings about 30 minutes or so after I get up and shake off the cob webs. I go to the weight room 2x per week during my lunch hour which helps break up the day. I also usually go for a walk on my 3 non-lifting days at lunch. It is too dark and cold to walk in the evening when I get home from work...and in the summer, it's usually over 95-100*F...so the evening is out for most things no matter the time of year. We have a pool though, so once temps start getting hot I spend a lot of time with my kids playing in the pool after work. In the winter I don't do a whole lot after work except help the kids with homework or help my wife with this or that...get dinner ready, etc.

    For relaxation, my wife and I usually sit down to eat dinner around 8 PM once my kids have been sent off to their rooms for 30 minutes of reading and we watch one of our shows. Once the kids are lights out, we usually make some herbal tea and continue watching our show(s) and I take my magnesium which starts to make me sleepy within about 30 minutes. Usually off to bed around 9:30 or 10:00 and I read for 20-30 minutes and then I'm out.



  • avatiach
    avatiach Posts: 298 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I take my magnesium which starts to make me sleepy within about 30 minutes. Usually off to bed around 9:30 or 10:00 and I read for 20-30 minutes and then I'm out.



    Tell me about the magnesium and sleep.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,223 Member
    avatiach wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I take my magnesium which starts to make me sleepy within about 30 minutes. Usually off to bed around 9:30 or 10:00 and I read for 20-30 minutes and then I'm out.



    Tell me about the magnesium and sleep.

    I'm not Wolfman (who's accomplished, and insightful) but it's worth a try. I take it, think there are benefits, but it's going to vary based on what your current/recent intake is, and personal factors besides.

    I have beaucoup sleep issues, think Mg helps a little, but its contribution to improvement will vary individually, IMO. For sure, worth a try. This site might provide some useful research links:

    https://examine.com/supplements/magnesium/

    Based on your OP, consider, too, whether a time-efficient mediation practice might help you. It's not (despite what some silly people say) anti-Christian (there are deeply Christian traditional modes of meditation!), in case that matters to you, or pure woo-woo. It can have physical and practical effects.

    This is a very loose, approximate thing, but we moderns tend to accumulate stress. Historically, fight or flight responses dissipated stress when we fought or escaped, but modern life can (maybe) just let them build. Meditation techniques (not necessarily or inherently linked to any particular religious practice) can help, in a way similar to how exercise can help.

    This is a pretty basic, non-religious, approach:

    https://youtu.be/nBCsFuoFRp8

    There used to be a text reference that I preferred, but this is OK. Benson is the religion-neutral guy.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    avatiach wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I take my magnesium which starts to make me sleepy within about 30 minutes. Usually off to bed around 9:30 or 10:00 and I read for 20-30 minutes and then I'm out.



    Tell me about the magnesium and sleep.

    It has helped me quite a bit. Magnesium activates the parasympathetic nervous system which is the part of the nervous system that helps you calm and relax. Essentially it helps activate neurotransmitters responsible for calming the body and mind...namely GABA receptors. These are the same neurotransmitters that sleep drugs like Ambien work on.

    I started supplementing with magnesium after discussions with my Dr. when I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder. He recommended it to me as a daily supplement to help "keep the fires down". I started off taking them in the morning, but the relatively high dose (500 Mg Magnesium Citrate), while calming, was also making me sleepy so I decided to take them at night.

    It is generally not recommended to supplement with more than 350 Mg magnesium daily unless under Dr. supervision, though the American National Institutes of Health recommend adult males to take 400-420 Mg daily (which is the RDA) due to magnesium deficiency being rather common in the western diet. The most common dosage for magnesium citrate is 250 Mg per serving. A healthy diet can go a long way in helping one meet the RDA for magnesium, particularly a diet high in fiber...but even then, indications are that over farming is reducing the amount of magnesium in the soil and thus even foods known for good magnesium levels aren't carrying as much as they should.

    Toxicity is rare, but can occur...but is more common with very high doses (>5,000 Mg) as can happen with overuse of some laxatives and is more common with people with underlying conditions like kidney disease. More commonly, higher doses of magnesium may cause diarrhea, nausea, and stomach cramps which would be a good indicator to back off. In general, magnesium citrate is considered the safest supplemental form as it has good absorption and is also highly water soluble so you just pee out excess if you are an otherwise healthy person.

    As with any supplement I would recommend consulting your Dr. particularly if you're considering a higher dose than what is prescribed on the supplement.

  • westrich20940
    westrich20940 Posts: 920 Member
    Running. Outside specifically. I hate running at the gym and actually I am not able to even run as long or as far of a distance as I can outside. I'm pretty sure that's all mental.

    Getting out in the fresh air, nice weather, and the sun. Sun = vitamin D. Super important for many people. I also feel SO much more energized after a run. I am also not a morning person -- but during the summer when I'm not working I usually go run in the morning to avoid the heat and it makes my whole day better.
  • ToffeeApple71
    ToffeeApple71 Posts: 121 Member
    I bake. Baking needs precision. Weighing, measuring, timing, kneading, rolling etc. By focussing on the recipe, I find I relax and let go of everything else. So I'm always challenging myself with new recipes...the more complex the better! Learning a new skill like folding dumplings is always a positive as well.
    Then I give the food away so I don't eat it! Sometimes to the office staff, sometimes to the cleaners and groundsmen, sometimes to my students and sometimes to my neighbours.
  • Jacq_qui
    Jacq_qui Posts: 443 Member
    I try and walk most days of the week, aiming for 5km. But I find limiting social media and news helps, as does reading and mindful activities where you're focused on one thing.

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