Nap before you snap
Well-being 🌿 | Health 🩺 | #Sleep #Mood #Letting go
TL;DR
Recognise signs like difficulty focusing, mood swings, and physical discomfort as silent cries for rest.
Break the cycle of weariness by embracing short naps – a powerful reset for the body and mind.
Regular naps enhance focus, memory, and mood, offering a shield against stress in our fast-paced world.
Seed
In our fast-paced world, where productivity is prised, sleep often takes a back seat. Napping, however, is a hidden gem when exhaustion knocks on the door.
Tiredness, our silent companion, brings along a parade of symptoms that we might not even notice:
Difficulties to focus
Memory loss
Altered vision
Hunger
Crankiness
Difficulty finding solutions
Irritability
Mood swings
Physical pain (headache, joints, back...)
Palpitations
Increased stress or anxiety
Caught in the whirlwind of life, it's easy to overlook these signs, entering a cycle of weariness. We convince ourselves that pushing through with sheer willpower or a cup of coffee is the solution, and it might work, but only temporarily.
The irony is that recognising our fatigue can be challenging because we are already tired. Breaking this cycle requires self-awareness and a willingness to embrace a simple yet powerful solution – napping.
Napping is not a sign of weakness; it's a strategic retreat for your body and mind. It's a chance to reset, recharge, and emerge stronger. So, when the symptoms start knocking, make it a routine to hit pause, step away from the chaos, and indulge in a short nap.
A brief nap can work wonders:
Regain focus: Allow your mind to reset, sharpening your focus.
Enhance memory: Combat memory loss by giving your brain the rest it craves.
Improve mood: Bid farewell to irritability and mood swings, embracing a more positive outlook.
Don't wait until you're on the brink of burnout. Listen to your body's whispers before they become shouts. Embrace the power of a nap – your ally in navigating the challenges of a demanding world. The road to well-being often starts with closing your eyes for a while. Give it a try, and let your nap be your shield against the snapping stress of life.
Example
When I started therapy, I realised that a nap was actually the simplest and most efficient way to avoid crashing into my darkest thoughts. For some reason, it took me years to understand that there was such an easy solution, so easy to reach. I guess years of thinking that "sleeping is for the weak" didn't help. But indeed, today, getting 30 minutes to lie down, and sleep without being disturbed is the best remedy for lots of issues.
Bonus
Here is a rather long but equally as interesting interview of Matthew P Walker, professor of neuroscience and psychology at the University of California, Berkeley.
If you don’t have time to go through the entire interview, you can skip to the parts you’re most interested in via the chapters in the description, or even look at some of the top comments that summarise the content.