Investing In Self Care By Listening and Napping

Investing In Self Care By Listening and Napping


Stress isn’t, in and off itself, a bad thing. It’s a natural process designed to protect or at least prepare us for imminent danger. Stress helps us run fast to catch a train, or run away from a threat. It’s the trigger to our fight or flight response. Stress motivates us to stop procrastinating and get our work done. It’s what makes us sit down and study for that final exam or to get our taxes done.

In small doses and for a short time, stress is a good thing. It becomes a problem when we are under too much stress and when it’s constant. Chronic stress is what causes all those negative side effects and health issues like high blood pressure and heart disease. But stress is tricky. It builds up slowly and sneaks up on us. We get used to being over worked and over stimulated. Often we don’t even realize just how stressed we are until something happens and our body forces us to slow down. Don’t let it come to that. Learn to see the early signs of being too stressed. Take control of it, work on reducing stress, and most importantly make time to rest and relax so you can recover from the unavoidable stress and pressure life throws at you.

Often the first signs that you’re being stressed out is a general feeling of anxiety and feeling unwell. You may start to have trouble sleeping and it is harder to concentrate and focus. You may be eating more and snacking throughout the day in an effort to keep your energy up. Sweet and salty foods are particularly appealing, and it’s not uncommon to get in the habit of self-medicating with a glass of wine or the likes in the evening to unwind. You are feeling overwhelmed and it’s all too easy to focus only on the negative. From there it’s just a short trip into depression and loneliness. That comes with its own set of physical symptoms like nausea, dizziness, diarrhea, and such. You are even more likely to come down with the cold or flu as your immune system is compromised.


The problem is that these symptoms of being stressed tend to stress us out even more. We keep pushing harder to make up for lost time. We get more stressed and start feeling worse. The only way to break the cycle is to address the problem – the stress. We do it by making a conscious effort to cut out stress, relax, and give ourselves, our bodies, and our minds the time and rest they need to recover. 

We need sleep to recover from our busy days. During times when we don’t get enough of it, are sick, or just plain feel worn down, one of the best things we can do to stay healthy and productive is to take a nap. Yes, you heard me right. I’m telling you to go take a nap.

Trust me, naps aren’t just for toddlers. They work just as well on a cranky, overworked, and stressed-out adult. You may tell yourself that you’re too old for naps, don’t need one, or can’t sleep during the day. None of that is true. There are many cultures around the world where it’s common to nap during the day and research shows that it can be extremely beneficial and actually help you get more done. It’s so powerful that some companies now encourage employees to nap at work. At the very least it’s worth a try.

You don’t even have to get to sleep to benefit from napping. Just lay down, get comfortable, close your eyes and doze for a bit. In fact it may help to rub a little lavender or clary sage essential oil on the back of your neck. This rest instead of actual sleep will help. If you do go to sleep, you don’t have to stay asleep for very long to benefit from a nap. Sleeping as little as two to five minutes is enough to refresh your brain.

If you’re worried about waking up groggy, try a coffee nap. The idea is to drink a cup of coffee right before you lay down for a short nap. Because it takes the body a while to process the caffeine in your Cup of Joe, you’ll be able to take a short nap and wake up alert and ready to tackle the rest of your busy day. 

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