Are You Getting Enough Sleep?

I realised as I got into bed at 12:30 am that I've been slacking on my bedtime.

Yes, I'm a night owl so my natural tendency is to work late because my brain is most awake then.

However, I work full-time so I don't have the luxury of totally living in tune with my body clock.

I used to have a rule about my bedtime and, to be honest, it still exists. I'm just not following it all that well.

I like to be sleeping by 12 so I need to be in bed by 11 since I read for an hour every night - bliss!

And here's my rule - computer off by 10:30.

I found I'd be getting to bed at least 30 minutes later when I didn't enforce my computer rule because I forgot about tidying the desk, doing my bedtime routine, etc.

So my question to you is this - are you getting enough sleep?

Most adults don't get enough sleep and we're all functioning (or not) at below-par levels of productivity and simply, life enjoyment.

Sleep helps our bodies to work better, helps us with weight loss when we're trying to lose weight and of course, helps us rest and recharge from day to day.

I need 7 hours of good sleep a night. On the weekends I get an extra hour and sometimes even an afternoon nap with my two-year-old twins.

Do you know how much sleep you need?

The other day Gretchen Rubin, the author of The Happiness Project, wrote a post asking about bedtimes.

She said something interesting in that once you set a bedtime (we now know mine is 11 or 12, depending how you look at it), if you ignore that bedtime, you're then consciously choosing to do what you were doing instead of going to bed.

I love it!

So here's a coaching challenge for you:

- What is your wake-up time?

- Work back at least 7 hours. That is the time you have to be asleep by.

- How long do you need before falling asleep? Subtract the amount of hours.

- Also subtract time for your bedtime routine - face, teeth, reading, etc.

- For the next week, set an alarm or reminder in your phone or computer that says "go to bed".

- Keep track of your productivity the following day as you start getting enough sleep.

Marcia Francois is a time management coach and speaker who inspires busy women to break out of overwhelm, make the most of their time and take purposeful and focussed action so they have the time and freedom to live life to the full. Visit http://purposefultimemanagement.com/ for your free Time Management Purpose Pack.

Original article

Enough! Overcoming the Little Annoyances Wearing You Out

'It isn't the mountains ahead that wear you out--It's the grain of sand in your shoe.' Robert William Service, Scottish Poet 1874-1958

What's Wearing on You?

What is the grain of sand in your shoe wearing you out-that annoyance present in the back of your mind wearing you down? What's grating on you today?

Perhaps:

You're waiting for the other shoe to drop at work;You can't seem to get the landlord to fix that hole in your ceiling the rain is leaking through;You have a good paying job-but the daily work is soul-killing;You've got a job you really enjoy-but its 600 miles from your home and family.

How Little Annoyances Affect Life Satisfaction

No matter how good our lives are, we all face trials in our daily lives that can wear us down. Truth is even if our lives are excellent overall, we still measure our life satisfaction by the least satisfying parts-i.e. those grains of sand.

The Daily Grind

Linda, almost 60 and divorced, has a beautiful home, grown children, a dog, a network of great friends-- and a new great-paying job. So what's the grain of sand in her shoe?

Linda's new job took her 600 miles away from her friends and home. She's uncomfortable living in her new apartment in a city filled with never-ending traffic and cement sidewalks. She misses the wooded trails where she walked with her dog enjoying the great outdoors. While the money is good in her new job, her daily quality of life has taken a nosedive. She dreams of moving back home.

Liz, a 21 year-old, taking a full load of college courses and working full-time loves her apartment with its hardwood floors and spacious rooms, conveniently located adjacent to the bus line to work and school.

Liz's grain of sand is the huge gaping hole in her apartment ceiling. Mold is growing and she is worried about her health. She doesn't want to move-especially since she's in the middle of the school term-- and really doesn't have the time to look for another place.

At Forty, Julian has just finished a higher degree, loves his chosen work, home and partner. What's the grain of sand wearing him down?

Julian's hometown market may be too small to support his work. If he wants to do what he loves he may need to work and live elsewhere-and leave his home and partner behind. The idea of a long-distance relationship leaves him cold.

Don't Ignore Your Grain of Sand, Acknowledge it

Face it-we all have difficult decisions to make these days. The difficulty of choosing between two less-than-optimum options often leaves us making no decision at all-and this unresolved dilemma goes underground and begins to wear on us like the grains of sand in our walking shoes.

The problem with grains of sand in our shoes is rather than choosing to stop to remove them we try to ignore them as we continue traveling on the road of life. Without acknowledging and embracing them we can find no relief.

Find Your Pearl

Rather than letting your grain of sand wear you down, let it build you up.

In a clam, that grain of sand has the potential of creating a pearl. You too have the possibility of creating something exquisite and beautiful in your life through that daily grind forcing you to pay attention to what's working and what's not.

Granted, grains of sand in our walking shoes are irritating and annoying-but they make us pay attention. Stop ignoring the irritation in your life, acknowledge and embrace it. Choose to reach through the current irritation to create a better life.

Four Steps to Turn SAND into Your Pearl

1. Acknowledge and embrace the irritation. Let yourself become aware and fully conscious of what's grating on you. Name it. Sit in it.

2. Keep on walking. Do nothing. Let the irritation grow your awareness to produce your life pearl.

3. Stop. When you're ready--take off your shoes and shake it off. Choose your next action.

4. Start A New Direction--Take a step-any step-away from your irritant towards a better life.

Start

A

New

Direction

What's Your PEARL?

What PEARL can you create out of your grains of sand? Play with the letters in PEARL to create a positive picture of what you can create out of your grain of sand.

Possibilities, Enthusiasm, Acceptance, Relationships, Love

Playful, Enjoyable, Action-oriented, Reliable, Loyal

'Each morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.' The Buddha

International speaker and award-winning author, Susan J Meyerott provides dynamic interactive workshops for people ready to better manage their work, life and health. For more than 30 years, Susan has been helping people lighten up and step over invisible barriers to change one step at a time. As a speaker and writer, Susan blends her unique background in health promotion, accelerated learning, and communication with a very personal, practical, and humorous style. She speaks to your heart, puts you at ease, and makes changing easier than ever before.
http://lightartedliving.blogspot.com/2012/01/staying-upbeat-in-face-of-negativity.html
http://www.linkedin.com/in/susanjmeyerott

Original article