Happy Wednesday. I know that many of us have long weeks but let’s talk about sleep and the lack thereof. I love my life. There is nothing better than making a schedule that you enjoy. Also making a living doing what you love isn’t really work. However keeping up with my busy schedule can produce many days of tiredness, irritability, and more. With my depressive moods sleep is one thing I need to get more of.
Sleep vs Rest
There have been times when I have gotten sleep but not rested. Resting is when your body and mind is at peace. When I go to bed with all kinds of things on my head and mind but not allowing myself to rest, the sleep I get is merely about maintaining. When that good rest creeps in it all boils down to me allowing myself the ability to be at peace with whatever state my life is in. This is something that helps with journaling, mind dumping, even working out on a regular basis, or also known as taking care of me.
The times that I have been on go but having self care moments shows me that I need to stop and withdraw. So this past weekend I felt like I was being pulled in too many ways. Monday I declared that I was taking a me day. I event missed an event with one of my favorite PRs unintentionally. However that rest combined with sleep did my body and mind right.
Why Everyone needs a Mental Health Day
I needed that mental health day this week. That helped me get rid of a headache that I honestly believes was due to me not getting enough rest. That rest allowed me to show up in my life and the lives of those around me in the best light. That sleep was amazing. I got about 5 hours additional uninterrupted sleep. In addition, I enjoyed a great quick lunch that I didn’t have to share or prepare. I also went to do some resetting with cleaning my car, running errands, and enjoying some shopping with the kids. We are a very schedule oriented family. We have to be since we have so many things to do. However, we stepped out of our comfort zone and enjoyed such an amazing evening.
I forgot what it is like to be spontaneous. But I loved every minute. We still got homework, dinner, and showers done. Although we stood up maybe less than an hour past our bedtime it was about enjoying each other without the worry that we had to be tied to a rigid schedule.
Sleep is Important to Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle
Another reason that sleep is important is that it keeps us alert and sharp. Driving sleepy for instance according to the CDC is a huge cause for a lot of accidents. 1 in every 25 adults are driving sleepy or drowsy. So imagine that it also has some near ramifications as alcohol. Make sure that you are getting enough rest. I know there have been times sadly when I didn’t realize how tired I was and gotten behind the wheel. As I have cleared my journeys there are parts of it that I don’t even remember driving. That could be my life or the life of others.
Sleep aids in the renewing of the body too. Weight loss can occur with the proper amount of sleep. Eating well, drinking water, and getting sleep are healthy parts of our daily lives. SleepPhones for me help. The ability to sleep with the soft built in headphones help me to be able to go to sleep and stay asleep longer and more naturally without the help of a sleep aid.
Excuses for Taking a Mental Health Day
Everyone is not blessed to be able to simply take a day off. However many jobs are giving generous time for sick days. Use a day for you. If you are a mom like me, while the kids are in school take your time. Drop them kids off and go home and get in the bed. Don’t do like I almost did, start doing chores or finding ways to be of service to others. The grocery shopping, laundry, and all other tasks can wait. I had a boat load of laundry calling my name and I ignored it all for the opportunity to fill my self care cup.
So it may be too late in the week although in my opinion I think its a perfect reason to find some time to sleep. So here’s to better sleep. Dispel the myths that you are lazy or not a good (enter title) due to wanting more sleep or quality sleep. Simply get the rest that you are due!
