The gift of time

I’ve slept well and I’ve slept poorly.  When I sleep well, I have more time.  When I sleep poorly, I have less time.  This is interesting to me since time is so valuable.  In fact, my time and my brain may be the most valuable things I have.  Do you feel the same?  

Time marches onward.  It is measurable and finite.  But the way we use time creates our perception of how much time we have.  When you are mindful and present, you are deliberate in the way you use your time.  This is available to you if you have a well-slept brain.  In fact, I can’t think of any other way to sustainably create more time for yourself.  When your brain’s functions are regularly replenished with adequate and healthy sleep, you can concentrate.  You can solve problems.  You can remember better.  You are calmer.  You are productive.  You are more socially and emotionally regulated.  Experiencing time with your brain in peak condition means you’re maximizing the value of your time.  You’re using your time wisely, and that creates and reinforces feelings of satisfaction and purpose.  

Isn’t it ironic that people try to pinch their sleep to have more hours in the day?  Flip it around.  How do you feel when you’re not sleeping enough?  Or not sleeping well?  An underslept brain is scattered, stressed, and slow.  When I’ve gone through periods of sleeping poorly, I am moody and susceptible to stress.  It’s harder to hold a thought in my head, much less work out solutions to problems or be creative.  I have more black-and-white thinking.  I’m less motivated, and prone to putting things off and making excuses.  I’m less social and more likely to have a negative view of other people.  I notice that I have more negative self-talk and I’m in pleasure-seeking mode.  Time slips through my fingers– I feel like I’m always distracted and coping with sleep loss and brain fog.  My life is decidedly less satisfying.  When the period of poor sleep resolves, I tend to look back with some regret.  

For me, periods of poor sleep have mostly been caused by the scheduling demands of my work or medical training.  I also went through a long period of stress and grief which pretty much destroyed my sleep.  I have an appreciation for people who have slept poorly for decades.  And the brain, being adaptable, is always acclimating to impaired performance.  You may not even recognize that you are operating well below your true capacity because you are surviving on less sleep.  Or you may have an inkling about this but are not sure how to make it better.  The first step is to poke holes in the internal story that keeps you stuck.  The second step is to educate yourself.  

Don’t wait for those moments on your deathbed to contemplate what you want for your life.  Uttering “I wish I had more time . . . “ is all too common.  Who do you want to be?  What do you want to do?  What are your dreams?  Your brain makes things happen for you, and your brain needs sleep to perform well.  If you recognize the value of healthy sleep now, you will ultimately give yourself the gift of time.