WELLBEING SLEEP
Combat the voice inside your head Having trouble sleeping after a busy day? Harriet Bremner has some suggestions for combating fatigue.
Harriet Bremner and Poppy.
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ou get into bed at night and close your eyes, you are exhausted and have been looking forward to being horizontal since 3pm when you really could have slept while you were rolling that paddock but… you can’t switch your mind off. It goes around and around. Hours later you find you are either still awake or have woken back up to the same issue – your mind going at 1000 clicks. What can we do about this common problem of adults who are tired yet cannot sleep? It even gets to the point when sleeping pills don’t help much and make you feel a lot worse the next day. Consequently, all you want to do is sleep at 3pm while you are at work because you have been awake for way too long and this is when you can strike issues on the farm. Fatigue and making good decisions don’t go hand-in-hand and this is when things can go wrong very quickly, simply because you are tired and your brain is elsewhere and busy, very busy. In the modern world, we find ourselves living in a constant state of anxiety or flight mode. We are always contactable, there is no downtime, life is just chaotic as it feels, and we don’t take time to simply take a breath. What is the answer? I recently went to a seminar with Nathan Wallis and Lance Burdett and they talked all about stress, anxiety, breathing and the brain and it all made sense. I also took myself off on a wellbeing one-on-one retreat where I focused on learning how to deal with my grief and trauma in a helpful way other than just being busy all the time to avoid how I was really feeling. Between the two, I have been reminded how incredibly important it is to put yourself first, take a break and breathe. I am unsure there is a magic answer but
nothing will fix you in the click of your fingers but some simple things can really make a difference to your sleep and your busy brain. Some simple tips and tricks can help quieten your mind. Some may sound not up your alley but trust me, they work if you believe they will and what have you got to lose? Worry is something we can most likely relate to on a daily basis so how do we deal with it before it turns into something bigger? Lists. Yes, I said it, lists. Prioritise what you have to do during the day, and you will be amazed at the satisfaction as you tick off activities as you complete them. This reduces the feeling of being overwhelmed and gives you a plan to follow. Humans have been writing lists since way back in the cave man days and this is why we find it natural to still do it today. Stress is Latin for stretched. Makes sense that when you are stressed you feel you are being stretched too far and that is because you are. You are able to deal with tolerable stress and come out the other side but toxic stress is bad for you as it has a negative bias and so you need to make sure you don’t turn tolerable stress into toxic stress. I would start with writing a list in the order you are going to complete tasks with the highpriority ones at the top. Breathing is also a key factor, before you start the day or start a new job do this simple breathing exercise. It stops your busy mind and stops you feeling overwhelmed and anxious. Top tip: Breathe in through your nose and then out by sighing heavily – really heavily. Do this several times and it will stop a negative thought in its tracks. Another tip to help with worry is to keep hydrated – this also helps to reduce general worry and anxiety.
Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | January 2021
