Mondays are my usual sleep deprived days, as my darling groom leaves early in the a.m. for the airport. Inasmuch as he tries really hard to not wake me, I'm such a light sleeper that I'll be up when he is.
If that's not enough, I rarely get more than 5 hours sleep, anyway. This morning, my boss and I were talking about a study conducted with a group of athletes and how getting 10 hours sleep every night significantly improved their athletic performance compared to other athletes who were not getting 10 hours sleep. My boss and I couldn't imagine being able to stay in bed that long!
I often think our relatively affluent, Westernized, industrial society is at the root of the problem. We are expected to work long hours, rarely take vacations or time off, don't know how to take time to enjoy a meal with friends or family (how long does it take you to eat dinner at home?) and feel as though we're constantly in a rush to keep up with someone or something we need to get done.
Short of being knocked out with an antihistamine, it's really hard for me to relax. Tai Chi is an excellent exercise to help learn to relax while maintaining physical fitness (it's not just exercise, it's a martial art), and I wholeheartedly recommend it. Besides, it's fun!
Running, or a long walk, is also an excellent way to burn off energy. Did your grandparents ever go for their daily constitution?
Learning how to say "no" to taking on another volunteer activity or other task also helps bring more calm to your life as you have that much more time for yourself.
De-cluttering your surroundings, removing the TV or CD/radio from your bedroom, installing soft lights and darkening curtains in your bedroom also help.
First, though, you have to find out why you aren't getting enough sleep and go from there.
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Mondays are my usual sleep deprived days, as my darling groom leaves early in the a.m. for the airport. Inasmuch as he tries really hard to not wake me, I'm such a light sleeper that I'll be up when he is.
If that's not enough, I rarely get more than 5 hours sleep, anyway. This morning, my boss and I were talking about a study conducted with a group of athletes and how getting 10 hours sleep every night significantly improved their athletic performance compared to other athletes who were not getting 10 hours sleep. My boss and I couldn't imagine being able to stay in bed that long!
I often think our relatively affluent, Westernized, industrial society is at the root of the problem. We are expected to work long hours, rarely take vacations or time off, don't know how to take time to enjoy a meal with friends or family (how long does it take you to eat dinner at home?) and feel as though we're constantly in a rush to keep up with someone or something we need to get done.
Short of being knocked out with an antihistamine, it's really hard for me to relax. Tai Chi is an excellent exercise to help learn to relax while maintaining physical fitness (it's not just exercise, it's a martial art), and I wholeheartedly recommend it. Besides, it's fun!
Running, or a long walk, is also an excellent way to burn off energy. Did your grandparents ever go for their daily constitution?
Learning how to say "no" to taking on another volunteer activity or other task also helps bring more calm to your life as you have that much more time for yourself.
De-cluttering your surroundings, removing the TV or CD/radio from your bedroom, installing soft lights and darkening curtains in your bedroom also help.
First, though, you have to find out why you aren't getting enough sleep and go from there.
June 23, 2008 - 5:58pmThis Comment
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