May 4th - Every Day in May
Back to work today for a few hours. I slept until waking and let me say I could get very used to that. The freedom that I am feeling over giving myself permission to sleep when tired and wake when rested feels so decadent. I got ready for work in my own sweet time, tending to my health, my garden, and my pets, and then I went to work for the right amount of time and then I went adventuring…to tend to ME. Sometimes I feel completely gutted and empty after a long day at work and it feels good to choose a different way. I really value the fact that my job allows for a free work schedule both in hours and when I get them in. It feels good to do the right amount of work that still leaves me energy for myself.
Health is Physical:
My soul was longing for adventure today. I think I am realizing that I can only go about 72 hours without some sort of adventure, or nuance, before I start to feel like I’m heading downhill emotionally and in my soul. So often, like today, I head out on physical adventures, but the feeling underneath is more about newness, excitement, and unknown. It doesn’t always have to be physical. But today it was. I live by the beach, in a little town in the back bay of Morro Bay, in the middle of the bigger Estero Bay. It’s a beautiful place and running down the side of Morro Bay is a sand-spit. It’s a tongue of sand many miles long with big sand dunes. So in Los Osos, the water I see from my balcony is bay water, but the water I see from my roof is bay water and then sand-spit and then open ocean.
I’ve only walked the entirety of the sand-spit once in my life when I was a teenager. I have no idea why I haven’t done it since, it’s amazing, and quiet, and there are very few people on it ever. Today my friend Amy and I ran the entirety of the sand-spit, all the way from MDO down to the end at the mouth of the harbor in Morro Bay, 10 miles total. We had to go at low tide or else it would have been 10 miles in deep sand. But at low tide, down by the waters edge, the sand is hard and the running is darn near perfect. We had perfect temperatures, clear blue skies, and the spit all to ourselves. We asked ourselves why we don’t do this all the time many times on the run. Adventure…check!
Health is Mental/Emotional:
For my mental/emotional healthy action I continue to motor through the book Why We Sleep and I’m knee deep into the research studies on the topic. Time and time again I being pounded over the head about the benefits of routine, dependable, full, restful, sleep every single night. I’ve learned about a weight loss study where sleep was the only variable and those with less sleep lost more lean muscle mass, whereas those with a full nights sleep lost more fat. Less sleep turns up your “I’m hungry” hormone, while simultaneously turning down the “I’m full” hormone in a nasty double hitter. Studies have been done on emotional overreaction and it’s higher with less sleep. Heart Disease…higher with less sleep. Dementia, Alzheimers… greater with less sleep. Memory… crappy with less sleep. Distracted driving… worse with less sleep. Testosterone… down with less sleep. People find you uglier with less sleep… yes, they did a study. I can keep going….
One study on depression actually showed that 40% of depressed people in the study got less depressed by staying up all night, but the other 60% were worse off, and the people who did better went back to previous depression levels after they got their next nights sleep. I have noticed this very thing in myself. Sometimes, when in the throws of depression, an all nighter makes me feel better for one day, but worse on day 2. Oh and depression, you guested it, more likely with less sleep.
You are healthier, prettier, smarter, and saner with 8 hours of good sleep. How much more can I learn about the benefits, I’m sold, I get it, it’s an upside-upside-upside slam-dunk win-win. So the next question I have is, how do I get a good nights sleep? How do I set myself up for dependable sleep success? I’ve learned one thing from the book and that’s to go to sleep when I’m tired and wake up naturally without an alarm. Oh yes, and one more. No alcohol and no caffeine. But other than that, how do I get a better nights sleep?
One thing the author said that he backed up with studies is that sleep is Foundational. Diet and Exercise can not combat unhealthy sleep habits (they did studies). You can’t out eat and out exercise unhealthy sleep patterns. So all those early morning masters swim sessions I forced myself to get to when I was trying to win Kona… maybe not so helpful in retrospect.
This topic is absolutely foundational and mastering it is an investment that will continue to pay high dividends throughout the rest of life. Fix it before it’s too late. It also made me curious about other parts of health and where they fit into the framework. If we can create a framework for Whole Health, which I would love to do for myself and others, how do the pieces fit together? This is merely one piece of the puzzle, but an important one.
Health is Spiritual:
Todays spiritual health action was sitting down with my favorite spiritual text. Spending time nose deep in Emmanuel’s Book has been a spiritual practice that I have some experience with over the last few years. This book was given to me at a special time when I had really unlocked something deeper within myself and every page of it is like a warm hug. I can turn to random pages and I am delighted every time. Sometimes I go weeks without touching it, and other times I pick it up a few times a day. It’s a bit of an oracle for me. I ask for guidance and start turning pages until I find it. This was the gem today:
As you go into the fear
with eyes open, heart open
and courage flowing freely,
you will see
that fear is only an empty room.
Fear is only as strong as your avoidance of it.
I made a mental list of the things I am afraid of and avoiding. It can be too many to count, it can be overwhelming. This from the book:
It is not a matter of destroying fear
but of knowing it’s nature
and of seeing it as a less powerful force
than the power of love
That hit me with all the feels. This practice of daily spiritual health is unlocking some areas deep down that excite me. The more I study, the more I feel held and supported spiritually by my own means and by the more universal means. It’s a grounding feeling. And it carries into the following day. I’m thankful for the rootedness.
Insights
I was able to go to work, maintain a spiritual practice, engage in adventure, move my body, eat good food, learn new things, and spend valuable connection time with people I love…. ALL IN ONE DAY. It’s officially doable with intention. It didn’t even take planning, it just took intention and prioritization.
Until Tomorrow, In good health…