Plugging In

Hello Everyone! So, in light of everything going on with COVID-19 this week/month, I have decided to make this post all about, what I like to call, "Body/Materialistic Recharge" (for some reason I like to compare my body to a cell phone that needs to be plugged in and my bed is my charger). I think it's really important to remember that when the entire world is caught up in something this big, IT IS FOR A REASON! Is it possible that everything that is happening to us right now is the universe or God's way of telling humanity to slow down and to take a moment to catch up with our own mental state. Beyond that, they may even be telling us to look at what's around us and become more grateful of everything that we already have in our lives.

The first phase of sleep happens within the first few minutes, when you are drifting off to sleep. Your body is relaxed and you are able to be woken up easily for about five to ten minutes. Phase two prepares your body for deep sleep. This is when body temperature starts to lower and heart rate slows down. When we sleep our body eventually ends up hitting the rapid eye movement stage, also known as REM (phase 3). During this stage, our muscles are paralyzed and your eyes dart back and forth (this is also when you start to dream). The body works to repair tissue and bones and strengthen our immune system. So as you can tell when your body is paralyzed it gives your entire body a chance to "recharge". Waking up, the brain gets a sense of electrical charge and starts to perk up. If you would like to check if your getting enough sleep you can check by your age on https://www.sleepfoundation.org/.

To me one of the first steps of loving yourself, is taking care of yourself! I find it so hard for me to sleep. Between school, work, family, homework, and other uncontrollable life flips, it's hard to put sleep first. Trust me when I say, I have had 50+ hour days, where I kept going and did what I have to do to succeed at what I do in life. But to be completely honest when I had a few minutes to stop and look at my busy schedule,I was not happy with myself. This past week where I have been forced to stay at home, I got more sleep than I have since last Summer and I feel fantastic. I have so much energy and although I'm stuck at home, I'm always ready for an adventure.

The best way to tell if you need a moment of self rest and sleep is to look at your limits and see how you feel. Don't push yourselves too hard and don't think that you can do it all (yes, I have this problem too). Below are a few things that you can do to keep yourself relaxed and rested if you are having trouble sleeping:

1.Have a routine

2.Don't sleep in (unless really needed)

3.Get a little bit of sun EVERYDAY

4.Be active (even a bedtime yoga routine helps your body and muscles prepare for sleep)

5.Drink more water and less coffee (yes it hurts)

6.Aim for at least 5 hours (yes it's not the recommended but its better than nothing)

I hope you all have a great month of relaxation and realization of the work around you! Happy Social Distancing!

*Don't forget to comment below and give me feedback! I'm always looking for more ways to help you all and to broaden my horizons!