Sleep, an Important Part of Health and Stress Management Commitment.

Many people live increasingly busy and pressurised lives, as they put in longer hours and have tighter targets to meet to justify their jobs and employment. An increasing number of people work from home and have offices with computers and various communications systems in place. This starts out as being a convenient way of keeping on top of the job, but ends up becoming a way of working right up to bedtime and then putting in some extra time before work starts again in the morning.

The truth is, treating our job and career with respect is important, but treating ourselves well and taking care of our overall health and well being is more important. Without our health we cannot work, and without feeling good about ourselves and what we do, life becomes a drudge and full of stress.  Balance is important. We need to eat well, exercise, take breaks and have fun, and these things all improve our ability to work better and achieve improved results in the many diverse areas of our life.

Sleep is an important part of our support system. Our bodies generate energy throughout the day. Some of that energy is used for external activities, like work, exercise, moving about, being busy. Some of that energy is needed for internal activities, like healing, cell renewal, digestion, recovery. It is important that we allow that to happen, or else our bodies become over tired and stressed and ill health can ensue. This is why we need to takes some breaks throughout the day, to pace ourselves better and return to our work feeling refreshed and recharged. Some companies advocate twenty minutes of power napping for precisely this purpose.

Proper bedtime routines are also important. I suggest to my clients that they set a time by which they aim to have finished working. Hopefully this can allow a couple of hours to wind down before bed. This time can be used to take a relaxing bath, maybe listen to music, read a pleasant book or watch something easy on television. It is best to eat a few hours prior to bed, rather than too late at night. And also, ensure that the bedroom is clear from clutter. The bedroom should be a place of relaxation and rest, so screen off any work areas and keep electrical gadgets to a minimum. Also the bedroom should be aired and smell pleasant. All these factors make an important difference to the quality of sleep.

Then even if sleep is difficult at least it is possible to use the time to lie still and let the body heal and renew in a calm and comfortable place. Training oneself to start switching off earlier in the evening and have some ‘me’ time can take a little time to set into place. But with persistence, it will soon become of healthier way of taking care of oneself and the value and benefits will start to be evident before too long.

Susan Leigh, Counsellor and Hypnotherapist
www.lifestyletherapy.net