ALL SLEEP IS NOT 'BEAUTY SLEEP'

You heard right, all sleep routines weren’t created equally. 

We’ve all been there, waking up after a solid 8 hours but still feeling exhausted. Having regular early nights but still having a 3pm crash.  

But even more annoying - the puffy eyes, dull skin and constant exhaustion. 

Which is why I wanted to share today a little about what I’ve learnt about sleep so that you can lay your head on the pillow and wake up feeling refreshed and revitalised in a few simple steps!  

There are things that I know to be true when it comes to getting AMAZING sleep… and it starts the day before.

STEP ONE

Slow down your mind

Sleep prep doesn’t happen in the moments before jumping between the sheets.  It happens a few hours before.  

How often do you scroll social media before drifting off?  Or watch reality TV to ‘wind down’ after a big day?  

This may seem like a great way to get ready for sleep BUT it’s actually hindering your sleep quality.  

Why?

Because you’re stimulating your mind when you should be allowing it to wind down. 

I know that personally, when I scroll Instagram before bed and check out photos of people on exotic holidays or in their gorgeous homes with their perfectly dressed children - I start to get caught up in a little bit of comparion-itis (learn more about how I combat this here) and my mind can start over thinking things.  How I can serve more people through my business, how I can raise my girls with the values I hold close, how I can be thinner, smarter, prettier and richer!  All the things!  So instead of drifting off into a restful sleep, my mind is racing with thoughts of development and growth.  

On top of that, you’re allowing the blue light that is particular of TV and mobile phones to stop your brain from triggering the release of melatonin.  You may still fall asleep fast, but you won’t fall as easily into the restorative sleep pattern that you need to wake up with energy!  

I personally wear these Blue Blockers at night once the sun goes down to help me get better quality sleep.  Sometimes I have online trainings for the Gratitude Gang at night so I can’t avoid the blue light.  I’ve found since using these glasses for the last year I’ve been able to wind down much fast after a night of connecting with my girl gang! 

STEP TWO

Create a wind down ritual

It definitely seems easier to just get into bed when you’ve had a big day and when exhaustion gets the better of you, it’s inevitable that you’ll pass out immediately.  

But having a ritual that prepares you for QUALITY sleep can change the game, allowing you to wake up fresh and refreshed for the day ahead.  

My own ritual is as follows ... 

:: Turn down the lights, leaving on one in my bathroom and a very dull lamp in our room.  

:: Jump in the shower and read over my end of day questions that I have laminated on the shower wall.  Personally I have borrowed Brendon Burchards - Did I live? Did I love? Did I matter?

:: Put on my face creams and do a little Face Yoga which is a new thing for me that I’m kind of really loving! 

I’ve been using MooGoo Night Time Face Cream and I’ve noticed a huge difference in my skin when I wake up.  It was recommended to me by a friend and I’m so glad I’ve been using it religiously lately!  

And then I moisturise my body and pay extra attention to massaging my feet, they held me up all day and they totally deserve extra love! 

:: Last up I read, not something educational but something that calms my mind and prepares me for beautiful dreams.  Inspiring books.  I’m currently re-reading the Tao Te Ching.

STEP THREE

Mini Medi

This is the part where we fall asleep.  I highly recommend having your phone in a different room when you sleep and also keeping it on night mode so you don’t hear or feel any vibrations or notifications.  But I know that some people will thrive on a guided meditation to get them started with this ritual.  I would recommend doing one weeks worth of guided meditations (I love the Omvana app) and then start to leave your phone in a different room and take yourself through the meditations.  

Usually you’ll get a few minutes in and drift off. 

So those are three splendidly simple steps to a better and more beautifying sleep.  I’d love to know what you have tried and what has made a difference in your sleep routine below! 

AUTUMN MEANINGS AND ENERGIES TO EXPLORE

We’re officially halfway through Autumn and I’ve spent the last 6 weeks diving deep into doing everything seasonally.  

I mean everything!  

The next few weeks I’m going to have a focus on seasonal eating, seasonal beauty, seasonal self-care and everything else that is exciting me lately.  

But I wanted to start by unpacking the spiritual side of this season. 

It’s always been a favourite of mine.  Here in Australia, Autumn doesn’t mean the leaves turning and dropping, leaving a blanket of orange, yellow and red on the ground.  It basically just means you use a blanket at night.  So it’s not quite as dramatic as some places in the world but still a beautiful reason to view and adjust your rituals and belief systems as needed.   

So, what is it that I have found this 3 month period of the year to mean for me?

Autumn is all about change.  

Shedding what no longer serves you.  

Change, transformation, transition. 

I believe this time of year is about releasing and letting go, slowing down and preparing for Winter.  It’s a time to look at the BS (belief systems, not what you were thinking!) that aren’t serving you and get into action with removing the doubt, self-sabotage and frustrations that can come up in the months prior.  

I believe it’s about both releasing and embracing.  Saying goodbye to the parts of you that aren’t serving your path and allowing yourself to be secure and confident in exposing the parts of you that are sometimes hidden.  

I believe that in the way animals prepare to hibernate and stock up for winter ahead, it’s also important for us to prepare to be a little more intentionally isolated so that we can connect back with ourselves.  

Find comfort. 

Find balance. 

Find acceptance in releasing what you no longer need to hold onto.  

Enjoy letting the parts of you that need to go, go.  

I would love to know what you feel you want to let go of this season? What parts of yourself are you going to allow to drop off and float gently where they belong?

COMPARISON FOR PERCEPTION

After having a day with the Gratitude Gang yesterday working on our 2018 Intentions, I realised two things. 

:: ACCEPTANCE was a big part of 2017 for me

:: I didn't do enough GRATITUDE

Yup, I have a business called the Gratitude Project and I didn't live my truth this year. 

It wasn't easy.  This year saw more tears, more moments of exhaustion and more sadness than ever before.  But this year also saw more good than I've ever had or experienced.  

As high as I went, I fell that low.  

So this morning I set myself up on my balcony to journal.  In the background, Bo was playing with her new talking toy from Santa.  Harper was banging a hairbrush and singing very loud with the beat.  Somehow they had turned the TV on (sports channel, of all things) and I had my mantras playing on the Bose.  

So. Much. Noise. 

 

But I was set down on the mat, ready to journal and I wasn't giving up. 

So instead of doing what's been easy for me this year, blaming my environment on my state, I took charge of how I wanted to feel.  I wrote.  I wrote about why I was grateful for the noise and messiness of my home.  I wrote about how lucky I am to have these two little girls in my life.  I wrote about where I'm lucky enough to be sitting, with limited beach views and a breeze.  

And I realised as I was writing that I was comparing.  

But... Isn't comparison wrong?!

I've always lived by this truth, don't compare.  It doesn't help.  I remember Julie Parker once saying that comparison is just procrastination.  But, here I am, using my gratitude practice to compare to others.  

"How lucky I am to have these children, some other people would give anything to have their own"

"This breeze, this beautiful breeze I have when some people are trapped in places where they won't feel this air on their body"

And it got me thinking that maybe comparing is ok, maybe we can compare at times.  With boundaries. 

:: I choose not to use comparison to feel superior to another human, but to bring acknowledgement to my current situation. 

:: I choose not to use it to bring others down, but to give myself perception of what I have in my life. 

:: And I could even choose to use it to help others when the situation permits.  

So next time I'm using comparison to bring myself down, I'm going to remember that there are moments when I use it to lift me up.  I get to choose how I do it.  

I just need to stay conscious.