Want to get super productive and achieve those goals? Then get some sleep.
Sleep problems and lack of sleep can affect everything from personal and work productivity to behavioral and relationship problems. Over 500 million people worldwide suffer from the after effects of inadequate sleep and this directly pulls down their ability to get things done.
The Institute of Medicine recently estimated in its report, Sleep Disorders and Sleep Deprivation: An Unmet Public Health Problem, that “hundreds of billions of dollars a year are spent on direct medical costs related to sleep disorders such as doctor visits, hospital services, prescriptions, and over-the-counter medications.”
Make sure your hard earned money goes towards a vacation with loved ones as opposed to buying medicines or landing you in the hospital for sleep disorders that have been linked to hypertension, heart disease, stroke, depression, diabetes and other chronic diseases.
Among the plenty hacks available for productivity, these pointers I found most useful
Aim High, Start Low – For those of us who set stretch goals and love going after them, remember to start low. Just like when you join a gym – on day one you don’t do a 100 push-ups or carry heavy weights. You build stamina each day, grow your endurance and then slowly begin to add or tone up your muscles. Similarly with goals, ensure you start with meticulous planning of time, make time for work and plan quality time for play and adequate hours of sleep.
Stretch goals don’t mean that they eat into your sleep hours. Think smart and prioritize your goals in a way that inspire you not exasperate you! It is not a good idea to reduce your hours of sleep and remove play time from your schedule – this is a great recipe for burn outs!
Power Naps – Plan a 20 minute power nap in the second half of the day, to refresh and rejuvenate your senses by giving your mind some time off. (plug into your headphones and listen to some binaural music to enhance your state of sleep) A longer nap at this time (like 60 to 90 minutes!) can ruin your productivity for the rest of the day and affect the quality of your sleep at night. Power naps are a great way to put yourself in an alpha state, and raise your productivity!
Night Sleep – To ensure quality sleep at night, block out any screen time one hour prior to your sleeping time, listen to some soft music or chants, do a nightly ritual like a warm water bath, drinking a glass of warm water, write your gratitude for the day and sleep in a dark room. A good night’s sleep not only allows your body to repair itself, but also ensures a high energy day when you wake up!
Simple old school hacks like these are worth trying and abiding by, to create a life of harmony and happiness. Let us know which of these hacks you love the most and how it has changed your life!
