Rest Well to Work Well!
Did you know that our brains utilise 20% of our daily calorie intake? Even as we are resting, our brains are still working as it controls every single function of the body. Meeting work deadlines and working overtime – issues that we are used to today mean that our brains are more overloaded and worked up than before. While the pace of times has increased, the importance of rest for our bodies and minds still remains.
Our sleep patterns are linked to our mental wellbeing
In a study by Harvard, a close relationship between sleep and mental health is noted. Those who are sleep deprived face a higher propensity of developing mental health issues; and those facing mental health issues are likely to face sleep issues. While this relationship leaves more to be explored, findings from neuroimaging and neurochemistry research have shown that having a good night’s rest encourages mental and emotional resilience.
Setting aside one day of the week to fully rest makes us more productive
Unlike work cultures of the past, high levels of interconnectivity due to developed mobile technologies mean that we are more accessible by different platforms. It feels as if we bring our work everywhere. It is a common sight for people to work all 7 days of the week. However, this means that our loved ones whom we have more time to spend with on the weekend do not receive our 100% attention. Furthermore, we do not fully rest at all too.
If we set aside one day of the week to rest, we would have imperative to finish the work we need to finish within the other 6 days. Clearly demarcating timings for rest and work increasing the ease of task processing for our brains, allowing us to fully commit in everything we do. For most of us, this clear demarcation would also prevent us from procrastinating because we have more reasons to not bring work home.
Changes to our consumption habits which improves our sleep
When we hear of consumption habits which affect our sleep, we often relate it to caffeine consumption. Drinking a cuppa too much in the day resulted in us tossing and turning in our beds sleepless later at night. However, consuming alcohol and smoking affects our sleep cycle too. While the initial depression of the nervous system brought about by drinking alcohol helps us to fall asleep, people wake up after a few hours when the effects wear off. Nicotine on the other hand is a stimulant – smoking speeds our heart rate and thinking, increasing the difficulty for us to fall asleep. Giving these up is the best solution but for those who can’t, avoiding nicotine and alcohol before bed time can also improve our sleep.
Exercise improves our sleep
In an article by Harvard, it was found that people who did aerobic exercises regularly fell asleep faster. These participants were also found to spend more time in deep sleep and have better quality sleep as they wake up less often during the night.
Practise sleep hygiene
Many experts believe that habits can be developed to aid us in gaining better quality sleep. ‘Sleep hygiene’ habits include a regulated sleeping and waking schedule, creating a conducive environment for sleep in the bedroom. This includes the following: keeping the room dark, curtailing activities done in the room limited to rest, minimal amount of electronic gadgets in the room.
Maintain an organised home
They say that the state of our environments are projections of our inner minds. By keeping our home environments as orderly as possible, we reduce mental clutter. When we feel less stressed, we rest and sleep better.
At Sendhelper, we understand that your busy schedules do rob you of your energy to maintain the orderliness of our houses. Available on iOS App Store and Android Play Store, Sendhelper is an app which provides cleaning services in Singapore at an affordable rate and at your convenience. Rest better, you can book a cleaner or a part time helper for housekeeping or household cleaning services and clear your house of clutter today!
