Tag: Sleep deprivation

WOTC Special Mini-Series Part 1 – Wheel of the Day

THE WHEEL OF THE DAY

NE – It is just before sunrise. You begin to wake. For a moment you may wonder what day it is or even feel confused about where you are. Your mind is still in an open slate.

EAST – During sunrise or a bit after you are preparing for the day. In your mind you begin to plan. What will you get done this day and how will you do it?

SE – It is mid morning now. As you begin to carry out your plans you demonstrate ‘who you are’ in this day. You choose if you are going to display a positive or negative attitude.

SOUTH – It is noon and early afternoon. You are occupied in the activities of your day. Now is when you carry out your responsibilities to your family and your community.

SW – As your afternoon continues you realize that you cannot get everything done that you planned. You decide what you will do tomorrow. It is a time for finding balance in your day.

WEST – It is evening, The sun goes down. The active part of your day is done. You sit back and evaluate your day considering what went well and what you would do differently next time.

NW – As you retire for the night you gradually let go of thoughts about the day. Your mind becomes more receptive. You may drift between sleep and wakefulness for a while.

NORTH – It is deep in the night now. You sleep and dreams bring renewal that prepare you for the coming dawn when you will begin to travel another wheel of another day.

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Daily OM for October 9th – Restorative Slumber

Restorative Slumber

The Importance of Napping

by Madisyn Taylor

A short nap during the afternoon is common in many countries and can provide an energy boost and clearer senses.

As we focus on the many obligations we gladly undertake in order to create the lives we want, sleep is often the first activity that we sacrifice. We’re compelled by both external and internal pressures to be productive during many of our waking hours. While this can lead to great feats of accomplishment, it also disrupts the body’s natural cycles and leaves us craving rest. Napping represents a pleasurable remedy to this widespread sleep deprivation. Though judged by many as a pastime of little children or the lazy, the need for a nap is a trait that all mammals share and an acceptable part of the day in many countries. It is also a free and effortless way to improve our health and lift our spirits. A nap is relaxing and can improve our mood, vision, reflexes, and memory.

Lack of sleep, whether ongoing or the result of a single night’s wakefulness, puts stress on the body and mind. It can negatively impact your physical and mental health. At one time, napping was considered a natural part of life. In the past hundred years, however, electricity and modern conveniences have provided us with more time to engage in personal and professional activities. Consequently there is now less time for sleep. A mere ten minutes of sleep in the middle of the day can leave you feeling more cheerful and alert. A half-hour long nap can sharpen your senses and refresh your energy reserves, and a shorter nap can even sustain you through a long day. Napping can help you make up for lost sleep and serves as a supplement to your usual sleep schedule. You may need to give yourself permission to nap by making naptime a part of your day.

Feelings of guilt about napping or being preoccupied with other activities can keep you awake when you are trying to take a nap. If you need help, surround yourself with soft pillows and blankets or soothing music. Try to take a nap at the same time each day and use an alarm clock to ensure that you don’t fall into too deep a sleep. Learning to nap and enjoying its benefits can help you reclaim your natural right to nap. You nourish your being every time you take a nap.

The Daily OM

Quiz of the Day for Oct. 1 – Do You Get Enough Sleep?

Do You Get Enough Sleep?

by Annie B. Bond

Sleep is the physiological function that helps nourish our mind, body, and  soul, essential for good health and upbeat spirits. Better sleep gives you more  energy, improves your mood, makes you less prone to accidents and less  irritable, and increases your life span.

The National Commission on Sleep Disorders says, “America is seriously sleep  deprived, with serious consequences.“ Lack of sleep decreases productivity,  effectiveness, concentration, decision-making abilities, and physiological  immunity. Are you getting enough sleep for optimum mind, body, and spirit  wellness? Take this simple quiz and find out:

How many of these statements are TRUE for you?

1. I need to rely on an alarm clock to wake me up.

2. I often feel tired and foggy-headed.

3. I often doze off while watching TV or while sitting and reading.

4. I sometimes fall asleep in public places such as movie theaters or school  classes.

5. I sometimes get drowsy in a car–either as a driver or as a passenger.

6. Fatigue sometimes interferes with my daily activities.

If you answered TRUE to any of these questions, you could use more and  better-quality sleep.

12 Inexpensive Ways to Relieve Stress

12 Inexpensive Ways to Relieve Stress

  • Delia Quigley

“Stress: 1. a force that strains or deforms 2. mental or physical tension“ Websters New World Dictionary

Despite our best intentions for creating a lifestyle free of stress, we have only succeeded in creating more stress than our mind and bodies can really handle. The good news is there are practical ways to reduce stress in your life without having to spend a whole lot of money. It is important to note that there are both environmental and emotional factors that create stress in your home, workplace and outdoors in a city. You might feel the stress of a difficult job, or the emotional strain of a negative relationship, but toxic chemicals in your cleaning supplies or exposure to electro-magnetic frequency’s from your computer and T.V. may not be so easy to detect. They can, however, cause stress to your immune system and eventually will need to be removed or reduced.

For now let’s take a look at some ideas for dealing with stress on a daily basis. By taking one-step-at-a-time you can at least begin to manage the stress that comes from living in a time that demands our complete attention and much of our precious energy. The goal here is to open up space in your day to recharge and reinvigorate your body-mind for the next go-round of activity.

1. Medical research has shown that lack of sleep can stress the body more than anything else you do. Make sure to get 7-9 hours of sleep each night for best effect.

2. To make sure your body can sleep at night, reduce the amount of stimulating foods, such as sugar, caffeine and alcohol, that you ingest each day. For some people even one cup of java can cause insomnia. Stay away from your computer or smart phone before bedtime as it can interfere with your ability to sleep.

3. Take time each day to stop and do nothing. You can do this at your desk with a few stretches and then sitting, lean your head back on the chair and close your eyes for 2-3 minutes. Or, lay down on the sofa or bed and take a 5-10 minute nap. This is a very easy and effective way to refresh and revive the whole body system.

 

4. Step away from what you are doing and make a cup of herbal tea, then sit and sip it slowly.

5. Take a 15-30 minute walk outside in nature and focus on your breathing. Stand and take deep breaths of fresh air and long exhales to expel the stale indoor air from your lungs.

6. Take 10 minutes each day to sit in meditation. This can be done anywhere you find yourself. Sit with your back upright, hands resting on your thighs, close your eyes and let your mind quiet and empty. Bring your attention to your breath and let the thoughts pass like clouds moving across a blue sky. This can be a powerful moment for your body-mind to relax and rejuvenate.

7. Plan 1-2 days a week when you will not turn on the computer or watch television. Use the time to hike in nature, read a good book, volunteer to help a friend, clean out your kitchen cabinets and cook yourself a healthy meal.

8. Go on a spending diet and stay away from shopping malls and other crowded venues. Instead, take time to be silent and alone with yourself. This is a wonderful time to think about your life, to set goals, to plan and notice what is and what is not working. This awareness allows you to make changes before situations can get out of hand.

 

9. Put aside 10-15 dollars a week and indulge your senses with a monthly body massage. This can go a long way towards releasing stress, worry and anxiety in a short period of time.

10. Take a restorative yoga class at your local yoga studio. This special form of yoga utilizes nurturing physical postures to relax, rejuvenate and alleviate the effects of chronic stress in your daily life. Once you know the routine you can practice at home in your personal space.

11. Light some candles in your bathroom, put on some soft music and take a warm bath. Add some muscle relaxing bath salts and a few drops of Lavender oil to calm and relax your mind.

12. As all your worries and fears rise up to engulf you, just remember what is happening in the given moment. Anxiety comes from creating a negative future in your mind, one that has not happened and will probably not happen. It is all a product of your imagination and if you can stay focused on what is happening in the present you can reduce the stress this way of thinking can cause.

The Herban Corner – For Your Health

The Herban Corner – For Your Health

 
Insomnia – Chamomile is a very soothing tea to put you to sleep if you’re having trouble in that area. And a magickal remedy is to take garden violet, put it in a silver bag under your pillow, and then lay back and wait for the desired effect: sleep. Dill and dandelion also work on insomnia. Orange and passion flower are other plants that take away the sleeplessness you experience. Primrose and rosemary also may be used in a tea to take away your insomnia but I prefer that you put shavings from a white birch into a white muslin bag and wear it around your neck, or place it under your pilow. You should doze off almost immediately. Wild morjoram and sweet marjoram may be made into teas, too, and you may wish to make a poultice of lettuce and hops and mother of thyme to cover your eyes. Sleep should be induced soon after applying it.
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Relieving Facial Tension –  Every night before you go to sleep, sit in your bed and start making faces — just as small children enjoy doing, make all kinds of faces, good, bad, ugly, beautiful, so the whole face and the musculature start moving. Make sounds — nonsense sounds will do — and sway, just for ten to fifteen minutes and then go to sleep.
  
In the morning, before you take your bath, again stand before the mirror and for ten minutes make faces. Standing before the mirror will help: you will be able to see and you will be able to respond
 
Excerpted From Elizabeth Pepper, The Witches’ Almanac, Ltd.

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