Ring ring ring...
It's Monday again and the alarm clock is ringing. I really don't feel like getting up yet. I briefly consider, if that's even possible at this stage, what needs to be done right away and set the alarm clock 5 minutes later. Those 5 minutes pass by too quickly and I end up snoozing it one or two more times. But then, I really have to hurry... ...quickly to the bathroom. Hair, shower, toilet, brush teeth. I grab my coffee "to go" and then I have to leave already. How do I feel when I'm sitting in my car on the way to work? Honestly, I feel exhausted. Lethargic, tired, and unmotivated because it's Monday. Of course, the streets are extremely crowded too. If only I had left 15 minutes earlier, it would have been emptier. But no, I opted for those short naps. Even though I slept for more than 8 hours and could still go back to bed immediately. Oh well... I guess I'll just have to get through it. “No! There is another way!” Perhaps you are familiar with such morning rituals. I've even heard that many women already use "makeup to go." Crazy, right?! Our time seems to be getting faster and faster. What is a day, a week, a year...?! By starting the day like this, I already bring a lot of speed into my everyday life in the morning. For many, the day continues like this. No breaks or relaxation sessions are integrated. Eventually, it's time to hit the couch. Irritated and stressed from the day. And if it's a Monday on top of that... what a horror! The day can only be "miserable." And again, I say: “No! There is another way!” But how? We all have our different life rhythms. Then add the seasons and our chronotypes. Are you more of a night owl or an early bird? The early bird is more of a morning person, and the night owl is more of a late riser. We all tend to have one of these chronotypes within us. Plus, there's our internal clock, which accompanies all these processes. Let's use this internal clock to our advantage! What does this look like now? This internal clock offers many possibilities that we can use for increased performance, productivity, and creativity. But in order to even feel this internal clock, I recommend using it positively for your waking process. What if you wake up feeling fresher than ever at the first alarm ring and no longer feel exhausted? Now you might be thinking... how is that possible? That's exactly why we use our internal clock and our sleep cycles. During the night, we go through sleep cycles. We go through four phases from falling asleep, to light sleep, to deep sleep, to the REM phase. These four phases last about 90 minutes and we go through multiple cycles throughout the night. It's beneficial to wake up during the light sleep phase. This means:
- Set the alarm clock so that you have calculated the sleep time in 90-minute cycles. For example: If you always go to bed at 10 pm. If your alarm used to ring at 6 am, set it to 5:30 am now. Then you have used 5 sleep cycles and will wake up feeling fresher than at 6 am.
- The second option is to keep the alarm set at 6 am, but go to bed at 10:30 pm. In this example as well, you have utilized 5 sleep cycles for yourself.
How many sleep cycles do I recommend? Find out for yourself when you truly feel refreshed. I tested these cycles for myself for 14 days each. For the first 14 days, I tested 5 sleep cycles, and then 4 sleep cycles. With 4 sleep cycles, I feel much more refreshed. So I always try to set the alarm to get 6 hours of sleep. But you may need more cycles. Listen to your body. This also has a lot to do with self-awareness and self-reflection. You will notice what works well for you. Of course, there are times when we need more sleep. My advice: Give your body that sleep when it needs it! Personally, I would never go below 4 hours of sleep per day on a regular basis. It's not healthy. If you can then manage to let Monday just be Monday and set a positive mindset for the day, you will start the day refreshed in body and mind. When my alarm goes off, I immediately get up and have the ritual of telling myself: "Today will be a good day!" If the day doesn't go as planned, that's okay with me. I started with a good feeling and more time for myself. And with that feeling, you will start your day on 24.04.2020 and learn more about the world of prevention from Denise Iwanek at the 16th Baltic Sea Congress. www.ostseekongress.de