Do you like to neglect sleep? Are you trying to make up for sleepless nights on the weekends?
Understand, this is not the way out! If you want to succeed, you must learn to spend more time sleeping.
Technology is evolving rapidly, and the world is becoming more and more interconnected. This opens up great business opportunities but has an adverse effect on people. Staying in touch 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with people living on the other side of the world is a double-edged sword for many. And it often causes burnout.
My friend and companion Arianna Huffington cover this topic in her book The Sleep Revolution. She explains that when she started the Huffington Post, she used the misconception that lack of normal sleep is the basis of achievement and success. Constant fatigue was the norm for her. It even came to the point that she lost consciousness, and this was the alarm signal for her. Huffington has finally realized that sleep is a fundamental human need that we must satisfy.
“Fatigue, like drunkenness, deprives you of the ability to make the right decisions and also leads to the fact that you do not realize that you are not able to decide anything. I went through life like a dream,” she wrote in her book.
Now that Arianna has changed her attitude to sleep, as well as talking about it in the books Thrive and The Sleep Revolution, she has become a kind of guru of proper sleep. Wherever she is, she is constantly asked what to do to sleep more. Arianna has a set of useful tips that she is ready to share, including these 12 that will help improve your sleep.
The Sleep Revolution: Arianna Huffington Manifesto
Sleep is a fundamental and indisputable human need.
The dream allows us to see the world with a fresh, renewed look.
We are what we eat. However, we also sleep.
Fatigue is a sign of chaos, not victory.
A good day begins the night before.
You need to treat yourself no worse than your smartphone – sleep until you are fully recharged.
The bedroom should be an oasis: a wonderful place that relaxes and where you can hide from the daily demands and claims.
We have to remove smartphones from the bedroom before going to bed.
You can not get behind the wheel sleepy.
You need night clothes – pajamas, nightgowns, even special T-shirts. All this gives the body a signal: it’s time to turn off!
Sleep is more important than employment and routine.
Going into the bedroom, we leave the day, like all problems and unfinished business, behind.
I especially like another piece of advice: no electronic devices 30 minutes before bedtime. At Virgin’s headquarters, we are even considering turning off e-mail for a short time once a week and teaching people that health is a priority for them.
We also have a program that helps develop the habit of healthy sleep. Our employees have a flexible schedule, everyone can work from home, which allows them to better manage their time and lead a healthier and happier lifestyle.
Fortunately, I have no problems sleeping: I sleep like a baby. I don’t close the windows in the bedroom, so the sun wakes me up in the morning. I like to jump out of bed. Although my life can not be called typical because of constant travel. Ever since I started my business, I have realized that the quality of sleep is more important than the amount. I try to sleep on any occasion, especially during flights, because it is very important to get enough sleep when you have to work hard.
As Arianna wrote, if we really want to succeed in life, sleep is the first thing to start with. Quality sleep is a necessity that protects against burnout at work, but there are other decisions in life that help make health and happiness a priority. I’ve noticed that it’s best to avoid stress if you keep fit and have fun.
Another effective way to prevent burnout is to add another item to your big to-do list. This item is “to be”. It is important to be prepared for everyday problems, but it is equally important to be able to enjoy life. Among things, meetings, answers to letters, find time to be inspired by the beauty of the world, the laughter of a loved one, and just live. He who has had a good day will sleep better.
