Become a Project SEAL! Step 1: Sleep well and relax frequently

Sleep well

During our lifetime we will spend 25 to 30 years sleeping. This might look like an ineffective use of our time, but that is not the case! In fact, during sleep our brain continues to work, and some parts of it are even more active than during the time we are awake. Sleeping is a process of regeneration and recovery of both body and mind. A lack of sleep weakens our immune system and our memory. Ultimately, without sleep we would die. Therefore, it is important to invest in good sleep.

If your intention is to wake up at 5 a.m., for example, then write down that you would like to go to bed at 10 p.m., so that you can set the intention of a 7-hour sleep.

The first thing to consider is the amount of sleep you need to wake up well-rested. As a general guideline, the recommended time for sleeping is between 7 and 9 hours, but you might find that some adjustment to your sleep schedule is possible. In my case, I noticed that over the past few years my sleep time has reduced from 8 to 7 hours. I believe that the main driver for this change has been my intention. Now I have a reason to wake up earlier. I have found purpose in writing this book and impacting people’s lives through it. Therefore, it is no longer the alarm clock, but rather my subconscious, that decides when to wake me up. My evening routine is also guided by my intention to wake up earlier. Therefore, you should plan the hour at which you would like to wake up and automatically calculate at which time you should go to bed. If your intention is to wake up at 5 a.m., for example, then write down that you would like to go to bed at 10 p.m., so that you can set the intention of a 7-hour sleep. Apart from the nap, sleep itself is not part of the SEAL happy hour, but planning your sleep routine is. Another important factor is the quality of sleep. You can invest in a comfortable bed, a quiet house and a bedtime routine that is optimized for proper sleep. One problem we face in today’s society is that in the evening there is still a lot happening on the internet and on television, which causes us to delay our time to go to bed. We often discuss what to do with the time we have after dinner, but we don’t discuss enough what the right time to go to bed is. It is also important to prepare your “bed landing”. As with an aircraft preparing for landing, where people are asked to return to their seats, turn off their phones and turn off the light, so should you, when going to bed, turn off your phone and dim the lights. Dinner can also impact the quality of your sleep. You should eat light, abstain from taking caffeine, reduce alcohol intake and avoid post-dinner snacking. Avoid procrastination at all costs, by going to bed as early as possible. Taking a shower before sleep can be a good measure as well.

when you are not able to find a solution to a problem, you can literally “sleep on it”, since your deep-sleeping brain can problem-solve.

During sleep, our brain scans, cleans and reformats our memory’s “hard drive”, deleting the information that is not being used and allowing new and useful information to be stored. This means that the last step of our learning process of the day happens during sleep, when information is organized and processed. As noted by Matthew Walker, a neuroscientist specialized in sleep, when you are not able to find a solution to a problem, you can literally “sleep on it”, since your deep-sleeping brain can problem-solve. (Matthew Walker - teaches the science of better sleep)

Relax frequently during the day and take a nap

Throughout the day, you should schedule to take a break from activities, find peace and renew your energy and mood. The best time to get up from your chair is between activities or meetings or when you find a problem that stalls your progress: taking a break then will not interrupt your flow. You should also consider doing some stretching and breathing exercises as part of your break.

To restore your energy level is to take a short nap of 8 to 20 minutes.

If you are a morning lark and tend to feel tired after lunch, a useful trick to restore your energy level is to take a short nap of 8 to 20 minutes, ideally before 2 p.m., so as not to interfere with your night sleep routine.

Meditation

When we are most stressed and overloaded with tasks, that is when the benefits would be most visible.

As part of relaxation, I would recommend that you try some meditation techniques. People who never meditated before sometimes reject the idea at first, but once they give it a try, they are surprised by the benefits that come out of it. When we are most stressed and overloaded with tasks, it is normally when we take less time for relaxation. However, that is when the benefits would be most visible.

Since I am not a good meditation practitioner, I always prefer guided meditation. There are many apps and videos available on the internet that you can use, but I came across an innovative guided meditation speaker by the name of Morphée, which I recommend to those who, like me, are just beginners to the world of mediation. It includes a feature for taking a nap that combines breathing exercise and a timer to wake you up.

Summary and practical tip:

Sleep is vital, comprising 25 to 30 years of our lives. Though seemingly idle, it's crucial for brain function, immune strength, and memory. Planning your sleep hours based on your wake-up time is essential, aiming for 7 to 9 hours. Quality sleep, aided by a comfortable environment and bedtime routine, is paramount. Avoid evening screen time and heavy dinners, opting for relaxation techniques like showering and meditation. Napping strategically, between activities or before 2 p.m., boosts energy without disrupting nighttime rest. Utilize breaks for stretching, breathing exercises, or short meditations to rejuvenate throughout the day. Prioritize rest; it's not just downtime but an essential aspect of productivity and well-being.

Practical tip: Prioritize Sleep Planning for Optimal Rest and Productivity. To maximize the benefits of sleep, start by setting a consistent wake-up time and working backward to determine your ideal bedtime, ensuring you aim for 7 to 8 hours of rest. Those are the steps: 1) Write the new time at which you would like to wake up, respecting your chronotype; 2) Write your target bedtime by subtracting 7 to 8 hours from your wake-up time; 3) Write your landing time by subtracting 1 to 2 hours from your Bedtime.

I wish You a Fa-Bu-Lux Life?:)

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You can know more about “Project Your Life” through the:

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— Book website (book delivery only possible for Portugal): link