A good night’s sleep is just as important as a good day at work. Sleep recharges us so we’re ready to take on the day and its challenges, and ensures we have enough energy to KIC butt all day.
So, what are our snooze secrets? All revealed below!
- Focus on what you want to achieve.
We’re pretty lucky because every day is different, so we’re genuinely keen and excited to get the day started. We focus on what we want to achieve and how we want to feel at the end of the day. We know that an early morning workout will clear our brains and will energise us for the day – so we’re happy to get up at 6 am (ish). It also guarantees we get a little bit of time to ourselves which is bliss when we know we have a day of meetings and shoots.
- Give yourself a curfew.
We try and be in bed by 10.30pm most nights. And because of this routine, we really do crave a solid 7.5 hours sleep a night. If we’re not at an event, we also try and turn social media off by 8.30pm. This means we can spend quality time with our partners and pets.
- Limit your coffee intake.
We love coffee – you’ll often see us post a pic on Insta with a cup. But we try not to drink it after lunchtime as we know the caffeine will keep us awake. Our advice for coffee lovers is to try and switch to herbals teas in the arvo, or if you love the flavour, get a decaf instead. We also avoid espresso martinis. Although they are delicious, we just can’t sleep well after a few.
- Focus on that post-workout feeling.
If you wake up and think there is no way you can work out, try and think about how you’ll feel afterward. (No one ever regrets a workout, but you may regret the workout you didn’t do.) If we go to work without exercising, we just don’t feel as focused or happy. However, if we’re really not up for something strenuous, we’ll go for a good 45-minute power walk. Anything is better than nothing.
- Make breakfast time easy.
If you’re time poor, make smoothies for breakky. They’re ready in minutes and you can prep the ingredients the night before. We cut up different fruit (like bananas and mangoes) and freeze them in snaplock bags. Plus, we always have frozen berries in the freezer. If you’re stuck for recipes, the KIC meal planner has loads. Right now, we’re OBSESSED with the Bali Bliss Smoothie.
- Exercise for your mood.
When you wake up, listen to your body and see what you crave. For us, we love something that gets our heart rate up, so we may start the day with boxing or HIIT. There are two boxing and HIIT sessions a week on KIC – they’re really fun and should help you wake up excited, too.
- Practice meditation.
It’s so frustrating when you can’t nod off. So, if we’re really struggling, we’ll try a quick meditation or even a sleep visualisation (they really help and that’s why they’re part of KIC). A healthy and happy mind helps us think with clarity and focus and means we don’t lose motivation when things don’t go to plan.
Article by Steph Claire Smith and Laura Henshaw founders KICgirls.com
