Regardless of which roles you have in your life right now – from board member to family member – there is one super valuable resource that many overlook, especially in these fast-paced times with endless to do-lists and too much weight on your shoulders: sleep! Sleep is actually the ultimate energizer for individuals striving to stay productive, maintain their well-being and master healthy high performance. It acts as a vital reset button for the body and mind, allowing especially busy people to recharge, restore their cognitive functions, and replenish their energy reserves. With constant stimulation and non-stop activity, understanding the significance of sleep as the ultimate energizer is paramount for those seeking to thrive amidst the chaos and achieve healthy high performance in their daily lives.
Experts say that you spend roughly one-third of your life sleeping. Certainly, you want to make every moment count toward the physical and mental rejuvenation that a good sleep provides! Here are 8 tips you can put into action now to experience some of the best sleep of your life:
- Investigate your evening routine. Think about the activities you’re involved in from the time you walk in the door to the moment your head hits the pillow. The goal is to increase your awareness about what you’re doing and see if it could be interrupting your sleep. Are you playing catch-up by bringing work home from the office? If so, your mind may be on overdrive and unable to turn off. Do you find yourself consumed with doing household chores like laundry and house-cleaning? In that case, you’re probably lacking time for relaxation.
2. Plan to be in bed with the lights out for at least eight hours. Do you stay up until after midnight? Try to schedule evening activities early, so you can still get eight hours of sleep. If you have trouble falling asleep, you might want to make it eight and a half hours.
3. Allow time to unwind. If you’re super busy, you’ll probably be rushing around until you finally collapse on the bed in hopes of getting a few winks. Instead, give yourself at least an hour to shift gears and relax before bed. Everyone needs some downtime.
4. Clear your mind from the day’s chaos. Maybe it’s reading a few pages in a book or taking 20 minutes to meditate. Focus on shifting your thoughts from the intense to the trivial. A tranquil mind invites more sleep than a chaotic one.
5. Create an uncluttered, relaxing bedroom environment. Although you may think that a cluttered bedroom is ok, it may be preventing relaxation and interfering with your sleep. Besides, clutter draws dust, which can cause breathing difficulties during the night. Put everything away: Clothes can go into drawers or the closet, junk mail and magazines into the recycling bin. Organize what you have left: Place a lamp, reading materials, and your alarm clock on your night stand and set the scene for a comfortable night’s slumber.
6. Turn off electronics at least one hour before bed. The light emanating from backlit screens like cell phones, tablets, and e-readers can trick your body into thinking it’s daylight and time to be awake. Plus, it’s best to rest your eyes from such gadgets before trying to sleep.
7. Take a warm bath rather than a shower. If you tend to struggle with sleep quality, it may be that your shower routine is invigorating you rather than relaxing you. Sitting for a few minutes in warm water can help your muscles relax and prepare for sleep.
8. From box-spring bed to box-breathing in bed: Take deep breaths through your nose and count till 5, hold them for 5 seconds, exhale slowly through your nouse counting till 5 again, hold for 5 seconds, repeat. Imagine a quadrant of 4 equal sides and start at the bottom left when doing your breathings.
Many members of our society glorify the hustle and celebrate burnout, thus it’s crucial to recognize the undeniable importance of sleep for your overall health, well-being and continued healthy high performance. Sleep is not merely a luxury but a fundamental pillar of a healthy lifestyle. It is during those precious hours of slumber that your body repairs, regenerates, and optimizes various biological functions: From bolstering your immune system and enhancing cognitive abilities to promoting emotional resilience and fostering creativity, sleep plays an irreplaceable role in our physical, mental, and emotional vitality.
Embracing the value of sleep and prioritizing it as an integral part of your daily routine is a profound act of self-care that enables us to face each day with clarity and a sense of inner balance. So, let us cherish the beauty of rest and honor the ultimate energizer sleep and invest in your own health!
