Looking after Yourself- Part 2

Overcoming Overwhelm Newletter February 2009

We have all seen and been affected by the terrible bushfires in Victoria and floods to much of Queensland. But what have we learned? We must cherish LIFE – possessions can be replaced, but our own life and that of our loved ones are what’s most important.
Let’s learn that we need to take care of ourselves. All it takes is a little TLC.
There are 730 hours in a month– isn’t your wellbeing worth at least one?


Looking After Yourself Part 2

Following on from last month, we will look at the importance of rest and sleep on your wellbeing.
How many hours SLEEP do we need? Well, that depends on many factors including your age, activity, if you are recovering from an illness or are very stressed.
Children and teenagers need more sleep than adults as they are still growing. As we age we seem to need less sleep, maybe because we are less active or can ‘steal quiet moments’ throughout through the day. Those who are physically active may need more sleep but this is not always the case. Of course if you are ill, more sleep is required until you have recovered.
What about REST? A 15-60 minute ‘rest’ in the afternoon can do wonders for getting through the remainder of the day and evening provided it does not then cause you to be insomniac at bed time. Just closing your eyes and being still is magic!
A better way to determine if you are getting enough sleep is to ask yourself are you waking up refreshed and do you have enough energy to get through your daily activities?
If you are worried about your sleep or energy during the day, come and see me to work out some strategies.


Here is a poem found in 'The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying".
This poem is called 'Autobiography in Five Chapters". An interesting way of looking at life’s lessons.
1) I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I fall in.I am lost...I am hopeless. It isn't my fault.It takes forever to find a way out.

2) I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.I pretend I don't see it. I fall in again.I can't believe I'm in the same place. But it isn't my fault.It still takes a long time to get out.
3) I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.I see it is there. I still fall in...It’s a habit.My eyes are open, I know where I am, and it is my fault.I get out immediately.
4) I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.I walk around it.
5) I walk down another street!