We’ve all been there.  It’s 3 PM, you have one more project before you can wrap up the day, but you’re exhausted.  You want to grab a cup of coffee, but you know you’ll either crash super hard or be up all night drinking caffeine this late.  Now what?!
 
Everybody struggles with low energy from time to time, but it can hit those of us living with depression especially hard.  Between our screwed-up sleep patterns, negative thought loops, and ever-changing moods, we may be more likely to reach for a mid-day energy boost than most. 

Instead of reaching for that caffeinated energy drink that will make you crash and leave you even more irritable, try some of these natural, scientifically proven energy boosters:

• Exercise:
  • How it works: Exercise increases blood and oxygen flow to the brain, boosting brainpower and overall energy levels.  Plus, exercise can increase production of endorphins, which are overall feel-good hormones.
  • Try this:  Take a 10-minute walk around your neighborhood, aiming to moderately increase your heart and breathing rate.
    
    
• Breathwork
  • How it works: Like exercise, breathwork increases the oxygen flow into the brain, increasing energy and clarity of thought.
  • Try this: My 2-minute diaphragmatic breathing video
    
    
• Sunlight
  • How it works: Sunlight improves your sleep/wake cycle and boosts vitamin D production, which can improve muscle function, mood, and energy. (Source) 
  • Try this: Stand or sit outside in the sun for 15 to 20 minutes.  New research shows that the sunlight is most effective when it comes in through your eyes, so keep those sunglasses off! 
    
    
• Meditation 
  • How it works: Mindfulness focuses your mind on one talk, stopping the repetitive, negative thoughts that can keep us drained and unmotivated.  Pairing meditation with yoga can double the effects by increasing endorphins and oxygen flow to the brain. (Source)
  • Try this: This awesome 30 minute law of attraction meditation to help you focus in on your goals.
• Music
  • How it works: Your favorite pump-up music can stimulate your brain and improve your mood, making you feel more energetic.  Plus, it can motivate you to dance and move, which increases that oxygen to the brain.
  • Try this: My Uplifter playlist on Spotify!  
    
    
• Eat
  • How it works: Food is the source of energy for all humans.  Choosing a snack with a low glycemic index (aka foods low in refined sugars or carbohydrates) can improve your energy without the sugar crash an hour later.
  • Try this: Put down the chips and soda and try a snack like nuts, eggs, veggies, or meat. 
    
    
• Essential Oils
  • How it works: Some essential oils, including lemon, rosemary, spearmint, peppermint, and sweet orange, have been shown to reduce fatigue, boost brain power and focus, and improve your mood.
  • Try this: Put a drop or two of an essential oil on your palm.  Rub your hands together quickly for 5 seconds, then cup your hands over your nose and breathe for 30 seconds.
    
    
• Good Posture
  • How it works: Your posture affects your mood, thoughts, and emotions.  Standing up straight conveys to ourselves and others that we are confident and energetic. (Source)
  • Try this: Take a break and stand with your back against a wall.  Try to stand up tall so the back of your head, mid-back, and tailbone touch the wall.  Stay here for 1 minute then try to maintain this posture once you go back to work!
    
    
• Power Naps
  • How it works: A quick, 20-minute nap has been shown to boost alertness and physical performance.  It can also reduce irritability and improve your mood. (Source)
  • Try this: Lie down in a dark room without any interruptions.  Aim for 20 minutes if you’re looking to improve your attention and 90 minutes if you need help with problem solving.  Be sure to set an alarm so you don’t oversleep!
    
    
• Laugh
  • How it works: Just like exercise, laughter releases endorphins which boost our energy and mood.
  • Try this: Watch one or two funny videos.  Be sure to set a timer so you don’t find yourself in a YouTube rabbit hole.  Don’t know where to start? Watch this.
    
    

What are your favorite energy boosters? Let me know in the comments!

Note: I research all of my blog posts extensively and provide only scientifically backed information.  Please e-mail here if you find any errors or discrepancies in this post and I will be sure to make any warranted changes.  Thank you!

When you’re feeling tired, you often hear the same advice: drink more water, get some exercise, work on your sleep - all of which are great suggestions. 

​But what if what’s draining you isn’t happening in your body, but in your mind? 

Especially when you live with depression, the content of our thoughts can dictate how we feel about ourselves, how we view the world, and what action we take in our lives and in our businesses.  Read on to learn how our thoughts affect our energy levels and how you can break out of the negative thought cycle for greater focus and drive during the workday.
 
How the Depressed Mind Thinks
 
The depressed thinks a little differently than the non-depressed mind. 
 
First of all, people with depression tend to overthink; a process called depressive rumination. Rumination can look like dwelling on problems without a solution, getting stuck on why you’re feeling depressed, or repeatedly looking back on your mistakes and beating yourself up for them.  The problem with rumination is that it can trap you in a repetitive chain of negative “why me?!” thinking that doesn’t provide you any relief. (Source: Aeon.co)
 
Secondly, the depressed mind tends to gravitate towards an absolutist or “all-or-nothing” way of thinking.  Simply put, these are black-and-white thoughts that contain extreme words like ‘always’, ‘never’, ‘everybody,’ or ‘nobody’ and can sound like:

“I will never be successful running my own business”
“Nobody loves me.” 
“Everybody has life figured out except me.”

(Sound familiar?)
 
Most people have thoughts like this from time to time but they can be more distressing for people with depression.  Why? Because (1) our thoughts tend to be more negative than people who do not have depression (Source: Psychology Today) and (2) we’re playing these thoughts on a loop.  I don't know about you, I’m exhausted already! 

These Thoughts Can Drain Your Brain
 
As you may imagine, repeating negative, all-or-nothing thoughts constantly can drain your energy during the day. 
 
Think of thoughts like an app running in your mind.  If you keep the app running 24/7 with high-emotion, negative thoughts, it’s going to drain your battery - even if you do nothing else all day.  And this app can be sneaky – sometimes it can be running in the background and you don’t even know until your emotions or fatigue levels clue you in!
 
The same goes for trying to fall asleep at night.  For many of us, the moment we lie down in bed is one of the few moments in the day when we’re not distracting ourselves.  This can open the floodgates of our mind, allowing in negative, obsessive thoughts that keep us tossing and turning all night – and exhausted the following day.
 
What to Do About It
 
If you notice that you can’t shut your brain off or your energy is plummeting for no reason, try the following:

• Step 1: Give Your Mind a Break  
  Turning a negative thought into a positive one can be difficult to do right off the bat.  Instead, give your mind some space away from your thoughts so it can reset.  Try journaling, listening or dancing to a favorite song, pleasure reading, breathwork, or meditation.  The goal is for you to do something that feels easy to you so you can create a small opening in your mind for a different way of thinking.
  
  
• Step 2: Notice the Stories You’re Telling Yourself 
  Once you have cleared your mind a little, notice your thoughts with self-compassion.  Don’t judge yourself for having negative thoughts, just pay attention to the stories you’re telling yourself.  Pro tip: Writing down your thoughts can get them out of your head and give you a little more perspective.
  
  
• Step 3: Reframe Your Thoughts 
  Absolutist thinking is essentially fake news that we tell ourselves.  However, simply trying to turn a negative thought to a positive one will set off your brain’s bullshit meter so fast that the new positive belief may be rejected.  Instead, try to take a look at your thoughts and find a related statement that’s true.  For example, look at the statement “Nobody likes me.”  Which is more based in truth? That literally nobody in the world likes you?  Or is it more likely that you’re feeling alone and unloved?  (Considering even evil villains have sidekicks, I would guess it’s the latter!)

 
Of course, this type of shift in thinking doesn’t happen overnight.  However, with the right practice and guidance, it can become second nature!
 
How do you deal with your negative thoughts? Leave me a note in the comments!

Note: I research all of my blog posts extensively and provide only scientifically backed information.  Please e-mail here if you find any errors or discrepancies in this post and I will be sure to make any warranted changes.  Thank you!

If you read last week’s post, you know how depression majorly screws with our sleeping patterns.   Quality sleep is crucial for everyone but is especially important for business owners (and mega-especially important for business owners with mental illness).  High-quality sleep can keep fatigue at bay and make sure you have enough brainpower and energy to get things done.  Here’s how to get a good night’s sleep, even if mental illness has you tossing and turning.
 
If you have trouble falling asleep at night:

• Take a look at your sleeping routine - For your body to be able to fall asleep quickly, it needs two things: (1) a consistent sleep/wake cycle and (2) a familiar nightly wind-down routine. By sticking to the same bedtime and wake-up times every day (yes – even weekends!), your body and mind will be able to start anticipating sleep.  This, in combination with a regular wind-down routine such as meditating, reading, or journaling, will signal to your body that it is time to relax and prepare for sleep.
• Set yourself up for sleep – A good night’s sleep is a 7+ hour affair – prepare yourself accordingly!  Darken the room completely or use an eye mask, use ear plugs or put on white noise if you’re a light sleeper, and choose a healthy, comfortable sleeping position.  (If you’re unsure what a healthy sleeping position looks like, download my sleep here for examples.)
• Explore natural sleep-promoters – There are tons of natural substances that have been proven to be safe and effective sleep aids including:
  • Chamomile
    • Benefits: promotes sleep, relaxation, and digestion.  Plus, a 2016 study found that it may also be helpful for depression!
    • Forms: tea, capsule, tincture 
  • Lavender
    • Benefits: calming effects, pain reliever,
    • Forms: essential oil, tea
  • Melatonin
    • Benefits: increased speed and quality of sleep, immunity-booster. 
    • Forms: capsule
  • Cannabis
    • Benefits: both CBD and THC have anti-inflammatory and relaxation properties. 
    • Forms: edibles, flower (the whole plant), tinctures

As always, be sure to check with a doctor or other healthcare professional before taking any supplements. (Source: Healthline)
 
If you tend to wake up in the middle of the night:

• Drink water, but not too closely to bedtime – It’s important to hydrate at nighttime to prevent midnight thirst pangs or muscle cramps from waking you up.  However, be sure to stop drinking water about an hour before bedtime and to use the bathroom right before bed to avoid any unwanted bathroom trips.
• Stay calm – Freaking out that you can’t fall asleep will only keep you wired and awake for longer.  Try to let go of the goal of sleeping and focus on relaxing instead, a technique I call “sneaking yourself to sleep.”
• Try mind-clearing techniques – My favorite is counting my breaths backwards from 100.  If I start screwing up the numbers, I know that I must be getting sleepy.
• If you really can’t go back to sleep - If you’re tossing and turning for more than 30 minutes, get out of bed and do something that relaxes you.  Try drinking a cup of tea, reading something boring, or listening to soothing music until you feel tired again.

 
What other sleep tips would you add to this list?  Leave a comment below!

We all know sleep is important for energy, concentration, and motivation – especially when building a business. Unfortunately, quality sleep can sometimes be hit or miss for those of us living with depression. Sometimes we sleep too much, sometimes we sleep too little (or not at all), but a lot of the time, we're left tired and unenthusiastic about the day ahead of us. What's up with that?

Turns out, a lot is up with it.  Not only does depression cause poor sleep, but poor sleep can worsen depressive symptoms.  Read on to discover how sleep and depression screw with each other (and be sure to check out my next post on Tuesday to find out what to do about it!)

Depression’s Effect on Sleep
As you’ve probably guessed (and experienced) by now, depression can really mess with sleeping patterns.  While it’s a bit of a chicken and the egg scenario in regard to which causes which, there are high correlations between depression and insomnia (inability to sleep) and depression and hypersomnia (sleeping too much). (Source: National Sleep Foundation)
 
So why does depression make it so difficult for us to sleep normally?  While there are lots of physiological factors at play that are unique to each of us (think medications, medical history, genetics, etc.) here are a few common culprits:

• Neurotransmitters: Depression is associated with changes in neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine which are also important for regulating energy levels, motivation, and sleep.
• Fatigue: Daytime tiredness is a hallmark symptom of depression and, as you may guess, very interconnected with sleep.   Fatigue can cause us to sleep excessively during the day resulting in insomnia at bedtime.  However, if we push too hard through our fatigue without rest, our bodies may try to recuperate that energy by sleeping for hours and hours at night.
• Night-time worrying: Negative thoughts are common in depression - and can seriously mess with sleep.  The most common type is absolutist or “all or nothing” thoughts which sound like: “I’ll never figure out QuickBooks” or “Nobody wants to hear what I have to say” or “Everyone else seems to have their businesses dialed in.” (Sound familiar?) These are the types of thoughts that drain your mental energy during the day and keep you awake at night resulting in – you guessed it! – crappy sleep. 
• Searching for refuge: Your bed can be a comfortable, safe place that provides a retreat away from the world when you’re not feeling your best.  At the same time, sleep can be a temporary escape from painful or overwhelming situations and emotions.  While retreating to your bed can be a powerful coping strategy, it can result in excessive sleeping or napping, throwing off your sleep/wake cycle and make it more difficult to fall asleep at night.
  
  

Sleep’s Effect on Mood
Lack of sleep also has some profound effects on our health and our moods.  Some consequences of poor sleep include:

• Increased stress levels
• Decreased concentration, focus, and memory
• Daytime sleepiness and brain fog
• Irritability and moodiness
• Decreased immunity

All of which can interfere with our ability to stay focused, consistent, and motivated in our lives and businesses! (Source: NHS) 

So now we know that sleep is super-duper important – not just for your mental health but for the healthy growth of your business – but what the heck can you do to get better sleep?  Find out in this blog post jam-packed with valuable healthy sleep tips! 

​And in the meantime, grab your copy of Sleep Tonight, Slay Tomorrow: The Ultimate Sleep Kit for Women Entrepreneurs with Depression below!