Scrutinise my day and help me become more energised!

You are getting up in the middle of the night. You are drinking too much caffeine.

How can you expect to feel good?

Unless you are a professional swimmer, getting up at 4:30am five days a week to exercise is actually ridiculous. It's unnecessary and it's harmful. Are you punishing yourself for something?

Get up at 6, just do school run and go to work, and on Sundays, do some light stretches, a nice swim and have a sauna. Make it about well-being, not thrashing yourself.

Try going decaff. Reduce gradually, starting with the cups later in the day. If it's instant, mix half and half?

When you have some energy, start doing some weights twice a week- but not at 4:30am. 20 mins once midweek and 20 mins on a Saturday.

I'd be exhausted on that schedule too. I think some people just have more energy than others, so I wouldn't worry too much about the pp who bakes their own bread etc. With all the will in the world I couldn't do all that, nor would I want too! You probably need a bit more down time op, though I appreciate it would be hard to fit in

You lost me a bit at getting up at 4.30, but you don't appear to have any free time other than while you're asleep.

Not a joke, I’m just saying she is not - as everyone else seems to suggest - doing too much. I have 2DC at home but both neurotypical, so I should have extended that sentence. I will soon add an elderly parent to the mix and that may tip me over the edge. Op suggested it was old age, I say no.

No offence intended OP- clumsy in my part at best.

True, that could be it, the emotional and physical strain.

My FIL is moving up to us tomorrow so I’m going to get them soon enough.

You’re getting up in the middle of the night.
Try getting up in the morning instead.

Is this a joke?

Easy to say all this when you no caring responsibilities and not at all helpful to the OP.

4:30am to me is the middle of the night! Are you exercising every morning for an hour? Can you move two of them to a weekend and have a lie in? I’d say that was the culprit coupled with your job. I’m a teacher too and find I’m over stimulated every day - constant questions, people interrupting PPA, lack of breaks, work to take home. It’s exhausting…..and I don’t get up until 6am. I feel your pain!

You need even a tiny bit of me time -just doing stuff for other people even if your own DCs makes you sad ime.

i know there isnt really time but 10 mins quietly reading a good book?

Yeah, I would say your problem is an excessively early morning and not enough calories, protein and carbs in your diet.

If you're a teacher you're on the go a lot, so are likely to need more calories than people slogging behind a desk 8 hours a day. Take into account the exercise (I'm unclear if this is calorie burning exercise or just a few stretches of a morning) and you're probably running at a deficit. That BMI seems far too low tbh.

I would get up later, just do 20-25 mins exercise and then eat more substantial meals. So you could have yoghurt, porridge oats and fruit in the morning (some people soak the oats in porridge overnight but I prefer not to), have a pasta salad, protein bar and fruit for lunch and then ensure the evening meal includes a carb element to it. You could always do another 20 mins of exercise in the evening if you felt the need.

Bedtime of around 9pm, 30 mins reading to wind down and asleep by 10pm.

" I don’t having caring responsibilities."

That's why then.

You don’t have a menopausal problem, you have a getting up at 4:30 problem.

It’s the 4:30 wake up, especially in winter. This must be disrupting your circadian rhythm. Doesn’t matter what time you go to bed.

I have been a teacher. There’s zero way I could juggle full time teaching with 2 kids (one with special needs) and a DH without a flexible schedule, do exercise and cook and still have a energised attitude!!

your ‘lack of energy’ is simply the result of having so much to do and doing it!

Perhaps try doing exercises on alternate days and see how long you’d naturally sleep to gauge if you need an extra hour or two.

The early bedtime means you’re not getting any wind down time after your children go to bed too.

As suggest a blood test is worth it. Our hormones etc are changing a lot in our 40s. I felt ready to quit my job a few months ago and live on benefits because I was struggling so much. Went to doctor and got diagnosed with high blood pressure and low iron levels. Medication for both and feeling myself again. Luckily I checked the warning signs before I quit lol.

Lots of coffee can make you more tired not less because of the caffeine drops through the day. Water is better. Perhaps alternate.

Going to bed at 8pm, spending no time with DH or your friends, doing nothing but exercise parenting and work will make you feel horrific. You have no light in your life. It's all hard work.

What do you do just for you? Why not try and find a hobby that gets you out of the house. It will be difficult to begin with to find the time/ energy but it may be a fake it until you make it situation

It’s a symptom of the crazy hamster wheel of life that we’ve all accepted, with little to no time for rest, reflection, fun, outside interests and hobbies and being peaceful and contemplative.

Collectively, we’ve been trained to accept productivity as a benchmark of a responsible and effective life, but where’s the meaning, the joy, the pleasure and satisfaction?

No wonder you don't feel energised if you are waking up at 4.30, sounds awful. I am not sure what time you go to bed but even if you go to bed at 9, it still sounds awful waking up in what is still nearly the middle of the night.

I think the problem is we try to do too much and fit too many things in our day, but sometimes is just not possible. In my opinion, exercising is good, but I doubt it is that good if you are missing sleep and have to wake up at 4:30 to do it!

You should have some time to do nice things and socialise even if it is not very often. Can you have a cleaner onece a week so you don't have to spend your Saturday cleaning?

OP just come back on to say I know lots of people who get up as early as you and it is not abnormal. If I don't exercise before I start my day I'm like a slug for the rest of the day.

I even did a power walk before surgery last year. I honestly feel much worse without the exercise, it is weights or yoga or power walking or pilates classes online.

Keep the exercise.

Getting up at 4.30am is brutal. Exercise in the evening might be better

Sorry to be repetitive but:

a) don’t get up at 4.30am! Madness!
b) reduce your coffees. I read that relying on coffee actually makes you more tired. I thought that was crap, but gradually cut out all my coffee (swapped it for tea) and it honestly worked. Try it.
c) take some Vitamin D
d) eat more protein and healthy fats along with your carbs (ignore the ‘carbs are evil’ articles)
e) have some general blood tests to ensure you’re not anaemic or low in folate or have thyroid issues, etc.

Gosh, I'm exhausted reading that.

• Definitely drink more water, it's had a massive impact on my energy levels. Embarrassingly so, to be honest! I would also suggest SLOWLY reducing cups of coffee to maybe 3-4 a day?
• 4.30 wakeup then at 6 you wake the kids, can I ask why it's 1.5 hours - is that allowing half an hour to scream into a pillow by any chance, as you are a teacher 😆could you reduce this to 45 minutes maybe? Otherwise yes, I'd maybe suggest experimenting for a couple of weeks of exercising before bed, see how you get on? It would be a bit of a change for your body as you say you are an early bird, so you'd definitely need to stick it out a couple of weeks before binning it off if it doesn't work, but worth the experiment maybe?
• cereal for breakfast and then salad immediately jumped out at me! Exercising in the morning, plus on your feet all day - id say you need some more protein early on and maybe more carbs, depending on what your evening meal is consisting of/what works for you. You could do overnight oats, or overnight weetabix with Greek yoghurt - both can be prepped the night before.

You get up too early, drink too much coffee and don't eat enough/the right food to fuel a busy life. It's no wonder you're knackered.

Jesus how does anyone get up at 4:30!? That's a strange time to get up. Even 5:30 would be considered very early!

I think you need more rest for sure. I can't imagine getting up that early, doing 60 mins of exercise then doing the school run. I think you need to consider going part time so your day is shorter, and can't you get up at 5/5:15 instead and do 30 mins exercise. You're slim anyway..