Banish Mom Fatigue By Aligning With Nature
Moms are some of the busiest people on the planet. And because of all the responsibilities we juggle, it’s common to experience fatigue. But just because it’s common doesn’t mean it’s normal, as Dr. Will Cole would say. No, fatigue is not normal.
You know what is normal? Feeling alive, energetic, blissful. That is our pure unbounded state according to the Ancient Vedas, where Ayurveda stems from.
And that is AMAZING news, don’t you think? That means we, as moms, have the power to banish fatigue, burnout, and overwhelm from our lives. All it requires is taking control of our physical, mental (astral) and spiritual (karmic) bodies.
And the way to banish mom fatigue begins with aligning with nature.
Ayurveda states that everything in the universe, including us, are made up of the 5 elements. Ether (space), Air, Fire, Water, & Earth. Therefore, this makes us a part of nature. Since we are a part of nature, our cycles and rhythms also match up with nature’s rhythms. For example, we feel sleepy and heavy during night time and rise and go about our business during the daytime. This mimics the rise of the beaming energetic sun and the coming of the dark and heavy energy of night. In the West, we call this our circadian rhythm and when we follow this rhythm, we get restful sleep. This makes us feel good, energetic and clear in the morning. When we don’t, we experience grogginess, lethargy and mood swings.
To take this a step further, there are times of days when it’s most productive to be doing certain activities and tasks due to the doshas that govern those time blocks. To get a detailed explanation of that, read my past article on “What Is Ayurveda”. But here’s a quick rundown:
There are 3 doshas, Vata, Pitta, & Kapha. Vata is composed of the Air and Space elements, making it cold, dry, mobile, & rough. Pitta is composed of the Fire and Water elements (mostly fire), making it hot, oily, sharp, quick, & transformative. Kapha is composed of Earth and Water (mostly Earth), making it heavy, dense, dark, cold, & still - think of mud.
The doshas take turns during the 24-hour time span.
2am - 6am: Vata time
Vibes: light, spiritual, ethereal
Don’t you feel a sense of accomplishment and peace when you wake up before the sun? The reason for that is the light mobile nature of Vata. You’d think that waking up early would make you tired but it actually causes the opposite effect. And that’s because when you wake up early, you go about your day with more ease, calm, and control. You take time to do the things that make you feel good. Animals honor this time, which is why you hear birds chirping and roosters crowing (if you live on a farm) in the butt crack of dawn. In addition, Vata time is prime time for meditation and prayer, specifically one and a half hours before dawn. The mind is inherently still at that time, enabling one to achieve a deeper meditative state.
Recommendation: Wake up before 6am and see how you feel throughout the day. Aside from meditation, this is also the best time do your breathwork (in Yoga, we call it Pranayama) which purifies your respiratory system, mind & psyche. Think of it as starting life with a clean slate. That naturally uplifts your mood and increases your energy.
6am - 10am: Kapha time.
Vibes: Heavy, slow, romantic.
Kapha makes it hard to get out of bed because of its heavy nature. This is why it’s recommended to rise during Vata time so you won’t experience lethargy and grogginess. Activities you can do to lighten Kapha is moving your body, practicing an invigorating breathwork and yoga sequence, and drinking a cup of hot or warm water to stimulate your agni (digestive fire).
Recommendation: Have a light warm breakfast and beverage. Your Agni is just awakening so the last thing you want to do is overwhelm and weaken it with something heavy and cold. This will further bring down your energy and your ability to process food, information, ideas and anything that you take into your senses. That equals to fatigue.
10am - 2pm: Pitta time
Vibes: Get shit done! Fiery, passion, alertness, quick.
Pitta is all about that fire energy so this is the time to “get shit done”. Things like creating presentations, answering emails, strategy sessions, negotiations, anything that requires a lot of sharp focus, reserve it for Pitta time. This also the perfect for eating your most complex meal of the day, specifically around noon, because the sun is at its highest point. And because the sun is at its strongest, your own digestive fire (Agni) is also at its strongest. So make sure you eat a balanced complete meal. Lunch is the most important meal of the day, not breakfast and not dinner.
I recommend having a warm meal that has both augmenting and extractive foods so that you can receive nourishing and detoxifying benefits. Be mindful that because Pitta is high, you may also experience a heightened sense of impatience or temper during this time. So I’d recommend scheduling sensitive conversations that will bring out emotions later in the day.
2pm - 6pm: Vata time
Vibes: Creative, imaginative, fun, out of the box.
Vata time may have you feel like your head is in the clouds because you’re coming up with such dreamlike visions and ideas. This is primetime for brainstorming sessions, creating art, writing a song, playing with your kids, creating recipes, decorating your child’s room. Do not try to schedule executive tasks here because you’ll most likely just drift off thinking about something else.
Recommendation: Let your inner child come out to play. Your kids will love you for it. You can also switch things up and let your sexual goddess play. I love doing my belly dancing during this time. It makes me feel so feminine, sexy, creative, and free.
6pm - 10pm: Kapha time
Vibes: Sleepy, slow, chill, dark.
The day is coming to an end to make room for night. So, naturally, our bodies are also winding down. Use this time to close out your day like spending some time with your family after dinner, doing some self-care rituals, and reflecting on your day to prep yourself for the next.
Recommendation: I do not suggest scheduling intense conversations or work during this time. You will naturally not have the physical and mental capacity. Additionally, you don’t want to stir up any feelings of stress in the body to prevent the natural release of serotonin and melatonin, which aid in sleep. If you do stress out, cortisol is released instead and your sleep cycle gets delayed and disturbed. Instead, I suggest being in bed by 9:30-10pm. Sip some chamomile, lavender or herbal tea that have natural sleep inducing effects. Diffusing some essential oils help too. Refrain from using standard light as that tricks the body into thinking that it is day time. Use dimmed lights or red light instead. Blue light from electronic devices are also not sleep inducing so refrain from scrolling on your phone or watching tv in bed.
10pm - 2am: Pitta time
Vibes: Second-wind energy, alert, busy
If you’re still awake during this time, you may experience a second burst of energy. That’s Pitta coming to life. Remember, fire? You may also feel a need for a second dinner or snack. That’s all because of Pitta. However, this Pitta time isn’t meant for your second wind. It’s meant for your body, specifically your liver, to do its job of detoxing your body. Yes, we naturally undergo a daily natural detox. But that doesn’t happen when you’re awake. So, you miss out on the cleansing benefits, leading to toxin buildup that can show up as constipation, acne, eczema, and other forms of imbalances that affect gut health and therefore, the immune system. This causes heaviness, tiredness and fatigue.
Recommendations: Sleep by or around 10pm as much as you can. Aside from the detox benefits, sleeping by 10pm ensures that you get enough sleep to be able to rise a little before 6am. This enables you to experience clarity, energy, and calm from waking up during Vata time. This puts you in sync with your circadian rhythm and thus, the rhythms of nature.
To start aligning with nature, take it slow and steady by going at your own pace. Don’t suddenly wake up at 6am if you’ve been waking up at 8am. You’ll most likely suffer from lack of sleep, which also causes fatigue. Adjust your sleep schedule in 15 minute increments. Then just keep adjusting. So take it slow. Ayurveda is a way of life. Not a wellness trend or fad that you have to rush.
While you make these changes, track them and listen to your body so you can reflect on and examine your progress. If you’d like to learn more about naturally increasing your energy, confidence, and improving your health, set up a discovery call with me to learn about my transformative 4-step program, the SELF Method, that’s rooted in the principles of Ayurveda.
