Wednesday, June 25, 2014

It's Been a "Hard Day's Night"




Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.
 1 Corinthians 6:19

For the last few weeks, sleep has not come easy. With that said, I begin reflecting on  WHY and what  factors are contributing to the problem. 


I can work with out sleep, but…. It  “ ain’t a purty sight” after 48 hours or so. I actually become less productive than if I just stop and rest with sleep. Now, that is easier said than done.

I don’t want to admit this, but the type A perfectionist, that over achieves and over books, during certain months of the year, has so much, that I feel needs to be done, that my body and mind will not shut down to rest.  I can predict on a calendar, when the insomnia will occur.  End of the school year, Beginning of the school year are the worst but there are a few moments in between. So….. what have I learned in my many years of experience and what am I going to do about it?

 Answering this question is where the science teacher and investigator come into play.  I found some interesting facts which include the following top 5 on my list:
Lack of sleep causes accidents
Lack of sleep impairs your ability to think and learn
Lack of sleep makes you forgetful
Lack of sleep ages your skin
Lack of sleep contributes to obesity
 And the list goes on and on……  

When I think I am getting more accomplished by working through the night or late into the early morning of the night, in reality, I don’t think I really get more done. I have to try to make up the lost sleep. I take a nap or go to bed early. I must shut down the main hard drive (my brain) to make the sleep count. During the worst times of the year, I have learned that making lists and checking off the events or projects, one at the time, will trick my mind into a somewhat less stressed state and I can get a few hours of sound sleep.

Whatever the trick that you have found for survival, use it to calm the soul and ease the mind, so that the needed rest can allow for optimum performance at your task.

Our bodies are God’s temple…. Taking care of your body with rest is one way that we can give God our best.