This is part three of Dr. Kate Dobewey’s Health and Wellness article about steps you can take to get a fresh start on your health. To read this article from the beginning, please read “A Fresh Start to Wellness“.
More Restful Sleep
Research has shown that eight hours of sleep is vital to
your mental and emotional wellness. This can be
affected by not going to bed early enough, insomnia, or
not getting restful sleep once you’re in bed. The first
step to making a change in this area will be to
determine which of these problems you face.
Going to bed earlier is just a matter of telling yourself
that you’re going to make the change; if you’re staying
up until 11 then start going to bed at 10:45, and a few
weeks later go to bed at 10:30, and so on. Insomnia
can have several possible causes such as drinking
caffeine or eating too close to bedtime, as well as
stress. If you sleep fitfully consider your mattress, diet
or physical activity.
Decrease Stress and Increase Peace
One of the biggest demands on our time is television
and computer time, with the average person wasting
four hours a day. Imagine reducing this to one hour;
that adds three hours to a day or 21 hours to a week.
Think about what you could do with almost an extra
day every week.
The problem with busy lifestyles is that we don’t allow
ourselves any time to shut down or decompress, and
watching television or playing on the computer
doesn’t count. Down time is several minutes spent
letting go of the stresses of the day, and the best time
to implement this is right before bed.
Begin with just five minutes of being quiet. If you
meditate or pray then do so, but even just sitting and
trying to empty your mind of racing thoughts will help
to calm you before bed. A quiet stroll up and
down your street or standing in your backyard
contemplating the stars can be equally peaceful. The
goal is to let go of the stresses of the day and allow
your mind and body to shut down and fully rest.
Successful Goals in Summary
The concept of baby steps is not new but where we
can apply it could be. The areas of our lives that fall
under the category of wellness are limitless, only we
know where we really want to make a change.
Remember that a successful strategy is one that can
be accomplished. Make small changes over a longer
period of time and you will succeed.
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