Hi friends!! We are very excited to share a special article with you this week. Brad Krause of Self Caring, has offered to share one of his amazing articles on how your sleep can affect your emotional wellness. Brad’s blog, Self Caring, is about putting yourself first and making sure you are taking all of the necessary steps to nurture your body, mind and soul. His blog explains self-care practices you can start adding to your daily routine to see positive results in all areas of your life.
Thank you so much Brad for sharing your article with us. We appreciate the time and information you shared with Living 4 You Boutique!!
Life today never ceases. We are constantly on the move, constantly working and engaged in something. Yet, this nonstop pace can be detrimental to our mental health. Good sleep can help us to stop and reset for each day.
*Note: This post contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
HOW YOUR SLEEP CAN AFFECT YOUR EMOTIONAL WELLNESS
Image Courtesy of Pexels.com
All Facets of Self-Care
Self-care is more than just soaking in a tub on the weekend or seeing to your basic needs. You need to address your entire being, including physical, spiritual, emotional, social and even professional aspects. To take care of your body, eat well and exercise. Emotional health requires us to look to our loved ones for support, to socialize and learn to let go of stressors. Spiritual wellness could include attending a religious service, meditation or philosophical contemplation. Feeling happy at work is equally important, and we need to find positivity in our careers through friendships or engagement. Sleep can affect all of these areas.
Get Comfortable
Nothing disrupts sleep like stress and physical discomfort. If you wake up feeling groggy, tired or sore, you may need to look at your mattress. When you first wake up, you should not be feeling aches and pains, or even tired. Is your mattress lumpy? Do you hear squeaks and creaks when you sit down? Or maybe you prefer sleeping other places, any other place, to your own bed. If your mattress sags or has lumps, these are more signs you need to replace your bed. You may sleep better at night if you do, so start shopping around. Really do your research before you make a purchase. This includes going to a store and lying on any potential choices. Firmness is subjective, and you want to know what feels best after all.
Relax at Night
One of the best ways to sleep well each night is to stick tightly to a schedule. Have the same times for sleeping and waking every single day. To help you relax, create a getting-ready-for-bed routine as well. By doing the same things at night, you can give yourself a better chance at relaxing and letting go of stress to prepare for sleep. Make sure you’re only using your bed for rest. For instance, if you read in bed, you teach your body that this is a place to read, not sleep.
Put your technology away and focus on doing something physically relaxing like taking a warm shower or doing some gentle stretching. If you really need help not focusing on negative things, or on stress at work, put on a guided meditation, listen to soft music, or even just practice deep breathing. By distracting your brain, you give your body a better shot at shutting down for the night.
Fix the Environment
Ensure that your room is actually cool to help facilitate your body’s natural sleep cycle. If you have a bright, noisy environment, you may not be sleeping deeply. The darker your room is, the less likely you will be awakened by light. Blackout or thermal curtains can help to keep your room pitch black, and ensure you aren’t awakened just because the sun rises. Noisy neighbors can be a problem, so white noise is beneficial to drown it out. A fan can double as white noise and also keeps your room cool, but there are options out there specifically for gentle sound generation.
Not sleeping can wreak havoc on our bodies and minds. It really does affect every area of our lives. Thankfully, there are ways we can improve our sleep to feel better each day. By making our rooms a comfortable sanctuary, engaging in nightly routines, and relaxing at the end of the day, we give ourselves the best chance we can at living our lives in good health and happiness.
About The Author
Brad Krause graduated from college in 2010 and went straight to the corporate world at the headquarters of a popular retail company. But what started as a dream job soured quickly. After four years of working 15-hour days and neglecting his health, he decided enough was enough. Through aiding a friend during a tough time, Brad discovered his real calling-helping people implement self-care practices that improve their overall wellbeing. He created Self Caring to share his own knowledge and the many great resources he finds on his self-care journey.
Here are a few more articles from Brad Krause of Self Caring we think you will love:
How To Boost Your Mental Health And Overall Well-Being
WRITE GUEST POSTS FOR US
Living 4 You Boutique is looking for bloggers who would like to write free guest posts!! We are accepting submissions in the following categories:
- Recipes
- Travel
- Dieting
- Health
- Exercise
- Saving Money
- DIY Tutorials on Projects or Crafts
- Organizing Tips
- Relationship/Love
If you are interested in having your article published on our site, click here to see how to get started!! We would love to hear from you!!