We’re all busy multi-tasking, violating the rhythms of day and night with our electric lights and non-stop schedules. That takes a huge toll on sleep, and there’s no escaping the fact that we really all do need approximately eight hours per night in order to ensure optimal functioning. What you may not know is how to positively influence your sleep by what you eat, what you don’t eat, and how you time what you eat.
Caffeine: No surprise here – caffeine affects sleep. The surprise, however is that a) you may be more sensitive to it than you realize; b) you may be consuming far more than you realize (chocolate, anyone? Diet cola? A little iced coffee?); c) you might need to stop consuming caffeine as early as noon in order to positively impact your sleep patterns.
Sugar: Sugar gives you a buzz, and sugar makes you crash. Sugar is a stimulant! It wreaks havoc on your blood chemistry and hormonal balance, and will disrupt sleep as surely as caffeine. So, if you’re in the habit of dessert after dinner, or drinking several coffees or sugar-sweetened sodas or juices during the day, snacking on candy, etc., you may want to experiment with eliminating the sugar, or at least stopping it after mid-day.
Tryptophan: It’s in turkey, milk, and other forms of dairy. A little turkey breast before you turn in may be the surprising helper that gets you to sleep through the night. Likewise, a glass of milk or some yogurt may help you sleep.
Calcium: Of course it’s found in dairy products, but a calcium supplement taken before bed can also help with the sleep process.
Alcohol: Did you know that alcohol consists mainly of sugar? It may seem like a glass of alcohol before bed makes you sleepy or helps you fall asleep, but at 2:00 a.m., the sugar buzz that sedated you in the first place is going to wear off, and you’ll wake up and have difficulty falling back asleep.
In sum, if you’re not sleeping well or have even progressed to full-blown insomnia, try these dietary suggestions before you try over-the-counter or prescription sleep medication. The power to improve your sleep quantity and quality may well lie in what you put in your body.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Active vs. Passive Relaxation
The term “active relaxation” probably sounds like an oxymoron – you’re thinking, “but isn’t relaxation supposed to be about doing nothing?” or, “If I’m being active, then I’m not relaxing – right!?” But active relaxation is a concept, a choice, and a practice that leads to stress relief in a way that lounging in front of the television can never do.
Decades ago, relaxation meant sitting on the front porch with your family, chatting with the neighbors, or kicking back on the couch and reading a good book. All of these activities were human-paced, not machine-paced. We are living in a time when fax machines are already obsolete, and e-mail is “so 1999,” according to social media expert Lorrie Thomas. Every spare moment is filled with checking out the latest business and personal tidbits via your smart phone, or sending out tweets – little time-fillers that contribute to a sense of being rushed, frantic, and always needing to be productive.
Active relaxation is consistent with the idea of being productive, yet counter to it. What do I mean by active relaxation? I mean, choosing activities that contribute to a deep sense of well-being, centeredness, calm, and good health. Yoga, meditation, listening to relaxing music, a lengthy solo walk, or actively connecting with someone you care about in person, without the distraction of your cell phone. And these activities need to be a priority in your life – yes, they even need to be scheduled!
What happens when you choose leisure over productivity? The shift in activity, from hyper-social and seemingly ultra-connected, back to the limitations of the moment, will shock and surprise your brain in a way that rewires it over time. Remember, the human brain evolves much more slowly than technology. And just because we have access to warp-speed communications does not mean that we need to be engaged in them 100% of the time. The brain craves novelty, and responds well to it – and nowadays, that novelty is going to come from periodic engagement in slow, concentrated activities. Although the brain has infinite capacities, in this case, slow is better.
Sounds scary setting aside all of the devices and activities we’re addicted to, to just be with ourselves or one another? Start small, start slow, and experiment with what feels comfortable to you. As little as five minutes per day of simply turning off the phone, closing your eyes, and paying attention to your breath will begin to re-attune your mind to its healthy natural rhythms.
Decades ago, relaxation meant sitting on the front porch with your family, chatting with the neighbors, or kicking back on the couch and reading a good book. All of these activities were human-paced, not machine-paced. We are living in a time when fax machines are already obsolete, and e-mail is “so 1999,” according to social media expert Lorrie Thomas. Every spare moment is filled with checking out the latest business and personal tidbits via your smart phone, or sending out tweets – little time-fillers that contribute to a sense of being rushed, frantic, and always needing to be productive.
Active relaxation is consistent with the idea of being productive, yet counter to it. What do I mean by active relaxation? I mean, choosing activities that contribute to a deep sense of well-being, centeredness, calm, and good health. Yoga, meditation, listening to relaxing music, a lengthy solo walk, or actively connecting with someone you care about in person, without the distraction of your cell phone. And these activities need to be a priority in your life – yes, they even need to be scheduled!
What happens when you choose leisure over productivity? The shift in activity, from hyper-social and seemingly ultra-connected, back to the limitations of the moment, will shock and surprise your brain in a way that rewires it over time. Remember, the human brain evolves much more slowly than technology. And just because we have access to warp-speed communications does not mean that we need to be engaged in them 100% of the time. The brain craves novelty, and responds well to it – and nowadays, that novelty is going to come from periodic engagement in slow, concentrated activities. Although the brain has infinite capacities, in this case, slow is better.
Sounds scary setting aside all of the devices and activities we’re addicted to, to just be with ourselves or one another? Start small, start slow, and experiment with what feels comfortable to you. As little as five minutes per day of simply turning off the phone, closing your eyes, and paying attention to your breath will begin to re-attune your mind to its healthy natural rhythms.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
When Feeling Crazy Isn't So Crazy
The cat threw up on the carpet, the kids are crying, your boss is calling you at home on a Sunday, for some mysterious reason you’ve gained five pounds overnight, there’s nothing to eat but popcorn and questionable looking deviled eggs, and you’re kind of wishing that aliens would swoop out of the sky and abduct you. Your “notes to self” run something like: give children away; change home phone number (better yet, cancel all phone service); find out whether Prozac is now available over the counter; figure out appropriate justification for eating nothing but carbohydrates; and research that alien abduction thing so you can position yourself appropriately next time they come around. An extreme snapshot of a day in hell, or daily life for the average multi-tasker?
If you’re like most women, some or all of the above has passed through your head at one time or another, and you’ve probably wondered if you were going crazy. Well, the good news is that, while there’s chaos and insanity all around you, and even sometimes inside of you, it does not mean you’re crazy. Quite the contrary, in fact. Feelings of “insanity,” “losing it,” and “going off the deep end” are actually your body’s natural resources coming to the rescue, and telling you that you’re living in a crazy world. The harder you try to get in synch with that world, the likelier you are to feel crazy yourself.
What’s the solution to feeling like the world’s cracking up, and you’re cracking right along with it? First, listen to what your mind and body are telling you, and take it seriously. You are the expert on your own well-being and your unconscious will reveal everything you need to know, if you slow down for just a few minutes and let it talk to you. Second, banish all unnecessary tasks from your to-do list, and simplify those that remain. Do you really need to make a homemade meal tonight, or will ordering in suffice? Can you refuse to return work-related calls on Sundays? And maybe you don’t need so many fuzzy area rugs that the cat can throw up on. In other words, reduce your visual clutter as well as your mental clutter, and you will find that the feelings of craziness begin to reduce along with your task list.
Although it would be nice to have assistance from others, the road to feeling sane and centered begins with you. You have the power to say “NO” and the ability to decide what you really want to do, even when the demands placed upon you are extreme. Remember that nothing extreme is ever healthy. That includes your mental health, where small changes can produce big results.
If you’re like most women, some or all of the above has passed through your head at one time or another, and you’ve probably wondered if you were going crazy. Well, the good news is that, while there’s chaos and insanity all around you, and even sometimes inside of you, it does not mean you’re crazy. Quite the contrary, in fact. Feelings of “insanity,” “losing it,” and “going off the deep end” are actually your body’s natural resources coming to the rescue, and telling you that you’re living in a crazy world. The harder you try to get in synch with that world, the likelier you are to feel crazy yourself.
What’s the solution to feeling like the world’s cracking up, and you’re cracking right along with it? First, listen to what your mind and body are telling you, and take it seriously. You are the expert on your own well-being and your unconscious will reveal everything you need to know, if you slow down for just a few minutes and let it talk to you. Second, banish all unnecessary tasks from your to-do list, and simplify those that remain. Do you really need to make a homemade meal tonight, or will ordering in suffice? Can you refuse to return work-related calls on Sundays? And maybe you don’t need so many fuzzy area rugs that the cat can throw up on. In other words, reduce your visual clutter as well as your mental clutter, and you will find that the feelings of craziness begin to reduce along with your task list.
Although it would be nice to have assistance from others, the road to feeling sane and centered begins with you. You have the power to say “NO” and the ability to decide what you really want to do, even when the demands placed upon you are extreme. Remember that nothing extreme is ever healthy. That includes your mental health, where small changes can produce big results.
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