How to Stay Energised During the Back-to-School Rush: Ayurvedic Tips for Mum
The back-to-school season can be overwhelming, especially for mums juggling family, work, and daily tasks. There is endless commitments and things that needs to be done, and it can be very exhausting. After a very long summer holiday in Australia, the kids are use to relax and sleep in and the routines have gone out the window for the whole family. Ayurveda offers a holistic approach to help mums like you to stay energized, manage stress, nourish your body, and avoid burnout. Here’s how you can integrate Ayurvedic wisdom into your daily routine to feel balanced, calm, and rejuvenated during this hectic time.
Prioritise Restful Sleep: The Foundation of Energy 💤
Sleep is sacred in Ayurveda—it’s when the body restores and rejuvenates itself. Proper rest is crucial to staying energized, and Ayurvedic practices can help ensure you get high-quality sleep, even during the busy back-to-school period. If I don’t get proper sleep I know that I won’t function well the other day and the same goes for the kids. These rituals below helps me get into a good sleep routine.
Create a Sleep Ritual: Start winding down an hour before bed by avoiding screens and bright lights. Opt for soft, dim lighting to signal to your body that it’s time to relax.
Calming Herbal Teas: Drink herbal teas such as chamomile, ashwagandha, or lavender to help calm the nervous system and prepare your body for rest. You can also try Golden Milk (warm milk with turmeric) before bed to promote restful sleep.
Avoid Heavy Meals and Caffeine in the Evening: Late-night snacks or too much caffeine can disrupt your sleep cycle. Stick to lighter, soothing meals in the evening.
Sleep Environment: Make your sleep space calming. Use lavender essential oil in a diffuser, or spritz your pillow with a calming mist before sleep.
Sleep Hack: Set a consistent sleep schedule, even on weekends, to help your body’s internal clock stay in rhythm and ensure you wake up refreshed.
Manage Stress with Ayurvedic Stress-Relief Practices 🌿
Stress is common during the back-to-school rush, but Ayurveda offers simple tools to calm the mind, reduce anxiety, and restore balance. A bit of stress can be good but if it’s constant and you feel stressed when you wake and go to bed then you know it’s too much. Yoga and meditation helps me in my daily life to stay balanced and grounded and something I like to do either in the morning to energise and set the pace for the day or to wind down in the evening.
Try to incorporate any of these practices into your day.
Breathwork (Pranayama): Integrate short sessions of Nadi Shodhana (alternate nostril breathing) or Kapalbhati (breath of fire) into your morning routine. These practices calm the mind, balance energy, and help reduce stress.
Yoga for Relaxation: A daily 10-15 minute session of restorative yoga can help release stress and tension. Focus on calming poses like Child’s Pose, Forward Fold, and Legs Up the Wall.
Loving-Kindness Meditation (Metta): Practicing loving-kindness meditation helps cultivate compassion for yourself and others, reducing feelings of overwhelm. Simply close your eyes, place your hand over your heart, and silently repeat, “May I be happy, may I be healthy, may I be at peace.”
Take Mini Breaks: Throughout the day, take small breaks to reset and recharge. Even just 5 minutes of deep breathing, stretching, or a walk outside can make a significant difference in how you feel.
Stress Relief Hack: When stress levels rise, step outside for a moment of fresh air or take a quick 5-minute stretch to reset your body and mind.
Nourish Your Body with Ayurvedic Nutrition 🥑🍲
Ayurveda teaches that food is medicine, and what you eat can greatly influence your energy and mood. Eating balanced, nutritious meals will keep your energy stable throughout the busy day. Since eating a more ayurvedic diet I feel more energetic and my digestive system is so much better. I’ve learnt to never eat to much and stop when I feel just satisfied. I prefer to eat a few meals and snacks a day which helps my bodies metabolism.
Here is my daily food plan that keeps me feeling fuelled and energised.
Breakfast: Start your day with a warm, grounding breakfast like oatmeal with ghee, nuts, and fruit (great for Vata types) or a smoothie with cooling ingredients like coconut and berries (perfect for Pitta types). If you're feeling sluggish (Kapha), go for lighter options like a fruit salad or a spiced vegetable soup.
Spices for Energy: Turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, and cardamom are wonderful spices that aid digestion, reduce inflammation, and boost energy. Incorporate these into your meals, teas, and smoothies.
Lunch: Ayurveda recommends a light, easily digestible meal for lunch, such as a lentil soup, vegetable stew, or a quinoa salad with greens, nuts, and seeds.
Midday Snacks: Keep healthy snacks on hand, like nuts, dried fruits, or energy balls made with oats, coconut, and spices. Avoid sugary snacks that cause energy crashes.
Dinner: Keep it light and nourishing with soups or stews. A spiced vegetable soup or a bowl of rice and dal (lentils) can be very soothing for the digestive system.
Nutrition Hack: Add a spoonful of ghee (clarified butter) to your meals for an energy boost and to keep your digestion strong. Ghee is highly nourishing and great for reducing stress.
Incorporate Mindful Movement into Your Day 🧘♀️💪
Staying active is crucial for maintaining energy levels and reducing stress. Ayurveda encourages mindful movement, focusing on balance rather than over-exertion. Your physical health is important but so is your mental health. A balance between these too, set you up for success of your overall health.
Gentle Yoga or Stretching: Even just 15 minutes of yoga or stretching in the morning can help wake up the body and mind. Focus on poses that open the chest and hips, like Cobra, Cat-Cow, and Bridge Pose, to release any built-up tension.
Walking: Take a short walk outside during breaks to clear your mind and get the blood flowing. Walking in nature is especially rejuvenating and helps ground your energy. Try grounding and forest bathing, immerse yourself in the green environments around you.
Strength and Endurance: If you have more time, consider engaging in strength-building activities like pilates, resistance training, or even a dance workout to help relieve stress and build stamina. Strength training is so important to be able to lift your young kids but also to deal with day to day activities to build a healthy and strong bone density.
Movement Hack: Set a timer for a 5-minute stretch or walk break every couple of hours to keep your energy flowing throughout the day.
Stay Hydrated with Ayurvedic Drinks 💧🌿
Hydration is key to maintaining energy and clarity. Ayurvedic drinks can enhance digestion and keep you feeling refreshed all day. Often when we get tired we reach for drinks that are full of caffeine. They might help as an initial kick but just to make you more tired in the end. Try these alternatives to keep you hydrated throughout the day.
Warm Water with Lemon: Start the day with warm water and lemon to flush out toxins and improve digestion.
Herbal Teas: Sip on Tulsi (Holy Basil) tea, which calms the mind and strengthens immunity, or Ginger Lemon Tea to boost digestion and energy.
Coconut Water: Naturally hydrating and full of electrolytes, coconut water is an excellent choice to replenish your body’s fluids during busy days.
Turmeric Lassi: A refreshing, energy-boosting drink made with yogurt (or a dairy-free alternative), turmeric, and a touch of honey. It's great for digestion and offers a natural anti-inflammatory boost.
Hydration Hack: Carry a water bottle with you throughout the day to remind yourself to stay hydrated. You can infuse water with lemon, mint, or cucumber for a refreshing twist.
Create Boundaries and Prioritize Self-Care 💖🛀
As a busy mum, it’s easy to forget to take care of yourself, but Ayurveda teaches that self-care is essential for maintaining energy and avoiding burnout. Not looking after yourself can have long-term effects and can be hard or even impossible to reverse once you hit that wall. I’m not perfect and find it difficult to balance it all sometime but the more I incorporate self-care and me time, I feel that I have more energy to give back to my family and friends. Prioritising yourself isn’t self-fish but something that is essential for your wellbeing to stay sane. Women often feel we have to be there for everyone and be pleasers but now is the time to turn this around and focus on YOU.
Here's how you can get started
Set Boundaries: Be mindful of your limits. Learn to say no when you feel stretched too thin. Prioritize your energy and well-being.
Restorative Practices: Schedule regular self-care practices, such as a warm bath with Epsom salts or a quick self-massage with warm oil to relax and ground yourself.
Quiet Time: Even if it’s just 5 minutes of sitting in silence, practicing mindfulness, or journaling, take moments throughout the day to reset your mind.
Self-Care Hack: Treat yourself to 10 minutes of mindfulness or a quick aromatherapy session with your favorite essential oils like lavender or sandalwood to ground and calm your energy.
Staying energized during the back-to-school rush requires a blend of nourishing nutrition, mindful movement, quality sleep, and stress relief. By incorporating Ayurvedic practices into your daily routine, you can cultivate balance, prevent burnout, and stay calm amidst the chaos. Mums are fantastic of juggling it all but we have limits of how much we can take on until we’ve had a enough. By incorporating some me time you will have more energy and feel happier to deal with the everyday life.
Recipe to energise your day
This version keeps you full longer, supports muscle recovery, and balances energy levels throughout the morning.
Cold Turmeric Smoothie for Busy Mums 💛✨
(Ayurvedic, anti-inflammatory, protein packed and energizing)
Ingredients:
✅ 1 banana (for natural sweetness & energy)
✅ 1 cup almond or coconut milk (cooling & nourishing)
✅ ½ tsp turmeric powder (anti-inflammatory & immune-boosting)
✅ ¼ tsp cinnamon (balances blood sugar)
✅ ¼ tsp cardamom (aids digestion)
✅ ½ tsp grated fresh ginger (boosts metabolism & immunity)
✅ 1 tsp chia seeds (for protein & sustained energy)
✅ 1 tsp honey or maple syrup (optional, based on taste)
✅ 3-4 ice cubes (for a refreshing touch)
Instructions:
Blend all ingredients until smooth.
Pour into a glass or take it on the go!
Optional: Sprinkle with a pinch of black pepper to enhance turmeric absorption.
🔸 Ayurvedic Tip: This smoothie is great for Pitta & Kapha types. If you have a Vata imbalance, drink it at room temperature instead of ice-cold.
