Rest in the Time of Crisis
HELLO HELLO VISIONARIES!
LISTEN… THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IS UPSIDE DOWN. TIME FEELS LIKE IT’S MOVING EXTREMELY FAST ONE DAY, AND THEN 3 YEARS LATER, WE’RE IN A NEW MONTH. LIFE AS WE KNEW IT BEFORE COVID-19 MAY NEVER EXIST AGAIN. SO THERE ARE MANY REASONS TO FEEL ANXIOUS, UNCERTAIN, AND EVEN A LITTLE RESTLESS.
I’M HERE TO ENCOURAGE YOU THAT THERE IS STILL REST AND PEACE AVAILABLE, EVEN IN UNCERTAIN TIMES. AS IN ALL THINGS, WE MUST BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT OUR REST. WE ARE DESERVING OF SILENCE, SLEEP, AND SANITY. HERE ARE SOME TIPS I SUGGEST FOR KEEPING ALL 3 INTACT DURING THIS TIME.
GET BACK TO A ROUTINE.
IF YOU’RE NOT WORKING OR WORKING INSIDE THE HOME RIGHT NOW, TIME CAN FEEL LIKE A LIMITED OR INFINITE RESOURCE. THIS CAN MAKE YOU LOSE TRACK OF IT VERY EASILY AND STAY UP MUCH LATER OR AWAKEN MUCH EARLIER THAN EXPECTED. IF THIS IS YOU, SET AN ALARM FOR A TIME TO GO TO BED AND GET YOURSELF BACK ON A SCHEDULE. MOST OF US NEED AROUND 7 HOURS OF SLEEP TO FEEL RESTED AND READY. SETTING AN ALARM HELPS RESET THE CIRCADIAN RHYTHM UNTIL YOUR BODY REMEMBERS WHEN TO GET SLEEPY ON ITS OWN. IF YOU’VE BEEN OFF A SCHEDULE FOR A FEW WEEKS NOW, THIS WILL BE HARD. YOU MAY HAVE TO LIE IN BED AWAKE FOR A WHILE UNTIL SLEEP KICKS IN, BUT TRUST ME. IT’LL BE WORTH THE READJUSTMENT.
USE SLEEP AIDES
PILLS: MELATONIN IS THE MOST NATURAL SLEEP AIDE THAT COMES IN PILL FORM. USING IT FOR A FEW DAYS CAN HELP YOU RESET YOUR SLEEP TIME. IT’S NOT LIKE THE MORE SYNTHETIC SLEEP AIDES, WHICH CAN ALTER YOUR DREAMS OR CAUSE HALLUCINATIONS. THIS ONE IS MORE GENTLE AND WILL GIVE YOU A GRADUAL DROWSINESS INTO SLEEP. YOU CAN START WITH THE LOWEST DOSAGE AND THEN GO UP IF YOU NEED TO.
TEAS: CHAMOMILE, LAVENDER, AND “SLEEPYTIME” TEAS ARE NATURAL SOOTHERS AND CAN HELP YOU DRIFT OFF SMOOTHLY. KAVA TEA ALSO HAS NATURAL SEDATIVE PROPERTIES. NOT VERY TASTY, BUT IT’S EFFECTIVE.
WEIGHTED BLANKETS: I WILL FOREVER SWEAR BY THESE. I GET UNDER MY 15-LB BLANKET EVERY NIGHT AND IT HUGS ME RIGHT INTO DREAMLAND.
CREATE A BEDTIME RITUAL:
BATHS: TAKING A RELAXING BATH NATURALLY SOOTHES THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM AND CAN HELP YOU EASE YOUR WAY INTO SLEEP. ADDING A FEW DROPS OF LAVENDER ESSENTIAL OILS OR LAVENDER FLOWER BULBS CAN HEIGHTEN THE STATE OF RELAXATION.
JOURNALING: ANYONE WHO KNOWS ME KNEW TO EXPECT THIS. OUTSIDE OF BEING MY FAVORITE THING TO DO, JOURNALING HAS BEEN SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN BY PSYCHOLOGISTS TO HELP AID SLEEP WHEN DONE RIGHT BEFORE BED. GETTING OUT THE THOUGHTS OF THE DAY OFTEN LEAVES US FEELING UNBURDENED AND ALLOWS OUR BRAINS TO REST FROM CIRCLING THOUGHTS. IN ADDITION, IT’S BEEN FOUND THAT PEOPLE WHO SUFFER FROM PTSD AND SUBSEQUENT NIGHTMARES OFTEN REPORT MUCH BETTER SLEEP AFTER PRE-BEDTIME JOURNALING.
APPS: MEDITATION AND SLEEP APPS, SUCH AS “CALM” OR “LIBERATE” ARE THE BOMB. I LOVE A GOOD STORY OR MEDITATION BEFORE BED, AND IT GIVES ME SOME BACKGROUND NOISE TO HELP ME DRIFT OFF. SOMETIMES, I EVEN PLAY YOUTUBE VIDS OF RAIN OR SOOTHING SOUNDS. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
UNPLUGGING: TURNING OFF THE TV, RADIO, AND CELLPHONES ABOUT AN HOUR BEFORE BED DRASTICALLY IMPROVES READINESS TO FALL ASLEEP. YOUR CELLPHONE SCREEN CONTAINS SOMETHING CALLED ‘BLUE LIGHT’. HAVING THE CELLPHONE CLOSE TO THE EYES AT NIGHT DECEASES THE AMOUNT OF MELATONIN THE BRAIN AND ACTUALLY CAUSES US TO BE MORE ALERT. PLUG YOUR PHONE INTO THE CHARGER ACROSS THE ROOM AND GET IT OFF YOUR BED. YOU WILL GO THROUGH WITHDRAWALS AT FIRST, BUT WHEN YOUR SLEEP GAME IS LIT, YOU WON’T MISS IT. I PROMISE.
THIS ISN’T MEANT TO BE MEDICAL ADVICE. PLEASE TALK WITH YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT TAKING ANY PILLS OR TEAS TO HELP WITH YOUR SLEEP, AS YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL CONDITION THAT CAUSES SLEEP AIDES OR SEDATIVES TO BE CONTRAINDICATED. JUST SHARING WHAT WORKS FOR ME. I’M FEELING THESE CHANGES JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, BUT I’VE BEEN ABLE TO MAINTAIN AT LEAST 8 HOURS OF SLEEP MOST NIGHTS, AND IT’S HELPED KEEP ME GROUNDED, CENTERED, AND READY FOR WHAT THE DAY BRINGS. PLEASE REMEMBER THAT WE CANNOT POUR FROM AN EMPTY CUP, SO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF AS BEST YOU CAN. SLEEP IS GOOD FOR THE MIND, THE SOUL, AND ALSO THE BODY. THE IMMUNE SYSTEM WORKS BEST WHEN WE ARE EATING, DRINKING, AND SLEEPING WELL. KEEP YOUR TANK FULL OF GOOD FUEL.
PEACE & SO MUCH LOVE,
Dr. Kari