What Lack Of Sleep Looks Like In My Life
Every Tuesday I work from home, record a Facebook Live and write a blog post on a topic that I hope will help you to live your best 'Be More You' life.
I plan these topics in advance and for the last few weeks, I’ve been focussing on sleep. This week was to be the ‘pièce de résistance’ in my sleep series: my top 5 sleep hacks to help you slumber like sleeping beauty.
BUT this morning I woke up exhausted, tired and emotional.
Watch my video below or read on to hear about how this impacted my entire day.
went through my normal morning routine, hoping it would make me feel better as it usually does.
I got up, drank my tea, practiced some gentle yoga and meditated.
(Still tired and emotional).
When it was light enough outside, I braved the cold rainy southerly and marched my furry friend and I up the bush track behind my house.
As I was walking out the door, I noticed wet sheets sitting in the washing machine. Despite Mr. M assuring me last night when he came to bed that he’d put them in the dryer. Fighting back irrational tired tears, (because there were 3 x loads of laundry in the queue behind the sheets and we’re off on holiday tomorrow so they all ‘need’ to be done today) I fired off a grumpy text to Mr. M.
A few mins later, I received a message from my Mum - I’d sent the message to her by mistake!
(Still tired and emotional and looking for someone to BLAME it on!).
I got back from my walk (still tired and emotional) and fired up my emails only to realise - I’D MISSED A CLIENT COACHING CALL!
I was mortified.
(And now even more tired and emotional).
I’d missed the call thanks to a calendar malfunction… but I can’t help but to assume I’d have picked it up earlier had I not been so tired.
Thankfully my amazing client was incredibly understanding, but it didn’t stop me beating myself up for my mistake.
(Increasingly tired and emotional)
I then proceeded to eat almost half a loaf of sourdough with honey in the hopes the sugar would boost me up with sufficient energy to get through all the other things I ‘NEEDED’ to get done before holiday (draft and schedule social media, blogs and newsletters and clear emails so I can take a digital detox, write blog and prep for FB live today, edit worksheets for my new online course so my designer can work her magic while I’m away, pack and download kindle books for holiday, get said 4 x loads of laundry done).
After an hour of inefficiency, flitting from task to task and not getting anything done, I realised the irony of my situation.
I was procrastinating writing a blog post about sleep hacks because I was a hair away from an overtired tantrum like meltdown!
So I took myself to bed.
I realised I needed to take my own advice on this sleep stuff that I’ve been banging on about for weeks.
I realised I was living proof of the countless ways we’re negatively impacted by lack of sleep.
I realised that most of the ‘NEED’ to do’s on my to-do-list were actually ‘nice to haves’, and the wheels wouldn’t fall off my business if I skipped a weekly blog post/newsletter.
So I prioritised rest. I took a nap.
And one hour later, here I am tapping out this post. Admittedly, I still feel a bit tired and emotional! (this holiday couldn’t be coming at a better time… ). But I feel SO MUCH BETTER than I did an hour ago.
I’m more sane and able to see the big picture. I’m more focused, more creative, and more productive. And I’m less inclined to eat an entire jar of honey and loaf of bread for an energy boost!
The moral of the story?
Know when to quit!
(And do as I say, don’t do as I do!)
Take a good honest look at your to-do-list, your obligations, what you’re saying yes to, and how much pressure you’re putting on yourself.
I know not everyone has the luxury of working from home and taking themselves off for an hour nap. But if you’d asked me yesterday if I’d have time for a nap today, I’d have said HELL NO! There’s way too much I ‘NEED’ to do.
And I’m going to hazard a guess you might be in the same boat? You don’t have any time to get more sleep? There’s too much to do? Too many competing demands? And not enough hours in the day?
Our minds are very good at driving us to do more, do more, do more. And we’re very good at getting caught up in the story that all the things we’re doing are necessities. We’re not always so good at taking a good honest look at what our bodies and minds truly need. And sleep is often one of the first things to go.
Yet sleep is more often than not the most important thing to protect.
So take a good honest look… try to cut through the stories of your clever mind… how can you prioritise YOU by prioritising rest?
And keep your eyes peeled for the next blog on my top 5 sleep hacks, which will wing its way to you once I’m back from holiday, well rested, bright eyed and bushy tailed!
Sleep well peeps!
Emily x
P.S. If you’d like to chat more about what in your day might be affecting your sleep, or you’d like some help with cultivating that elusive sense of space in your day, then please book in a discovery session today (it's free!). I’d love to chat with you!