Rest is a Readiness Strategy
How often do you go about your day, yawning every 5 minutes?
Your body feels sluggish…
Your eye sockets feel sunken in…
Just consistently running on less than a quarter tank…
But you just keep pushing because what other option is there?
You might say to yourself, “If I don’t work longer, then who else will get it done?”
Or, “If I haven’t put in 15 hours today, met every expectation, and closed every loop, I haven’t earned my sleep.”
But in reality, this perpetuates a damaging cycle of borrowing hours from tomorrow that were never intended for today.
The sad part is that it’s usually hard to see the negative effects of this until it’s too late: lack of clarity, thin patience, more emotional decision-making, calling out sick…
The truth is, adequate sleep should be your non-negotiable.
According to studies, lack of sleep is a global health epedemic, that is linked to further serious medical conditions such as: heart disease, respiratory distress, decreased immune system, diabetes, various mental health conditions and more.
Despite this fact, Leaders often struggle to rest not because you don’t want to - but because you might have learned to measure your worth through output instead of alignment.
So, how will you overcome this and deliberately get the sleep you need to live a long, healthy, and productive life?
CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK:
For the next week, try incorporating some of these sleep practices into your daily routine:
Put your bedtime as an event on your calendar and/or set an alarm.
Get an accountability buddy to do this challenge with and check-in with each other for 5 business days at bedtime and waking time.
Turn your screens off 30 minutes before getting into bed. Keep phones, laptops, gaming systems, and remotes out of immediate reach.
Use dimmed lighting (if possible) 30 minutes before bed
Enjoy some chamomile tea or spray lavender on your bed
Deep stretch for 5 minutes before getting in bed
Turn on white noise, relaxing music, or an audiobook if you need help falling asleep.
Have a moment of thanksgiving and gratitude before drifting off to sleep.
REFLECTION:
Write in your journal, or share with your accountability buddy:
How much better does your body feel? More refreshed? More alive?
Are you more engaged at work; able to spend more time fixing your mind on things that matter, rather than how tired you might be?
NEXT STEPS:
As you come along this weekly year-long journey, I invite you to a complimentary 90-minute taste at what it looks like to experience a Healthy Culture in your teams, organizations, and homes. Find out more about our Healthy Culture Seminar through this link.
->Want to get clearer, specifically, on your Physical Health?
Contact me via any of these communication mediums , I’m happy to help!
In your corner,
Darien
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