Exhausted and Stressed – That’s Me!
What is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to take care of your stress? The first thing that comes to my mind is SLEEP. I feel and look so much better and have so much energy in summer and after a weekend of great sleep! After a good night of sleep, I can find my patience pants and my brain seems to work so much better. Can you relate?
As educators, we work 10-12-14 hour days because:
- We care about our students;
- After we care for our students all day, we take care of friends and family;
- Then after all is settled, we take care of the house, the bills, the laundry, the clutter….
Sleep has a host of benefits – and we all know it! We know when our students haven’t gotten enough sleep and plead with their parents to get them the rest they need to build and maintain pathways that allow learning to occur. We realize that our students need it – what is holding us back from prioritizing that sleep for ourselves?
Sleep helps our concentration and response times. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, recent findings suggest that sleep removes toxins in your brain that have built up during the day. Sleep affects all of the major systems in the body and, when we don’t get enough, can lead to dire consequences to our health including high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and is highly associated with depression and anxiety.
Are you getting the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep per night? What would it take for you to change your sleep habits to build in more time for sleep? When can you start to prioritize sleep in order to reap the benefits?
If you need help to “sleep like a pro” yet are finding it difficult, health coaching may be for you. Contact Health and Wellness Coach Meg Gwyn to see how I can help!
