tools: sleep & communication part Ib
It’s amazing what a night’s sleep will do. I have half a mind to suppress the previous post and move on. But I will leave it so that it reminds me to think first and not post something just so it is posted.
This morning I’ll try to write on two things, sleep and communication with oneself. With luck, this afternoon I’ll have a short post on this week’s Parsha.
Sleep
We are all aware that we need to sleep properly each and every night to stay healthy. Who does? I most definitely don’t. I’ll often go to bed very late, or with my mind full of lots of things, or for only four hours. The next day is never as productive as it should be and if this occurs several nights throughout the week I build up a routine of improper sleep. And the cycle keeps going.
As it’s really really cold here in NYC today I just want to remind people that a proper night’s sleep for your body is very important. As is eating right and wearing sensible clothing, those are topics for another post. If one were to google “life hack” and “sleep” there are [at 7am] 18,800 returns. I’ll leave reviewing all of them for someone else. I don’t advocate some of the hacks which are suggested, but I think reading about these alternatives will often help you sleep better. At least reading about them has had me think about this topic!
I’ll comment on four things I feel are really important for good sleep. I’m sure I learned most of these things from books, websites, people over the years but I’m not sure where at the moment.
1. Develop a set bedtime, if possible. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Even if you aren’t tired, or have things to do. Most things can wait.
2. Develop a routine about getting ready, brushing your teeth, putting away the computer, writing in a journal, etc. A bed(room) is for sleep and sex. If you live in a studio I commiserate with you. Try to block your bed off from everything else with furniture. Try not to be able to see your desk from the bed.
3. If you are overly exhausted make sure to relax as you get into bed. Try to relax your muscles. Definitely make sure to do all parts of your routine. If you have to make a “get ready for bed checklist” and post it on the bathroom mirror or your headboard, do it!
4. Do not eat right before bed (though a glass of water can help make sure you get out of bed in the morning). This is where I’ve gotten in trouble recently as I’m starved when I arrive home from class at 10:45p. The nights I go to sleep hungry I sleep better than when I cave to my hunger at that hour.
(bonus) 5. Do not go to sleep angry at your spouse.
communication part Ib
How to save this “series” since it didn’t get off to the start I wanted? Hmm..
I’ve identified several areas which I’ll group together as communication where both myself and people in my circles either do very well, or are struggling to improve, or are unaware that they aren’t doing well. As I feel I’m highly deficient in many areas of communication, I’m attempting to write this to better understand and hopefully make some improvement.
One of the biggest issues I have lately is getting everything that is swirling around my head out. I am combating this with GTD and my journals. Why will this help communications. I believe that if I get all of the stuff in my head that needs something done with it out, then I can better work with others and myself to get it done.
There are tons of websites on journaling these days. While I cited Alexandra Johnson’s Leaving a Trace yesterday I generally don’t follow any writing prompts or ideas, though I probably should. I tend to write a very simplistic diary. I review what I wore (because I will forget and as I go to many places one day a week I could end up wearing the same exact thing each week. it would be clean, but …), what we ate, some things I did. I try to write my impressions of the “done things” and what went well, what went wrong. I do this all by hand, the reasons for which I’ll write up for another post.
Hmm.. I probably should have outlined what I expect to be in the communications series. I’ll throw it down here for now. I expect to discuss:
- communicating with yourself
- improving your writing, step by step
- finding confidence in your writing
- choosing the right words..
- dealing with difficult people
- getting things done…
- delegation
- asking for help
- and probably many other things that pop into your head
I am most definitely not an expert in any of these things. I know that I have a large deficiency in them and as I still struggle to transition from my childhood to being an adult, I’ve learned a few things. Some of my readers are at points in their lives where I was five to ten years ago. I do not think I have the golden ticket for them but hope that there might be something useful for them in my writing.