The reason I am writing this blog entry is because I am living proof that without adequate sleep your body goes through serious “withdrawal” from necessary functions. I have been working hard on developing my signature program that I will release this fall. Instead of following what I already know, I have been pushing myself to work a little harder, a little longer, to get things done. That means less sleep and I am not getting the rest I need.
Of course, I already know the advice I would give anyone else – there is always tomorrow to finish the work and your body needs to rest now. Why is it human nature to feel like nothing is more important that what we’re doing now and it can’t be put off? I’ve already disrupted my circadian rhythms and I can feel that it is takes me longer to put my thoughts in to words because the lack of restorative sleep has slowed down my thinking and words are not coming easily. By pushing my sleep schedule back and disregarding my body’s cues when I’m sleepy it has caused some real problems. Not only am I tired but I feel generally unwell. There is only so many nights you can push yourself until your body starts to protest!
By pushing my sleep time later but still getting up at the same time in the morning, my body is not going through the cycles of sleep required for resting. I recently wrote an article on timing of sleep and even after researching the information, I still did not follow the principles. This is so true for many people. We know what to do but we fail to do it. It’s not laziness or some superiority complex thinking we know more than anyone else. It’s human nature. I fully understand. It’s happened before. When I tried losing weight before understanding the concept of biochemical individuality I failed miserably.
I certainly can empathize with clients who say they want to lose weight or take measures to feel better but they just don’t know what to do. Or they know what to do but they lack the “willpower” to do it. It has nothing to do with willpower. It has everything to do with commitment to oneself and the support of those around you. I certainly know what to do and how to do it but why am I not following the best method? My sense of commitment got redefined to following a scheduled plan rather than stay the course with the commitment to my health and well-being. How can I be a support to someone else if I don’t follow what I know? I think it makes me fully understand just how human we are and how to bring perspective back into view.
It’s a shame that we as humans do this type of thing to ourselves. But we are fallible and make mistakes or missteps. I recognize what I have done and now I can course correct. So beginning tonight, I am going to allow my body to get back on schedule and restore my general well-being. I need to go back to what was working for me – reasonable bed time, rising early enough to get in a few moments for meditation and journaling, early morning light (in the winter, I use my light box) and working at a reasonable pace for the day. Then I will be able to gather my thoughts more easily to provide you with interesting and valuable information. I am dedicated to developing a solid base of articles to help you find your way to the best health and wellness information. I want to be part of your support system for your journey to wellness.
How have you course corrected when you go astray from your health and wellness goals? Post you thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.
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