Don't forget your ZZZzzz's
The problem with Christmas and New Year's being so close together is that it's just too easy to run a serious sleep deficit -- which doesn't help anyone's spirit of celebration. This is about the simplest Christmas idea there is. Turn out the lights early -- my uncle swears that the hours of sleep before midnight are the ones that do the most good, and I tend to believe him. New Year's Eve is only two days away, so it might not be a bad idea to bank a little time... especially after I was up past midnight last night, working on a jigsaw puzzle and drinking scotch with a friend!
On another note, today we'll be celebrating our beloved daughter's 19th birthday, though the actual day is tomorrow. Happy Birthday, Christina!
Simple Moodlings \'sim-pѳl 'mϋd-ѳl-ings\ n: 1. modest meanderings of the mind about living simply and with less ecological impact; 2. "long, inefficient, happy idling, dawdling and puttering" (Brenda Ueland) of the written kind; 3. spiritual odds and ends inspired by life, scripture, and the thoughts of others
Showing posts with label the importance of sleep and rest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the importance of sleep and rest. Show all posts
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Simple Suggestion #16 of 100... Get enough sleep
There's not much simpler than this suggestion. It's a matter of avoiding those things that prevent me from climbing into bed at a decent hour. When I don't sleep enough, I yawn so much that I'm sure I'm impolite, I get snappish and impatient (with my family in particular), and I am easily overwhelmed if things don't go as planned. When I get enough sleep, I'm happier, healthier, my brain and body function better and life's little trials are just that.
Different things work for different people when it comes to getting enough rest. I have a few early-bird friends who like to be in bed by nine-thirty at the latest so that they're up and running by six or earlier. Others are night owls who watch late night TV and take a bit of a slower start to their day. I tend to fit in the second category (without TV), but lately, I've been trying to be ready for bed by 9:30 so I can read for a while before sleeping. It's a quality of life thing when the days are busy, as they are this week. My workplace is moving into a new facility today. Here are two pictures from yesterday's packing up.
When thinking about the importance of sleep and rest, I'm reminded of the story of the great explorer who planned a long trek in the jungles of Africa. He hired some locals to help him carry his supplies for the journey. After four days of travelling at a break-neck pace, his porters sat down and refused to budge an inch. When he asked his lead man what was going on, the fellow told him, "We have been moving so fast that we need to wait for our souls to catch up with our bodies."
In our present, time-constrained world, we often wish a day had more than 24 hours, and fill it with so many things that it's a wonder our souls can keep up at all. Unfortunately, the corners we cut often amount to shorting ourselves on rest and relaxation, and that's pretty much guaranteed to make our lives less fulfilling. Simple living isn't about running ourselves ragged so much as it's about living a life of mindfulness and balance. Being mindful of our energy levels and making time for our souls to catch up with our bodies is just one simple thing we can do to keep ourselves in physical, mental and emotional condition so that we keep focused on those things that make us happy. So before I head off to today's work of unpacking, here's another wee suggestion: go ahead -- think of cat naps as essential to health and happiness!
P.S. Looking for more Simple Suggestions? Try here.
Different things work for different people when it comes to getting enough rest. I have a few early-bird friends who like to be in bed by nine-thirty at the latest so that they're up and running by six or earlier. Others are night owls who watch late night TV and take a bit of a slower start to their day. I tend to fit in the second category (without TV), but lately, I've been trying to be ready for bed by 9:30 so I can read for a while before sleeping. It's a quality of life thing when the days are busy, as they are this week. My workplace is moving into a new facility today. Here are two pictures from yesterday's packing up.
Partly packed...
All done!
In our present, time-constrained world, we often wish a day had more than 24 hours, and fill it with so many things that it's a wonder our souls can keep up at all. Unfortunately, the corners we cut often amount to shorting ourselves on rest and relaxation, and that's pretty much guaranteed to make our lives less fulfilling. Simple living isn't about running ourselves ragged so much as it's about living a life of mindfulness and balance. Being mindful of our energy levels and making time for our souls to catch up with our bodies is just one simple thing we can do to keep ourselves in physical, mental and emotional condition so that we keep focused on those things that make us happy. So before I head off to today's work of unpacking, here's another wee suggestion: go ahead -- think of cat naps as essential to health and happiness!
P.S. Looking for more Simple Suggestions? Try here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)