When I was younger, I never had sleep issues. I have always been an early to bed, early to rise person, but as I am aging, the sleep schedule seems to be off kilter. I still want to be in bed by around 10 p.m., but often awaken around 1 a.m. and can’t get back to sleep for a few hours. Then when the sun comes up, I don’t feel rested and often stay in bed dozing and waking for another hour or so.
Determined to examine my habits and see if I can get back into a healthier routine, I have signed off of Facebook. I realized that too many of the posts were virus or politics related and that caused me stress, because of the total saturation on TV and social media. I found that where I used to just skip through it, I was making snarky comments or wanting too and refraining from doing so which then caused me more stress. I have avoided reading news feeds. I can’t totally avoid the news because I am not alone in the house and my husband is a television watcher and news feed reader and so I hear it on the tube or we have conversations about an article he saw or read.
Through out my adult life, I have quit caffeine and started caffeine again in the form of coffee or tea. That is an area I can control and have returned to a policy of not drinking a caffeinated beverage after lunch. With the stay at home orders, my diet has cleaned up considerably as all meals are at home and I am controlling the ingredients, the seasoning, the fat. I have never had a problem with alcohol or tobacco, so that hasn’t changed.
We were already in a habit of walking nearly every day, but generally on a mostly flat paved trail. Being at home, the walks are on our rural road or the fields and as we live in the mountains, I can challenge myself by going off road and climbing steep terrain or stay on the road, which still has some significant elevation change over it’s mile. I can now leave home and regardless of the route, keep walking without having to stop to catch my breath and let the blood pressure pounding in my ears settle. Though I enjoy walking on the flats with hubby, I can challenge myself more alone.
With spring here, there is garden work, a lawn to be mowed and edged, and those are added to the daily cooking, cleaning, laundry chores, so I stay busy which keeps me from nodding off in my chair. I do take breaks and spend the evenings in my chair with my spindles and knitting to keep my hands busy and allow my mind to focus on creativity instead of news and other stressors.
Maybe it will help. Maybe not. Time will tell.
I’ll miss seeing you on FaceBook, but I totally understand. Love this blog so keep it going.
I will, Pam, as long as I have something to say. I will return to FaceBook eventually, but I need to get my head in a better place first.
J & D – but especially J > We identify with almost everything in this post of yours, Fran. The causes and the solutions. From our own experience – including trial and error – we have found that gardening and countryside/nature walks (if at all possible direct from home – no driving to somewhere else) are great restorers. Life brings many complicated tasks or projects which always seem to lurch from one frustration to another, so it is important to ensure that every day has something straightforward and meaningful which you can start, finish, and tick off the list. Sleep well!
Indeed. It is nice having distant “friends” through social media and blogs and seeing life as others see it. We are physically and socially isolated as are you but in a different part of the world. I love seeing your views through your eyes and your experiences through your words. Be safe, stay well.