Personal Lessons and Experiences From The Past Week
Health
In terms of my health, I have been prioritizing sleep over the last week, especially after a heavy weekend cycling in Devon. My training has also focused on recovery and building back up in the second week. I want to talk about how important it is to prioritize sleep, as many people struggle with getting enough sleep or don't make it a priority.
Most people have a consistent wake-up time, but when I ask how much sleep they're getting, they often struggle to get the recommended seven to nine hours. Often, they stay up late watching TV or relaxing after putting their children to bed. It's important to prioritize going to bed at the same time as you do getting up at the same time.
We set alarms to wake up, but we don't set alarms to go to bed. Sleep is a key factor in managing weight and energy levels throughout the day. Lacking sleep can make it difficult to function day-to-day. Studies show that getting one to two hours less sleep per night over a year is equivalent to being a night shift worker. Lack of sleep increases the appetite hormone, ghrelin, leading to overeating and snacking for energy throughout the day. It can also cause a lack of motivation and discipline for exercise.
It's crucial to prioritize sleep if you want to be healthy, manage your weight, and snack less. One of the key things I do is turn off my phone at least an hour or two before bed, practice yoga and meditation, and keep the lights dim. Taking a hot shower also helps decrease core body temperature, leading to relaxation and better sleep.
I prioritize getting seven to nine hours of sleep a night by going to bed at half past eight and waking up at half past four. By doing this, I feel energized and hardly wake up during the night. I follow this routine with my partner, including yoga, meditation, and reading before bed.
Even when I finish work at 5 pm, I turn off my phone within an hour or so to unwind before bed. Falling asleep within 15 minutes of turning off the lights is ideal, and it's normal to wake up during the night. Don't stress about it and try to relax. If you're struggling with sleep, try these tips to improve your energy levels and food choices.
Wealth
In terms of wealth, it has been an interesting week for me personally, and I find it fascinating to discuss certain aspects when observing what is happening in society. I would like to share some of my thoughts on wealth within the economy and how it affects individuals. I feel that there is a sense of entitlement in expecting the government to provide money, rather than individuals working for it themselves.
I have been having conversations with my family and others about their experiences in the past, particularly with raising children in the 80s. During that time, my mother had little support from the government for child maintenance or child support and had to rely on herself. She decided to become a childminder, which was a fantastic way to support her family financially while also spending time with her children.
It's great to see more and more families and individuals being career-driven and wanting to work, but I also notice a sense of entitlement in expecting the government to support them financially based on their choices rather than being financially responsible before having children. I understand that I am looking at this from one perspective as I do not have children at the moment, and I wanted to start a conversation on this topic.
I am not saying that I am right or wrong, but it is an observation I have made in a society where many people feel entitled to support without contributing to their own financial well-being. I grew up in a household where I was always encouraged to work and support myself, which has made me self-sufficient and not reliant on handouts.
During Covid, I worked multiple jobs to support myself, and while I understand that it was a unique situation, I believe it is better to actively look after ourselves first before expecting someone else to provide for us. Do you believe that the government should provide more financial support for childcare or other aspects, or do you think individuals should invest in themselves to increase their earning potential?
I am interested in hearing your thoughts on this topic, so please share your comments or questions in the comments section below or reach out to me on Instagram. While I did not touch on other economic topics such as company profits and wealth distribution, I think it is important to balance these issues fairly. Thank you for listening to my thoughts on wealth this week, and I look forward to hearing yours.
Mindset
Finally, from a mindset perspective, it's interesting to consider the viewpoint of ourselves as victims. Often, we play the victim card and feel that situations or experiences are unfair to us. However, this is just a story we have in our minds about our personal experiences, shaped by factors in our lives. Is there a way to reshape this narrative and not always see ourselves as victims? Many things that we stress over won't matter in the grand scheme of things, as we will all pass on eventually.
It's important to understand our perspective on how we view ourselves and the world around us. We need to evaluate whether we are always playing the victim in certain aspects of our lives. We might feel that someone is not fair to us because of various reasons, but we need to understand why we feel that way and uncover it. This is a valuable tool for understanding our mindset and experiencing things around us.
By mindfully working on ourselves and understanding our own story, we can improve our narrative and help others do the same. This will create a nicer environment, as we won't always feel that the narrative is unfair to us. Instead of blaming external factors that we have no control over, we should take responsibility for our own actions and iron out any creases that might create problems in our day before they occur.
We should take a step back from time to time to understand how we react to certain things based on our experiences. Often, we're only reacting based on our own experiences from the past, which can be shaped and changed differently. Everyone will see a situation through different viewpoints, eyes, and experiences. Having a dialogue and opening our minds to understand both sides of the story is the way forward.
Lyric/ Quote I'm pondering
It is very hard to have relationships when your doing drugs and drinking - David Bowie
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