Get set for September - 5 self care tips for tired parents to end the summer strong.

1. Optimise your cortisol cycle.

Expose your eyes to light first thing in the morning, this can be going to the window and opening the curtains to drink in the daylight. Avoid blue-light devices for as long as possible first thing in the morning. Midday, again expose your eyes to natural light. Pop your head outside while having lunch (or have lunch outside), or go for a 10 minute walk around the block. Early evening, is another good time to then expose your eyes to natural light, also really good for kids in winding down for bed. Take them on a 10-15 minute walk around the neighbourhood or through a common close by after they have had dinner, great way for regulating blood sugars too! Movement with kids in daylight is medicine for both old and young alike!

2. Deep breath your way through.

This is such a simple exercise to implement into your day, and yet one that we often forget. During the day try and make at least a couple of appointments with yourself to deep breathe. It can be before you eat, whilst you have your supplements first thing in the morning, or before you go to bed. It is great for those times you feel overwhelmed. It takes us out of ‘fight and flight’ and into ‘rest and repair’. Habit stack it to something you do without thinking everyday.

3. Embrace the noise!

Enjoy the laughter and noise of the children if you have them around you more over these summer weeks. They are only young for a short period of time, so that giggle or squeal of delight and excitement whilst it may feel overwhelming at times, lap it up and allow yourself to enjoy the moment.

4. Love your liver.

Look after your liver. Keep hydrated and avoid reaching for alcohol everyday, and if you can, avoid it. Drink kombucha, water kefir or sparkling water with ACV (apple cider vinegar – I use Willys ACV – its surprisingly good with sparkling water!). Taking milk thistle or drinking nettle tea is a great way to also support your liver.

 5. Super snacking.

Have great choices available when hunger pangs bite! Get the kids involved in making healthy snacks for these last school holiday days as well as prepping school snacks for the new academic year! This also means when you are tired, wired and hungry there are healthy options at hand! Making energy balls is my favourite as well as having keto bread rolls (adding in cinnamon and currants for a sweeter version) available to hand. Check out our recipe section on the website under Desserts and Snacks for some inspiration!

Some of my favourite brought snacks I like to have in the cupboard include Ombar 90%, Nourish Nutty One (Daily!), Nourish Cacao Bites, Bags of nuts and Superfoodio peanut butter buttons, as well as a jar of nut butter or black tahini to dip things in!