As I write this letter, I have just returned home from a funeral for a woman my mother’s age who died suddenly alone, in her chair at her home. Now, I’m not one to focus on hurt, pain, sadness, or ugliness. After all, I focus on whatever is good, lovely, beautiful, and wonderful, but considering this is our special SLEEP ISSUE I feel compelled to take this opportunity and use this platform to relay a serious message.
- We need to WAKE UP!! I don’t know about you, but I have attended more funerals, memorials, and celebrations of life in the past few years than my entire life combined, and I realize we need to appreciate the little things. We need to hug more, laugh often, and forgive every single day. Every. Single. Day., to live as if today were our last. Life is simply too short and every day truly is a gift. Which leads mi to number two.
- We need to take care of ourselves. Get plenty of rest. Sleep is vital to our health and yet we do not get enough actual restful sleep. Until I got a sleep number bed, I had no idea how unrestful my sleep was; I just knew I woke up tired all the time. Most of us are a bunch of exhausted zombies, going through the motions.
Think about it. How many people are you upset with right now? Are you working a job you hate? Spending endless hours looking at a computer or cellphone screen? These things are literally slowly stealing years from your life. And for what? To be right? Make money? Gain notoriety? PLEASE, I beg you, take a look at your life and imagine if you all of the sudden where gone. Found alone, in your home, unexpectedly. What would you leave behind?
I encourage you- take some time for you. Self-care is NOT selfish. Make time every day to unplug. Did you know we spend about six hours a day on our phones, checking them on average 58 times a day? Did you also know the blue light from your cellphone actually interrupts your sleep cycle? The more technology you interact with before bedtime, the harder it is for you to fall asleep.
As I have examined my life and the legacy I will leave when I depart this earth, I have devoted myself to taking better care of my emotional and psychological self as well as my physical body, and so I want to encourage you to do whatever you need to rid yourself of those things that may be slowly depleting years from your life. Go outside. Enjoy nature. Watch the birds. Read a book. Book a massage (they not only feel good, they release toxins from your body and help circulation). Exercise. Go for a stroll. Take a cooking or baking class. Play board games with your family (no phones allowed). Plan a weekend (off the grid) outing in a cabin or tent.
For even a few hours a day, I encourage you to break the endless cycle of screen time, and take time to rest. Do something stress-free and relaxing. By disconnecting, you can also nurture real connections with your family, friends, and even yourself.
Disconnecting from your phone and other distractions gives you time for self-reflection and relaxation, too. I promise you that if you implement some of these, you will experience unexpected positive results such as:
- Feeling more present and aware “in the moment,”
- Falling asleep more quickly, and having better quality sleep,
- Developing better relationships with your family and friends,
- Increased productivity,
- Better information retention and learning,
- Improved self-confidence & more.
stay fabulous, stay you,
“mi”