Sleep is the best medicine

Sometimes when I am having trouble with my attitude or life in general, I realize I am struggling with the basics. It could be hunger, which is easy to fix, but often the simplest answer is deep down tiredness. If I haven’t slept well the night before, I will feel it the next day. With four young kids, often we have some issue during the night that causes broken sleep.

Another key issue for me is bedtime. When evening rolls around, I want to stay up reading or surfing my phone. Sometimes the evening is the only time Andy and I can have an uninterrupted grown-up conversation. All these things can leave me with less sleep than I need. When I am sleep deprived, the only colors in my life are boring grey and angry red. It makes mindfulness difficult and it’s harder to say no to vegging out watching TV or surfing my phone. When I have no energy, it’s hard to pivot toward exercise or a creative project. I and stuck to the couch and don’t have the brain power for new ideas.

Self care is the foundation for a rich and colorful life. For me, sleep is the keystone self care element. Being well rested is the foundation for health, mindfulness and creativity. It makes me a lot nicer to live with too. What’s the key self-care practice in your life? What part of the basics could you focus on, so that you will have more focus and energy for the better things in life?