Tag: advice

The Importance of Sleep

“I love sleep. My life has the tendency to fall apart when I’m awake, you know?” -Ernest Hemingway

Sleep has become an increasingly loved part of everyone’s life. No matter how late we stay up, we are always fighting for those few extra minutes every morning. However, with all of this craze about sleep, it is important to know what benefits sleep has for the body and what a detriment a lack of sleep can be for your well being.

According to a 2015 study by Dagmara et al., Americans have been staying up later over the years while setting alarms for earlier times in the morning. This led to a significant increase in sleep disturbances among all American. Sleep disturbances are anything that disrupts of inhibits sleep. So what does this mean for the average American?

Well, according to various studies on the topic, a lack of sleep can mean an increase in symptoms of depression, worse physical and cognitive performance, lower GPA and less physical growth. Although most people aren’t thinking about all these consequences when they decide to stay up an extra hour or two, these outcomes can have long lasing effects on a person’s future. So, what can we do to change our sleep habits?

Various other studies have implemented mindfulness exercises and meditations which yielded significant results. It is suggested that one reduces stress in their everyday life by being aware of themselves and the world around them. This can help individuals prepare for the week ahead of them and sort out any cognitive strains that have been plaguing their mind. Okay, meditation. That’s easy, but what are the benefits of good sleep?

Good Question. Having the recommended amount of sleep has been shown to have great effects on the body and mind, including: greater life satisfaction, better academic performance, lower blood pressure, increase physical growth, and many more. By maintaining a good sleep schedule, you are not only doing yourself a favor, but you are doing your future a favor.

Although people are always praising their beds for how comfortable they are, the quality and quantity of sleep across America has been decreasing. This makes it our responsibility to take care of our minds and our bodies by improving our sleep schedule. Do yourself a favor and go to sleep.

Those are my Thoughts for Food.

Sources:

Blake, M., Sheeber, L., Youssef, G., Raniti, M., & Allen, N. (2017). Systematic review and meta-analysis of adolescent cognitive-behavioral sleep interventions. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 20(3), 227-249. doi:10.1007/s10567-017-0234-5

Brooks, P., Girgenti, A., & Mills, M. (2009). Sleep patterns and symptoms of depression in college students. College Student Journal, 43(2), 464-472. Retrieved from https://www.projectinnovation.com/college-student-journal.html

Buboltz, W., Brown, F., & Soper, B. (2001). Sleep habits and patterns of college students: A preliminary study. Journal of American College Health, 50(3), 131-135. doi:10.1080/07448480109596017

Buysse, D. J., Reynolds III, C. F., Monk, T. H., Berman, S. R., & Kupfer, D. J. (1989). The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index: a new instrument for psychiatric practice and research. Psychiatry research, 28(2), 193-213. doi:10.1016/0165-1781(89)90087-4

Chennaoui, M., Arnal, P., Drogou, C., Sauvet, F., & Gomez-Merino, D. (2016). Sleep extension increases igf-i concentrations before and during sleep deprivation in healthy young men. NCR Research Press, 41, 963-970. doi:10.1139/apnm-2016-0110

Dagmara, E., Frances, E., & Patrick, E. (2015). The role of environmental factors on sleep patterns and school performance in adolescents. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, Art. 1717. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01717

Dewald, J., Meijer, A., Oort, F., Kerkhof, G., & Bögels, S. (2014). Adolescents’ sleep in low-stress and high-stress (exam) times: A prospective quasi-experiment. Behavioral Sleep Medicine, 12(6), 493-506. doi:10.1080/15402002.2012.670675

Engle-Friedman, M., Palencar, V., & Riela, S. (2010). Sleep and effort in adolescent athletes. Journal of Child Health Care, 14(2), 131-141. doi:10.1177/1367493510362129

Finley, C., & Cowley, B. (2005). The effects of a consistent sleep schedule on time taken to achieve sleep. Clinical Case Studies, 4(3), 304-311. doi:10.1177/1534650103259743

Forquer, L., Camden, A., Gabriau, K., & Johnson, C. (2008). Sleep patterns of college students at a public university. Journal of American College Health: J of Ach, 56(5), 563-5. doi:10.3200/JACH.56.5.563-565

Hagger, M. (2010). Sleep, self-regulation, self-control and health. Stress and Health, 26(3), 181 185. doi:10.1002/smi.1345

Hüslheger, U., Feinholdt, A., & Nübold, A. (2015). A low-dose mindfulness intervention and recovery from work: Effects on psychological detachment, sleep quality, and sleep duration. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 88(3), 464-489. doi:10.1111/joop.12115

Lim, J., & Dinges, D. (2008). Sleep deprivation and vigilant attention. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1129(1), 305-322. doi:10.1196/annals.1417.002 doi:10.1196/annals.1417.002

Lin, J., & Mai, L. (2018). Impact of mindfulness meditation intervention on academic performance. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 55(3), 366-375. doi:10.1080/14703297.2016.1231617

Marta, J., Jennie, B., Andrew, S., & Amy, R. (2016). The impact of a brief gratitude intervention on subjective well-being, biology and sleep. Journal of Health Psychology, 21(10), 2207 2217. doi:10.1177/1359105315572455

Nankivell, Brandon.  (2017, July 25). Mindfulness in 5 Minutes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btiL0qHtnRw

Nyer, M., Farabaugh, A., Fehling, K., Soskin, D., Holt, D., Papakostas, G., . . . Mischoulon, D. (2013). Relationship between sleep disturbance and depression, anxiety, and functioning in college students. Depression and Anxiety, 30(9), 873-80.            doi:10.1002/da.22064

Teixeira, L., Lowden, A., Da Luz, A., Turte, S., Valente, D., Matsumura, R., . . . Fischer, F. (2012). Sleep patterns and sleepiness of working college students. Work, 41. doi:10.3233/WOR-2012-0879-5550

The Importance of Time Management

“Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it.” -Harvey Mackay

Time is the thing that everyone wants more of, but no one has enough of. Time is the only real measure of value in the universe. We are paid per hour, we age per year, we pay bills every month. Time marks everything from trivial to significant moments in our lives.

Due to time being valued very high in today’s society, it is important to make the most out of each moment that you have. If we push ourselves to be more productive during the week, it can add up to either more money or more enjoyment. We can dedicate extra time to out job or extra time to a hobby, but either way, that will improve our well-being as individuals. That is not to say that we should dedicate all of our time to our job just to make a few extra bucks. If you have a love for something, you could even turn it into a way of making a few extra bucks. Blogging, painting, even playing videogames can yield some rewards if the proper preparation is taken. However, it is important not to overwhelm yourself.

Self care is very important. It is extremely important to have a set amount of time dedicated to doing what we want to do. Utilizing time for self care can reduce stress and increase longevity. I would suggest taking either one or two hours every day to relax and do something that relieves your stress whether that is cooking a meal, painting a canvas, or taking a nap. If you cant afford to take one or two hours everyday to do that, than I would suggest taking an entire day every week to just reflect on your mental health and do what is necessary to improve it.

By focusing on being productive and maintaining your mental health, you can achieve so much more than you would expect. By turning a hobby into a source of income, you could begin transitioning from your current career to that career which you would enjoy much more. By setting aside time for yourself, you can decrease your stress which can help you live a longer and happier life. It is for these reasons that I find Time Management to be the most valuable skill out there.

Those are my Thoughts for Food.