How Can I feel better? Have you been asking yourself this question recently? Lots of people have unfortunately, but the answer doesn't have to be difficult. Sometimes it can really, just come from within. We just need to look inside!
Do you feel like you are in a funk and just can't seem to climb out of it? Do you lack motivation and drive? Do you wonder when the fog will lift and you will feel like you did a couple of years ago...full of zest and energy? There are lots of things you can do to just get started. As a registered psychotherapist operating out of Ontario, I normally start with a new client, by asking some pretty simple questions and in my experience, the answers can often provide insight into some of the little things that you can do - today - to start lifting yourself out of your funk.
Start by looking at your sleep. Come on, you know this is a thing! We tend to turn our heads away when someone asks how we are sleeping, knowing that we probably could make a few changes in that department, but really, how important is it...REALLY? I will tell you it is spectacularly important! Matt Walker, the director of the Center for Human Sleep Science at the University of California at Berkeley says that lack of sleep — defined as six hours or fewer — can have serious consequences. Sleep deficiency is associated with problems in concentration, memory and the immune system, and may even shorten life span. Now that I have your attention, have a look at your sleep schedule, do you have one? If not, answer one question, and that will tell you how much sleep you need. Q - How many hours of sleep do you get when you go to bed after a normal day, and you don't set an alarm? (This does not include those rare sleep "events" when we just want to stay in bed all day, cat at your feet and TV remote at hand). The answer will tell you your sleep goal. If it's 8 hours, then it is 8 hours. Stop arguing with yourself and making small excuses because of ALL the things you need to do and just accept that YOUR body needs 8 hours. Now the idea is to accept this, and schedule accordingly. For example, if you need to be awake and moving at 6am, then you count backwards and make sure you are tucked in (cat at your feet, no remote) by 10pm. Simple, and this is step one. Of course, if you are ill, or exhausted from some great physical feat, then this number will be different, but this number should remain you sleep goal for most nights. More on sleep routine later....Stay Tuned! And check out Matt Walker's book "Why We Sleep" if you want to get ALL the details on sleep.
תגובות