day 17 - 25 Days of wellness
Hi there! I’ve seen a couple of people I follow do Advent calendars for various things - 1000 Hours Outside has one for outdoor family activities, and Nutritious Movement has one for movement to create a “butt for the holidays” haha. So good.
So here we go - I’m going to drop a little post each day on a little Wellness tidbit for you to consider. Enjoy!
DAY 17 - sleep
We have all been told our whole lives that we have to sleep. Why? When we sleep, our bodies do a “system update.”
Our brain processes through our thoughts and emotions for the day and decides what to do with them, even turning them into dreams. Our brain also decides which memories to keep in long-term storage vs. short-term storage, and gets rid of whatever doesn’t make the cut. Our body goes through important processes to cleanse and remove waste products from its daily work of functioning (or attempting to!).
Without adequate and quality sleep, our bodies quickly degrade into a state of dis-ease. Our thoughts work as poorly as those of a drunk person. Our immunity drops way down. Disease forms in whatever parts of our bodies are inherently weak or wherever the body drops waste material that it can’t dispose of.
To ensure a good night of sleep, look at your SLEEP HYGIENE. Sleep hygiene is the routine you set up for yourself that tells your body/mind/heart/spirit that you are heading towards sleep and it is time to wind down. Some ideas for this include:
Create a bedtime routine (like you would for a precious child!) that includes things that help you wind down, such as writing, reading, listening to music, taking a bath, etc.)
Learn about herbs that help calm you down and prepare you for sleep (you can contact me for a private consult that will help us narrow down the right ones for you, OR you can join my Herb Chats to start learning practical herbal knowledge!)
Ensure the room is completely dark - BAN blue light from the bedroom
Say goodnight to your phone and other technology and “park it” outside of the bedroom.
Install f.lux on your devices to filter the blue light from the screens into a more circadium-rhythm-friendly light tone.
Get a pair of blue-blocker glasses or clip-ons for your regular glasses to wear once the sun goes down.
Use aromatherapy such as lavender, lemon balm, or peppermint in the form of teas that you drink, essential oils or herbal sachets that you breathe in, or natural lotions or infused oils to rub or massage into your skin.
See you on Day 18!
