When you
take over a medium that has been around as long as newspapers in only 10
short years, you have to recognize the leadership and vision of that
venture as absolutely brilliant. Even if you don’t know her name, you
know The Huffington Post. Arianna Huffington delivers insights in to
what allows her to stay on top of her game. As she says it, “Sleeping
your way to the top.” I guarantee it’s not what you think.
I
have taken her interview on 30 Days of Genius with Chase Jarvis,
extracted the information, and used it to answer common questions by
readers just like you, who are looking to take their lives to the next
level, or at least a different level than the one there are on.
Please enjoy.
How Do I Maximize My Potential?
Simple.
Sleep.
Sounds crazy, doesn’t it?
“Burning the midnight oil.” “Burning the candle at both ends.” “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.”
Do those sound familiar? They should.
They are very common, and very bad for you if you are striving to be your best.
Did you know that being sleep deprived can put you in a state similar to drunkenness?
It absolutely can (and without all the fun).
When
you do not get enough sleep you: put yourself in a state of partial
attention, are more irritable, unhappier, more reactive, more likely to
get sick (because your immune system is weakened), more emotional,
fatter (seriously, the hormone that tells your brain you are satiated
turns off!), and in the long term, can potentially increase your risk
for heart disease and even cancer.
Not sounding so crazy any more is it?
If
you are only getting 4–5 hours of sleep a night, transitioning to 7 and
8 will change everything. You become: more effective, more present in
meetings, productive, creative, and healthier. You will have more
stamina, and because all of your hormones are balanced, you will be
happier, more joyful.
So many high functioning people believe it is all about exercise and nutrition. Sleep may be the most important of all.
Historically,
there have been many misconceptions about sleep and the brain. Up until
recently, people assumed that sleep was down time for your brain, as if
it were a car parked in the garage. It turns out that the brain is
extremely busy during sleep. It processes everything it was working on
during the day, it processes things you will be working on tomorrow, and
most importantly, your lymphatic system is activated during sleep,
which is when and how accumulated toxins are cleaned out.
How Do I Get A Good Night’s Sleep?
Your
first step is prep your sleep the way you would prep your children’s
sleep. No one throws their kid in to bed after watching TV. There is a
routine: bath (hopefully), brush teeth (hopefully as well), story time,
and then sleep.
We need to do the same thing for us.
The
key is to start slowly, don’t just jump in to it. We are trying to
create lifelong healthy habits. Taking on more than we can handle at
once increases the likelihood that we will “fall off the wagon” down the
road.
Your goal should be to prep your sleep 30 minutes a night, and actually sleep 7–8.
You
don’t need to do that all at once. Build up to it. Start with 5 minutes
of prep, maybe 10. Build up
from 4 or 5 hours of sleep a night to 5 or
6. Build slowly but assuredly.
Some
tips to help you sleep: turn off your devices, get them out of the
room, have designated sleep clothes, read real books (no devices,
remember?), make sure they are calming subjects, don’t rile your brain
up right before bed. Keep your room temperature under 70 degrees, cut
out as much light as possible, and wear a sleep mask or ear plugs if
necessary.
You need to find the nighttime routine and sleeping habits that work best for you.
Sleep is essential to success, not only as a business man or woman, not only as a creative, but as a human being.
Please take it seriously.
Quotes
“You can’t entertain the guests and clean the house at the same time. “
“Being sleep deprived is the equivalent of being drunk.”
“You are not your work.” — this allows for more freedom to be creative, stretch yourself, go bigger.
Arianna Huffington Links
Chase Jarvis Links
Joey Links
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