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Sophie Mei Lan is a firm believer in the power of sleep.
Like an athlete, if you want to excel in any area of life, you need to get adequate rest and rest before you can take action again.
I used to believe that athletic performance relied on a strict diet and exercise plan alone, and neglected the integral power of sleep to promote recovery and produce results.
And since people are “all athletes” and constantly consuming energy, it is important that we get enough rest to improve our performance by benefiting both body and mind, promoting cell repair and building muscle after exercise.
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I have also neglected adequate sleep, rest and relaxation because I simply did not have time to rest.
I like fast pace, am productive, and am persistently ambitious to achieve. I regularly follow a successful ‘power’ morning routine of exercise, self-care and goal setting, but I knew I should get more rest, I was afraid to stop.
Most nights I had a 6 to 7.5 hour break, depending on work and family commitments. I knew I was crammed full of sleep and that was the first thing that got off the rails during stressful times.
I had to grapple with this “bad habit” of “feeling guilty” that I’ve had for as long as I can remember, and I’ve started planning and commuting weekly rewards over a weekend with my partner and kids.
But when it came to sleep, an ingrained fear of me, I needed rigorous accountability, a trainer, and a challenge … three things that motivate most of us.
At the beginning of our journey towards a “better rest strategy” we need to enter the observation zone by actively including sleep in our routine by reducing the blue light at night and waking up at a set time every day.
In the morning, I set my alarm for 6am, get up and work out within the first hour of waking up without looking at social media, as our best adrenaline is in the morning and we can easily fall into the “scroll hole” .
I breathe in fresh air for 30 minutes before noon and then at 9:30 p.m. I turn off the technology (which cuts the time for small screens as much as possible, as these are even more harmful than TV screens), dim the lights and I’m at 10:30 p.m. Clock in bed.
I also included a 20 minute “body scan” meditation that I can do during the day or at night to not only relax, but also to adjust to my sensory experiences.
I also have the kids on board as we all need to cut our device time at least an hour before bed. Playing sleeping lions as a body scan is a great way for us to get back to work together and taking that time to rest is more focused and completed in less time.
I’m more inclined to lift heavier weights when exercising, and most of all, I take pride in pushing myself to advance in an area I also avoided. If you
Sophie will be documenting her sleep trip on her free women’s health club group bit.ly./squatsandsparkles.
