Well, I guess this is proof that there is nothing magical about January 1. Once I was back to work I fell right back into my usual struggles of feeling too tired and too busy to do what I need to do to take care of myself. I didn't exercise and I didn't journal my food during the work week. So I am grateful for a small loss given that. But I need to have a better plan this week for how I am going to deal with working AND taking care of my health.
The thing I want to work on for the upcoming work week is my sleep habits. I think one of my biggest downfalls in dealing with work stress and taking care of myself is my poor sleep habits during the work week. I stay up too late, oversleep, feel rushed and stressed out every morning. This is the first thing I need to change if I have any hope of getting through the week without sabotaging myself.
I've been googling "sleep hygiene" and have learned I do alot of things wrong. I don't go to bed or wake up and consistent times every day, I work on the computer in bed, eat too late. Ah, the list is long. So the first thing I want to work on is becoming consistent with my sleeping and waking times.
My goal for this week is to be asleep by 11PM (eventually I want this to be 10PM but I'll start with 11PM). In order to do this, my goal needs to be to have eaten dinner and to have done all the things at home I need to by 10PM so I can spend an hour unwinding and then sleeping at 11PM.
I know this will help tremendously. Back when I was healthy and fit I generally was in bed asleep by 9 or 9:30 and then up at 5 for an hour workout and then on with my day. I definitely had a routine and I felt good. So I will be working toward getting back to that.
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10 comments:
I just found your blog and I love it. I've just started my blog and am trying to get healthier this year. Thanks for inspiring me!
Straightening out a sleep pattern sounds a great idea. I always found it difficult to regulate meals when my sleep pattern was out of kilter. Now I get up to have breakfast I find the day is more ordered. Good luck sleeping and don't worry if you don't fall asleep immediately- eventually you will!
The worst thing about me is the way I love to stay up till 2 in the morning. Why can't the world run on my clock?
I never knew there was such a thing as sleep hygiene.
I'm an insomniac and it doesn't take much to disturb my sleep patterns and keep me awake all night... :o( When I DO get to sleep (around 5am) I have to get up a couple of hours later to see to Tabitha.
You're not going to like what I suggest, but it worked for me! I get up an hour before I need to (in my case, the time my baby tends to wake) and then I put in a good 45 minutes working out hard using my Wii. Not only does it psyche me up for the day ahead, but it also helps me get a good night's sleep that night. :o)
Worth a try?
Bye for now
Patsy x
Hey Deb, I find that I get to sleep faster if I go to sleep at the same time each night! I'm working on that too!
I have a lot of ideas for making your weeks easier food wise with work.
One, maybe you can have a meal prep day on the weekend so that you can grab and go during the week?
When I was very organized I would do all my chopping, cooking on Sundays and have planned out what was for dinner, and then I would have left overs for lunch the next day. Maybe some crock pot recipes would be good for you? So that dinner is waiting when you get home. Then you can pack it up for lunch the next day and freeze left overs for the following week. :)
I think that you are doing so great with being aware of how you're doing and why! You really are doing great!
Good for you for having a plan and realizing that you need to implement it in increments. Adequate sleep is an absolute cornerstone of health and our ability to cope with life. All the best, Deb!
Ding!Ding!Ding! I think you've found yourself a KEY. :) Being well rested will give your energy which will help you deal with the stresses of the day. Go you!
I really think you're on to something here, Deb - I've also noticed that I seem to do better with my program when I'm getting plenty of sleep.
Congratulations on the loss - heading in the right direction!
Sleep problems plagued me for years - being kind of strict with myself about my bedtime has helped. Good luck this week!
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