Insecure? How to Deal With Feelings Of Insecurity & Inadequacy

Sleep Tips

Read more about how sleep is SO important for you in Arianna Huffington's new book:



Alternatively, if you are in the US then please use this link:

Finding Happiness! MOTIVATION & TIPS - Carli Bybel

Arianna Huffington Talks "Thrive"

I loved this book and passed it onto a few other people to borrow it was THAT good!

Rather then me lend you my copy(!) you can buy yourself a copy below:

For UK shoppers:



For US shoppers:



Enjoy,
Dave

Richard Branson: Advice for Entrepreneurs

Read more from Richard here:

How to Power Through the Day Without Any Sleep

 

We all know the importance of getting a good night’s sleep. Lack of sleep can cause anxiety, irritability and affect your ability to retain information, all impairing your productivity. But as all busy entrepreneurs know, sometimes getting a full night of shut-eye just isn’t possible, leaving you with no choice but to try to power through the day on little rest.

Open your curtains

Getting exposure to light as soon as you wake up is important for giving you energy to kick-start your day. “Sunlight will decrease the release of melatonin, a hormone that makes us sleepy,” says Steve Orma, clinical psychologist and co-author of Stop Worrying and Go to Sleep: How to Put Insomnia to Bed for Good. To help fight that sleepy feeling, try working by a window or take frequent breaks to get outdoors. “Exposure to natural light throughout the day would help keep you more awake,” says Orma.

Take a cold shower

Dr. Mark Kovacs says a 30- to 60-second cold shower stimulates adrenaline (your body’s fight or flight response), getting your nerves ready for the day.

Breathe

Breathe in through your nose slowly for five seconds, then exhale through the mouth for two seconds. Repeat this exercise five times. “This works on simultaneously decreasing and increasing heart rate,” says Kovacs.

Avoid having a power lunch

If you’re short on sleep, eating smaller meals throughout the day can help you sustain your energy. “When you’re already limited in sleep, taking any large meals is not a good idea,” says Kovacs, as eating a large meal puts a strain on your body’s organs, causing you to feel even more tired.

Power up with protein

While it can be tempting to go for a coffee-and-donut combo, Dr. Jo Lichten, author of REBOOT: How to Power Up Your Energy, Focus, and Productivity, says a meal with 20-35g of protein will help to keep you more alert than a high carb meal which will simply give you an initial energy spike followed by an immediate crash. Eggs, Greek yogurt or a piece of meat about the size of the palm of your hand are good healthy options for a pick-me-up snack.

Don’t fill up on coffee

Hanging around the coffee machine all day isn’t going to do much to give you sustained energy to make it through the day. While you may think gulping down caffeine will help you feel more alert, too much caffeine can cause you to feel jittery and anxious rather than focused. Dr. Lichten says 50mg to 100mg of caffeine is the optimal dose for alertness and focus. Opt for a short cup of coffee every four hours during the day, stopping at 4pm to prevent another poor night of sleep.

Power up with a caffeine nap

You may not think caffeine and a nap go together, but experts say a cup of coffee before a nap is the key to boosting your brain power. Kovacs recommends ordering a double espresso, set your alarm for 25 to 30 minutes and take a nap. “Once you awake the caffeine will have started to work and you can push through the remainder of the day,” he says. The reason the caffeine-nap combo is so effective is that caffeine takes about 45 minutes to be absorbed, so taking a nap while the caffeine is making its way through your system allows you to awake when the alertness effect of the caffeine has kicked in.

[source]

Image credit: reynermedia | Flickr

Dave's Comment:

A great article I think you'll agree.

Ultimately we all need to make sure we get enough sleep in the first place.  I know that when I don't get enough sleep I am tired and always feel like I'm trying to catch up.  When I finally do get an early night and sleep well, I often feel either fantastic in the morning or completely dreadful, as if I need even more sleep!  The better the routine for sleep I find the more you are able to do the occasional late night with adverse after-effects.

Arianna Huffington has some great advice on sleep - search in this blog for more on that, or take a look at her books to get an idea on her philosophy on sleep:



Alternatively, if you are in the US then please use this link:

5 Things to Do Before Bed That Will Jump Start Tomorrow #productivity #success

 

Being effective as an entrepreneur is often about hard work, but even more importantly it’s about smart work. Great entrepreneurs know that time is limited and valuable, so they need to make the most of each waking hour.
There are many factors that contribute to working smart -- but planning and proper sleep are among the top performance increasers.

To maximize your time and efficiency, here are five essential and easy things you should do before bed that will make help transform your waking hours into super productivity.

1. Take a look at your calendar. As the saying goes, failing to plan is planning to fail. By reviewing your calendar the night before, you’ll know what’s ahead for the day so you can be prepared and plan for the best method to tackle your objectives. You’ll sleep better knowing that you’ve already planned for the day ahead and you’ll rise in the morning knowing that you’ve already taken care of the leg work to get a jump start on the day.

There’s another old saying, “If you don’t use your head, you’ll end up using your feet,” and that proverb goes a long way for productivity! Come up with a strategy the night before on how to tackle tomorrow.

2. Get the gym bag ready. Whether you go to the gym, run in the neighborhood or walk your dog, have your exercise gear out and ready to throw on for when you wake up. Getting your clean clothes together and ready is a life hack lots of entrepreneurs use to minimize the risk of skipping their workout.

It only takes a minute to lay out your gear, but it’s a great shortcut for making sure you get your fitness in every morning. Taking care of your health is an important part of the entrepreneurial lifestyle.

3. Turn off your phone. Sleep is a crucial part of the successful entrepreneur’s healthy lifestyle. Once you’ve checked your calendar and you know what’s ahead for tomorrow, put the phone on silent or turn it off to ensure it doesn’t beep, chime or ring and disturb your REM cycle. Disruptions to your sleep will leave you tired and slow your performance.
To keep your productivity at its highest level, make sure you eliminate any hindrances to your sleep cycle. That email or text message can wait until tomorrow. Turn off your phone or put it on silent to ensure a good night’s sleep.

4. Write in your journal. No, not the “dear diary” kind of entries. Keeping a journal is a practice that can help you process the day and make sense of your thoughts. Keep your journal in the nightstand and every night take a few minutes to review the day’s triumphs and write down what you’re grateful for that day.

Don’t make this a boring, unthoughtful experience. Think of it as a nightly meditation -- just two minutes of reflection thinking about the day’s highlights and writing them down will transform your waking and sleeping thought. It’s part of a wealthy lifestyle to appreciate all the great things of the day: doors held open, great conversations had.

Whatever the highlight, list it and prepare your mind for great sleep.

5. Read a real book. One last thing to contribute to your good sleep is to read a quality book. You can decide what a quality book is to you, but reading before bed is a great way to make that final transition into sleep.
It will also keep you away from bright lights and electronics (hint: don’t read on your phone or tablet, the light might disrupt your eyes and affect your sleep cycle) and soothe your body into the sleeping process.

[source]


This May Be The Only Thing Limiting Your Success...
The happiest, most successful people in the world start their day with an empowering morning routine. Learn how to tap into the same power: http://tiny.cc/morningritual 


And Sleep...!

Also, read more about how sleep is SO important for you in Arianna Huffington's new book:

Alternatively, if you are in the US then please use this link:

One Simple Change with More Sleep and Less Stress

Read more about how sleep is SO important for you in Arianna Huffington's new book:



Alternatively, if you are in the US then please use this link:

3 tips to boost your confidence - TED

Meditate for Sleep: Deep Breathing & Relaxation Techniques

Read more about how sleep is SO important for you in Arianna Huffington's new book:



Alternatively, if you are in the US then please use this link: