Prioritize Adequate Time for SLEEP and REST
Sleep, along with air, water, and food, is one of the fundamental needs of human survival. And while I think we all understand that we need sleep to survive, most of us are not getting the quantity and/or quality of sleep we need. Experts recommend that adults get 7-9 hours of sleep per night. And this means time actually sleeping, not just lying in bed. While some of us fall asleep as soon as our head hits the pillow, others of us have a hard time getting to sleep and/or staying asleep, and may feel that we can’t turn the constant chatter of our brains off.
And we feel it. We feel tired, exhausted, overwhelmed, and even lacking energy and excitement for life. We play mental games with ourselves - “If I can make it to the weekend, I’ll catch up on sleep then.” “I have a vacation planned in 3 months; I’ll be able to rest and relax then.” “We are in a busy season at work / my child is going through a sleep regression. Once I make it through this phase, things will get better.”
And while we recognize there is a problem, we don’t necessarily see the solution. We don’t have time to get more sleep, because there is just too much to do. With the demands building up on our calendars, sleep and rest seem like the easiest place to draw more time from. “I have to stay up to get this work done so I can meet the deadline.” “I can’t get anything done while the kids are awake, so after they go to bed is when I have time to clean/exercise/work/watch tv/etc.”
So how do we fix it? Our brains tell us that we need more time, more hours in a day. And while that is of course impossible, it would also not be the solution even if it were possible because guess what? If we had more time, we would just fill it with more “stuff.” So rather than wishing we had more time, we instead must focus on better time management. On slowing down and focusing our lives on what really matters. In understanding that giving 8 hours of ourselves that is well rested and nourished, is much more valuable than giving 12 hours of ourselves that is sleep-deprived, anxious, and unhappy.
If you are feeling short on sleep or rest, take a close look at your schedule. Are you spending too many hours working? If so, are you able to do more in less time, cut back, or look for a new job altogether? How much time are you spending taking your kids to extra-curriculars? How much time do you spend scrolling social media? Watching TV? Talking on the phone?
I am not here to tell you the exact formula of time management. We all have different demands on our lives and we also have different capacities for how much sleep we need, and which activities are most draining to us. It takes time and effort to examine our schedules and determine what areas we can make changes in. The key is not to be perfect, or have such a rigid schedule that you can’t make time for others when an unexpected opportunity arises. It’s to “trim the fat.” (Anyone pick up on what movie I’m referencing 😂). But in all seriousness - to make the most out of the short life we’re given, we must identify areas of our time that are not serving us. We must learn to say no (and this is extremely hard if you are a people pleaser). We must recognize that we cannot “do it all,” “be it all,” or live up to everyone else’s expectation of us.
So what is truly important to you? Do you place more importance on money or time? Are you hustling to achieve a promotion to prove your worthiness or impress others? No judgment here. We live in a culture filled with ads, skillful marketing strategies, and the ability to constantly compare ourselves to others. So just be aware. Maybe instead of working harder to buy the bigger house or new toys or pay for club sports for our kids, we would be more content by simply enjoying what we have now and not feeling the pressure to work more to make more to buy more.
I can’t answer that for you; I just want to give you things to think about. My messaging through my various topics is consistent - first and foremost BE INTENTIONAL. If you are sleep deprived/tired/exhausted/overwhelmed, find a way to get to bed earlier. Schedule intentional time each week to just be with loved ones and enjoy them. This may mean doing something outside of your house if you are easily distracted by housework that needs to be done, etc. Place limits on your phone. When you are working, be present and engaged while you are there, and when you are at home with family, be present and engaged with them, doing your best to eliminate distractions from work, chores, cell phone, etc. Multi-tasking is not efficient; it only takes away our ability to be present.
I promise there is a solution for you, it just might take some time and hard decisions to get there. Stay committed. Don’t just get through your days, but enjoy them. We never know how many we have left. What do you want your legacy to be when you leave this earth?
