What do Aristotle, Albert Einstein, Bill Clinton, Ronald Regan, John F Kennedy, and Winston Churchill all have in common?
They all took naps. Love them or hate them, most of us need them. Sara Mednicks, author of, "Take a Nap! Change Your Life", says naps make you "smarter, healthier, and more productive". I say, "I'll take two please!" Napping is in our DNA. Romans were the first to develop the "siesta", the 6th hour of the Roman day. Romans divided their day into parts, prayer, meal and rest. Although only the rich could afford this luxury. It wasn't until the Industrial Revolution and the invention of the light bulb that napping disappeared. (Thanks Thomas Edison!) Before the Industrial Revolution 10 hours of sleep was normal. We are the only animals in the animal kingdom that sleep in one phase. All the other animals know naps are essential for survival. Warning! You may have been told all we need are food and water to survive....but please add sleep. There are many benefits to sleep. Lack of sleep can cause irritability, anger, depression and mental exhaustion. Sleep improves alertness, decision making, youthfulness, mood, memory, appetite control, and improves your sex life. Those should be enough reasons to at least experiment with napping. Who has time to nap you ask? Well, if you have twenty minutes in your day to spare, you have time. Lunch is the perfect time for a siesta, or the moment you get home from work is the perfect time to close the eyes. Yes, your mind is busy. Your mind may argue with you on your first attempts to nap, which could sound something like this: Ignorant self: "I feel lazy if I nap." Intelligent self: "I am more productive when I nap." Ignorant self: "I am too busy to nap." Intelligent self: "All the more reason I need a nap." Ignorant self: "Twenty minutes is not enough to make a difference." Intelligent self: " Twenty minutes is restorative." Will naps interfere with your night sleep? Experts say, do not nap within 3 hours of bedtime and you are safe! I say, "Wow, I must be intelligent, I have been napping for decades!" Then I realized... it had nothing to do with intelligence. "I was tired." So celebrate the unofficial "National Nap Day" just don't forget to tell your boss! Feel the Rush
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AuthorToday is the first day of the rest of your life. What do you want your life to look like? The amazing thing is the choice is yours. I have spent many years of my life being passive, allowing things to happen to me. How many of us are spectators in our own lives? I know I was for years. I watched my energy decrease. I was tired, bloated, and had brain fog. Most days I woke up only to look forward to my next nap.Then I began an active quest for energy, peace and joy! I can honestly say it was a long journey, which I am still on. I am no longer looking for the magic pill! Magic hacks....yes! At 51 I feel more energetic than I have in years. If I were to give everyone the top 3 things to allow you to live your life with energy, peace and joy... Archives
July 2022
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