Hi, I am rested Graton. I feel great. I have energy and emotional resources. I can concentrate effectively on mentally demanding tasks. I face my fears and anxieties with aplomb. I am enthusiastically interested in everybody and everything. I have the gumption to write, to exercise, and to pick up after myself. I have the courage to practice "Scary first!" and to be present in my work and play. I pursue my best goals and connect with others.
I became rested Graton only two months ago. Before that I was perpetually-tired Graton. Negate everything in the preceding paragraph and you've got a pretty accurate picture of perpetually-tired Graton.
The happy change came when I swore off all after-9pm electronics use. Admittedly, I am now falling way behind on Colbert episodes and doing a really lousy job of reading every single post in my Facebook feed. It took me days to make time to watch the latest Sherlock and "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee" episodes. But I never want to go back.
I don't have a bedtime goal. I just read until I feel like sleeping. Or I write. Or meditate. It's cathartic and rejuvenating. I eventually get sleepy reading or writing; I never did on my phone. My alarm is set for 6am, but I usually wake naturally just after 5am.
Those first two hours from 5-7am are like a direct transfer to the morning of the 9-11pm that perpetually-tired Graton used to spend hyper-connected. I suppose I could use those morning hours to watch my shows. But I don't. Those quiet early hours have instead become the most peaceful and effective hours of each day. Those first two hours alone are turning the tide against the perpetual postponement of important but non-urgent projects!
When I first established this no-after-9pm-electronics practice for myself, I had a long-standing pattern of late-night connectivity to break. Facebook, Netflix, etc. had been such an effective--if self-necessitating--escape from the stress of having more on my plate than my tired self could manage. To guard against recidivism, at the start, I announced my new goal to two good friends who agreed to receive weekly reports. I have accounted to them for every day since. With a success rate of 86% over two months, I have reached the point where my 9pm self cares more about having an amazingly productive and enjoyable day the next day than just about anything that might be trending on the internet.
No electronics after 9pm has proven to be a well-spring habit. From this practice has come a cascade of practices that I had never quite been able to incorporate into my life before. I used to consistently fail at goals about bedtime, exercise, diet, patience, emotional differentiation, and personal and professional development. I am quite startled at how these things are falling into place for rested Graton in a way that perpetually-tired Graton could only ever have dreamed!
Have an amazing day! And sleep well :)
6 comments:
Congratulations Well-Rested-Graton! I'm inspired by your actions and have been implementing a similar system.
But after reading this post, I'm thinking about just copying it whole-cloth.
Dave, Thanks for your help!
Perfectly timed article- thank you. I've been looking for more hours in my week recently; I'm feeling like I never get quite enough done each week. Last summer weekends were digi free for me which I really enjoyed. I might need to subscribe to Freedom or Anti-Social as my habits are now back with a vengeance. It's nice to hear a small change like this can make a huge overall difference. :)
Jealous-ridden sister who is certain she could take on your sleep deprived previous self with a vengeance says, "Just try it with teenagers and toddlers at the same time and then let me know the answer.... I for one am too tired to figure it out."
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