Staying Calm during COVID

Can’t sleep, won’t sleep! So don’t.

When sleep is evading you it’s easy to get frustrated. The more you persist in pursuing it, the more aware you are of it’s refusal.

Distraction is often a great solution and one that is kinder to your mind. Grabbing a quick round of drum practice is probably not an advocated distraction device, but here are some great solutions you can turn too that might trick your mind into soothing to sleep:

1. Reading - tired eyes can often lead to rest. This list of uplifting novels offers an interesting range. Or you can explore the science of sleep with a choice of titles from here.

2. Writing - we regularly extol the virtues of journaling. Quite often jotting down the joys from your day can feel like a cadence to your waking self into sleep. If that’s not your cup of decaff, why not write an old fashioned letter to someone. And quite, honestly, who still doesn’t thrill in receiving a hand written note?

3. Podcasts...

The big theme this week has been on ‘Zoom fatigue’.

It’s rather unfair to point the finger at Zoom - obviously all video hosting platforms are involved! 

We have seen a massive increase of use of these tools  in this digital space to help us stay connected and collaborative in our work and personal lives. But they are draining us of energy and many of us are feeling their burden rather than benefit. 

There is some interesting data around how we misinterpret others on these types of calls. And we face frustrations when the technology doesn’t work perfectly.

However, we desperately need these solutions to keep us connected and our economy turning. Learning to limit your use of these devices is one solution. This group however, have created a silent Zoom retreat - which puts an interesting spin on something that would normally be full of noise.

There are some really interesting articles out there on why our sleep is so greatly affected by the lockdown. With some of us sleeping more than ever, others are struggling to sleep at all and almost all of us are reporting some downright bizarre occurrences in our dreams.

Our background anxiety is heightened thanks to the COVID crisis and this offers some insight into the state of our dream scenarios. 

There are many factors around the lockdown that are impacting on sleep and a lot centres on routine and structure.   

We normally take 3 months to adjust to new routines of magnitude so it’s not surprising that our routines are still in a state of limbo, 

Understanding your own natural rhythm can be helpful. Are you a night owl or an early bird? Honour your body’s natural inclinations where you can. 

There is so much to explore on sleep and my recent article on the importance of sleep is a great place to start. 

Simple reminders when it...