Like eating healthy foods, staying hydrated, and exercising, getting good quality sleep is vital to one’s overall health! Do you get enough sleep everyday? Well, in case you don’t know it’s recommended that adults get at least 7 hours of sleep at night. Your body is at work at night while you sleep to repair and maintain the body so not receiving enough sleep at night could negatively affect you both mentally and physically!
Before we talk about how to get good quality sleep let’s briefly talk about the benefits of sleep. Good quality sleep helps lead to the following:
Improved Mood
Healthy Heart
Regulated blood sugar
Improved Mental Function
Restored Immune System
Stress Release
Athletic Recovery
Maintaining a Healthy Weight
Now, the question at hand is…how do you receive good quality sleep? Here are some ways one can improve his or her sleep quality with only small lifestyle adjustments:
Create a consistent sleep schedule by going to bed and waking up at the same time each day.
Create a quality sleep environment by minimizing light and distractions. Also, setting a cool fan can serve as a noise machine and help you relax.
Avoid alcohol and caffeine at bedtime. Having either will only keep you up at night, especially if you consume it in the late afternoon or evening.
Exercise during the day improves your overall sleep quality. In addition, it helps you to fall asleep faster and the amount of time spent sleeping increases.
This may seem like a hard one but avoid screen time before bed. Turning off all tv’s, tablets, cell phones, etc. at least 30 minutes before bedtime will make it much easier to fall asleep. Instead, choose a relaxing routine like reading, sleep meditation, or a warm bath to help lead to a good night’s sleep.
It’s true, getting good quality sleep at night will help improve your body’s overall health in numerous ways! If you find it difficult to fall asleep at night I encourage you to choose at least one tip listed above and see if you find it helpful! I didn’t mention anything about naps but if you can find the time to rest during the day, do it! Your body and mind will thank you later!!!
You can read the full article on quality sleep & benefits here.
How do you balance it all? A question many women, especially, are asked quite often. Is there such a thing as balance?
According to merrian-webster.com balance is defined as physical equilibrium; the ability to retain one’s balance; stability produced by even distribution of weight on each side of the vertical axis.
When I think about balance I immediately think of a scale. If too much weight is applied to one side then the scale will eventually tip over and be unable to remain in balance.
Are you in balance?
Balance from a health and wellness standpoint, in my opinion, is putting yourself first. Taking care of your mind, body, soul, and spirit so you’re able to show up as the best version of yourself and effectively handle all of your daily responsibilities. For example, this could look like scheduling some time during your busy day for a walk to move your body. This could be making sure you start your morning being still, reading, journaling, or taking time to pray & meditate. This could also mean scheduling a weekend stay-cation to relax and reset. The more you check in with yourself and give your body and mind what it needs to prevent burnout the more “in balance” you will be!
In addition to this, balance also has a lot to do with prioritizing your to-do’s, you know that list of everything you need to get done! I don’t know about you but I write lists in my head while I’m laying in the bed trying to fall asleep! {I know, not good!} Let’s face it. Many of us lead busy lives with demanding schedules & timelines so we must prioritize accordingly versus trying to do it all in one day, at one time! Our lives evolve and seasons change so do what you need to do according to its importance but ALWAYS keep your needs first, no matter what to avoid stress and/or burnout!
As a wife, mom of 2 very active boys, and one who’s working to build a business I can tell you that I MUST ensure I do what I need to do everyday to take care of me! I’ve been asked the big question too, how do you do it all? How do you stay in balance? Here are some of the things I do to ensure I take care of me first, in an effort to prevent burnout:
Rest when I need to without feeling guilty about it
Stick to my morning routine (quiet time with God, read, journal, and prayer)
Move my body (it helps to reduce stress and gives me energy)
Make sure I take breaks when needed to fuel my body
Ask for help when I need it
Prioritize my daily tasks (personal tasks and business tasks)
Stay well organized (there is no other way for me) Haha!!
If you find yourself stressed, all over the place, or possibly on the verge of burnout, stop! Take a moment to check in with yourself and give your body what it needs. You deserve to live a full, energetic life so prioritize YOU first and all else will work out just as it should!
“Balance is not something you find, it’s something you create.”
