Get Some Rest

We live in a production driven, fast pace, get it done ASAP world. There is so much to do and never enough time to get it all done. I have found that this lifestyle of go, go, go, now, now, now is causing an epidemic of exhaustion.  It is my opinion that this state of exhaustion which many people are living with is contributing to the stress and anxiety and worsening of mental health in America. Buzz words like “self-care” are being used all the time, however, those of us holding a career, caring for family and friends, perhaps caring for ageing parents find “self-care” totally unattainable and as one client put it, “a joke”. I would like to bring a new perspective to the phrase, “self-care”. Most people I know think of self-care as spending the day at a spa or doing all the lavish things the tv and social media portray as “self-care”. All be it very nice to have a getaway trip and spend the day at the spa for a facial, manny/petty but I am observing that most people are failing to take care of themselves even in the most basic ways. I am talking as basic as getting enough sleep each night. Research still shows even adults need at least 7 hours of sleep to generate sufficient sleep cycles for our body to do what it needs to do while sleeping. (source from mayoclinic.org) Our physical body is taking care of our physiological and psychological needs while we sleep. Literally, it gives us the ability mentally and physically to be able to carry out our responsibilities and duties the next day. Our culture, however, has tricked us into believing we need less and less sleep to be productive and successful. The fact of the matter is, if you are not taking care of your most basic needs, all the “self-care” in the world will not help you be more productive or healthier. I truly believe the most neglected basic need in caring for oneself is to get good sleep.  If you are not getting sufficient sleep, you are allowing your body to break down and you are actually diminishing your ability to be highly productive. The longest recorded time without sleep is 11 consecutive days until the body shuts down and dies. Since that is the case, poor quality sleep of 3 or 4 hours a night sounds like it would barely keep a body functioning at all. That stands to reason in my mind as while we sleep the body is mending itself. While sleeping the brain builds memory and learning pathways. This must happen daily so we can retain information each day and have the ability to obtain and retain new information the next day. During sleep the body is getting rid of damaged cells which could be carrying illness, disease, and cancer. Our metabolism and digestive system regulate itself during sleep. Some studies even suggest that getting more sleep each night plays a part in controlling one’s appetite the next day. While we sleep, injuries like cuts, bruises, damaged muscles and joints and any other bodily injury are healing. These are just a few essential things which happen while we sleep. Sounds pretty important to me! It is my assertion that while all the fancy things you can do to practice “self-care” are nice, if you are not getting enough good quality sleep each night, your “self-care” must start there. There is not one other thing that I have found that positively impacts ALL aspects of wellbeing other than consistently getting a good night’s sleep. To help me focus on making sure I try to get good sleep, I meditate on this verse; It is vain for you to rise up early, sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep. Psalm 127:2.