Ok, I will be honest, I have never really been a faithful New Years Resolution participant but I do faithfully set goals and quite often achieve them. Of course sometimes my good intentions stick and become a part of my life and sometimes they don’t and I have to start all over again.
Since I work for Stellar Enterprise and lifeskills 411 I have learned much about goal setting and how to get to the “root” issue of the problem and for me believe it or not the root issue that hinders many of my goals was simply that I was too tired. So my resolution is to NOT BE TIRED and that means to get more sleep.
Sleep deprivation can cause moodiness, elevated stress and raise your cortisol level (especially in women with relationship issues) that keep the pounds on. To determine if you are sleep deprived ask yourself these questions:
Do you have a hard time waking up in the morning and being on time for work?
Do you feel, groggy, forgetful, achy or grouchy in the morning?
Do you have under eye circles or puffiness in the morning?
Do you seek multiple cups of coffee, energy drinks or sugary/salty treats?
If you are suffering any of these or regularly feel clumsy or inattentive you may not be getting enough sleep. The proper rest will help you maintain good health, mental alertness and can even improve your relationships and career. The proper rest will give you the energy to exercise and achieve your goals because when you are well rested everything you want to do is easier.
So, my number one goal in 2008 is to get more sleep. To me that means, I have to get home, get the house in order and get to bed early enough each day so that I am getting the proper rest to wake up early and achieve my goals. It also means budgeting emergency features which will allow myself to sleep-in one day per week just in case I feel especially tired. This means that although I plan to work out at 6:30 am every week day if I get up and feel too tired I can sleep in and trade that weekday for a weekend work out at a later time.
How much sleep does one really need? Most adults need seven to eight hours of sleep, teens should sleep about nine hours, school-aged children need 10 to 11 hours sleep, and children in preschool need between 11 and 13 hours of sleep, according to the AASM. Adults who are under stress or have a health condition such as diabetes, fibromyalgia or Hepatitis C may require additional hours of sleep to wake up feeling refreshed.
It is important that students and parents evaluate the number of hours they are sleeping to ensure that their minds are sharp and clear for the daily challenges in school and if you find that you are not getting the proper sleep take my advice and consider making it your ‘08 Resolution.
The lack of sleep can hinder grades and attitude in students of all ages. If your in college it may be a challenge to get your rest but since most people watch 4 hours of TV per day there may be some sacrifices you can make to get the required rest. By making “Getting More Sleep” a New Years Resolution your can improve your healthy and happiness at any age.
If you are in business or developing your life learning any new thing extra sleep can really enhance your performance in mind and body.
If you find it is hard to sleep make sure you develop a sleeping ritual: go to bed and wake up around the same time each day so your body develop a sleeping habit. Make sure your room is dark, quiet and most (other than me) prefer it on the cooler side.
Do you get your rest? Why or Why not? What tips do you have that can help others?
What other goals are you setting in 2008?
