Sleep, Rest, and Using Your Journal

As August comes to a close, and we start to see autumn seeping in between warm and sunny days, I think it is important to take a look at three very useful areas for maintaining your mental health once the days become shorter and the nights get darker. This is relevant to all ages and roles, so please, use this information wisely. Do so for your workforce, for your friends, children, and yourself.

By now, you may be bored of hearing how great sleep is for you, or that it can improve your productivity. Both of these things are true. Something that is also becoming increasingly clear is the link between ‘bad’ sleep and psychiatric disorders. Studies have shown in recent years that depriving individuals of a good night’s sleep can have the same effect on your brain (using MRI scanners) as having a serious mental health disorder. Consider the potential that sleep can therefore offer in the treatment, prevention, and general understanding of (mental) illness. Our deep emotional centres within the brain become much less cohesive under the pressure of sleep deprivation, making us more reactive, impulsive, and impatient. Not only can this impact your experience of living, but it could have a profound influence on your employees, and therefore your business’ productivity and growth.

Getting into a good sleeping pattern unsurprisingly comes hand in hand with respite for your mind and body. Never underestimate the power of recharging. This will give your creativity the opportunity to work without the pressure of time or ‘usefulness’. It will also make you more understanding, patient, and capable of considering new ideas and beginning a routine. When we start to live on autopilot, whether it be through stress or settling, our ability to enjoy day to day life experiences becomes reduced. Surrounded by stimulation constantly, many of us have exhausted our body’s happy signals, leaving us desperate for constant entertainment and engagement. A perfect example of this is sitting down to watch a new series and finding yourself still scrolling through social media despite intending to ‘watch tv’. Our brains are demanding more and more activity to feel at ease and happy – and as a result, we are missing out on important details. For the sake of this example, you may have missed an important moment that reveals a later twist in the narrative of a show, but on a serious note, what if your brain was over-engaging during an important meeting?

To tackle this, taking time to focus on one type of stimulation at once can be helpful. Consider walking without music playing and resist the urge to look at your phone. Reading is also good for focusing on one dopamine releasing action, as you can’t really read and multitask.

Finally, how have you been utilising the RDLC journal (or any other journaling material) recently? Getting into a routine with this kind of ‘winding down’ hobby can help to keep you consistent. This way, burnout won’t sneak up on you, and it can also act as a form of rest for many people. Understanding what works for you, to protect you from exhaustion, benefits everyone you interact with.

Let us know what you are doing to support your work-life balance, and if any more tips and tricks to guide you would help.

How to get a good night’s sleep:

1.????Make a sleep time routine. Going to bed and getting up at a similar time everyday seems obvious, but many people struggle with this. Particularly as kids go back to school, encourage their sleep schedule to avoid school-run panic.

2.????Exercise your body as well as your mind. Staying active, but listening to your body signals, can help to avoid restlessness before sleep.

3.????Start your day as you mean to go on. Though people talk about this one all the time, limiting use of your phone during your wake-up period can set the tone for the day, and getting up fresh without instantly considering work and emails etc can help you to encourage your sleep schedule.

Author: Tallulah Goldsmith