Welcome back to Movement and Mindfulness with Jen Champion for grades K – 5. We hope you enjoy the practice.
habits
4 Things to do When You Can’t Sleep
Have you ever had one of those days where you just could not wait to go to sleep…
But as soon as your head hits the pillow, you find yourself wide awake?
There are a lot of things that can interfere with our sleep. Everything from stress to our environment can play a role.
If you’re ready to get your sleep routine back on track, these tips and help.
Change Your Environment
Your sleep environment may not feel significant – but it is!
When it comes to pillows and blankets, we all have our own personal preferences. Some prefer weighted blankets, while others prefer something light.
The less time you spend trying to become comfortable, the more time you can spend relaxing and unwinding.Â
Practice a Calming Ritual
Not all of us can walk through the front door and immediately go to sleep.
Most of us need to engage in a relaxing activity for at least 30 minutes.
When it comes to activities, the list is endless. You can take a hot shower, read a book or stretch.
Now, this is important. You don’t want to engage in an activity because you think you’re supposed to. You should find an activity you actually enjoy and look forward to every evening.
Turn off Electronics
Watching videos and texting friends is completely fine during the day, but not so much at night.
It’s so easy to lose track of time while scrolling through social media.Â
Ten minutes of scrolling can easily turn into 30 minutes of scrolling if you aren’t careful.
Manage Anxious Thoughts
Have you ever been up at 2 AM, worrying about all the things that may or may not happen the next day?
Those evenings are never fun – and they happen to so many of us.
Although it’s much easier said than done, you have the power to change your thoughts.
Instead of thinking about that essay due tomorrow, you can think about how comfortable you are or things you’re grateful for. It may take some practice, but it’ll be well worth it.Â
What Happens When You Stop Procrastinating
Even when you love what you do, there will always be those tasks you just don’t feel like doing.Â
Wanting to stop procrastinating is one thing. Actually, going through with it is something else.Â
Today we will be chatting all about what happens when you stop procrastinating.
You Are Less Likely to Forget Important Tasks:
How many times have you told yourself you’ll respond to that email tomorrow or follow up with that lead tomorrow?
The thing is, when you keep pushing off tasks until tomorrow, tomorrow never comes.
We’re all human, and we forget things all the time. However, the more tasks we put off, the more likely we are to forget about them – until it’s too late.
Generally speaking, if something takes less than 5 minutes to complete, you should do it right away. Every task completed will give you one less thing to worry about.Â
You Won’t Miss Deadlines:
So many of us can fall into the habit of putting off non-time-sensitive tasks.
The thing is, when you put off a non-time-sensitive task long enough, it’s only a matter of time until it becomes time-sensitive.
Time really does fly, and deadlines have a funny way of sneaking up on us.
Just because that paper isn’t due until the 10th, doesn’t mean you should put it off until the 8th. There will always be last-minute tasks that throw us off guard. Exactly why it never hurts to get things done early.Â
There’s Nothing Better Than a Completed To-Do-List:
There is nothing better than crossing every single item off your to-do list at the end of a long day.
It gives you such a strong feeling of accomplishment. If you finish your day-to-day tasks earlier than you expected, you can even get a head start on the following day’s list. Learn More
Positive Outcomes of Divorce
Going through a divorce is far from easy. It truly is a loss and can even be traumatic. However, even the most difficult situations have a silver lining.
Here are 4 positive outcomes of divorce.
It’s Liberating:
In life, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.
You don’t have to stay in a relationship that makes you unhappy or brings on stress and anxiety.
We only live one life. You deserve to spend it with people who make you happy and feel like the best version of yourself.Â
It’s Hopeful:Â
You know what they say. When one door closes, another one opens. Leaving a bad relationship opens up the door for a new and healthy relationship. There are so many people out there in this world, and you never know who you’ll meet.Â
You Get Stronger:
You are so much stronger than you give yourself credit for.
We all have our own grieving process. It may take weeks, months or even years to recover from a divorce. But things will get better.
Every day you will get stronger. Every day will become easier.Â
It Can Benefit The Kids:
It’s normal for couples to stay in unhappy marriages because they think it’s best for the kids.Â
However, sometimes divorcing is the best thing you can do for both yourself and the children.
It’s important for parents to model healthy relationship behaviour.
Kids pick up on more details than you may think. Seeing their parents constantly arguing or unhappy can impact them now and later in life.
Stuck in a Rut? Here’s What to do
Have you ever had one of those days or weeks where you don’t feel like yourself? If so, here’s what to do!
Take Care of Yourself
It’s so important to evaluate what your body needs.
Are you feeling overtired? Go to bed early tonight.
Been eating takeout every night this week? Prepare a home cooked meal.
Feel overworked? Take the night off and go out with friends!
Your body is always telling you things. It’s just a matter of actually listening.
Amp Up Your Routine
Of course, habit and structure are important – but it’s fun and healthy to mix it up from time to time.
Feel like your routine is great to the way it is?
Remember – no one said these changes have to be drastic.
Taking a different route to work or visiting a new coffee shop can make a huge difference.
Say Goodbye to Perfectionism
Do you ever feel like no matter how hard you try, you still aren’t good enough? It’s definitely not a fun feeling.
When you’re constantly unhappy with your performance, it’s hard to say motivated.
Embrace your fears. Learn from your mistakes. Be proud of yourself.
How to Sleep Like a Billionaire
In the age of social media, life is more distracting than ever. There’s always an email that needs our attention, or a group chat “emergency”.
When trying to get important stuff done, the last thing you need is your phone going off every 5 minutes.
Of course, it’s completely fine to turn off your phone. But you can’t always turn off your mind.
What if my kids need me? What if a potential client is trying to book a consult? The list goes on.
If that sounds like you, waking up at 4 AM may be your secret weapon.
The Benefits
1) There are little to no distractions – It’s very unlikely anyone will text or email.
2) You have the peace of mind that your family is sound asleep.
3) There’s no breaking news on social media to distract you.
So, at this point, you may be thinking to yourself, “Okay, I’m ready to get started, I just don’t think I have it in me.”
Oh, but you do.
Stay Consistent
Yes, with most goals starting slow and steady is the best move, but not when it comes to waking up early.
Our body thrives on routine. Waking up at 4 AM one day, and 7 AM the next, can mess with your body clock and do more harm than good. The first few days or even weeks will be an adjustment. But you’ve got this.
Go to Bed Early
You know yourself best. Depending on your age and lifestyle, you should aim for 6 – 8 hours of sleep a night.
If you’re ready to start waking up earlier, going to bed at midnight must become a thing of the past.
Have a Reason to Wake Up
This may feel self-explanatory, but it’s very important.
What stops you from hitting the snooze button? What are you determined to get done today? That’s your reason.