The power of good sleep

Note: this is not me giving you medical advice if you don't sleep well. If you don't, you need to talk to your doctor. I'm just giving you my experience.

I am very fortunate that I keep a pretty regular sleep schedule. About 7-9 hours per night.

That wasn't always the case, though. A very long time ago (maybe 25 years), I had a good doctor who was trying to help me regulate my sleep. 

He really emphasized something called "sleep hygiene" (I know, sounds so clinical), but after practicing it for a while, it really changed things for me for the better.

For me, now that means all screens off at least an hour before bedtime.

I even limit my reading time during that period so as not to overstimulate my mind before sleeping.

I do take that time to sit or lie there in the quiet and practice some mindfulness and say my prayers. I include a quick review of what I plan to do tomorrow.

Oh yeah, I have a strict rule of no caffeine (mainly coffee) after noon.

And nothing fizzy as well before bed.

I do like to eat a light snack and a glass of whole milk before bed.

That's about it for me. I know everybody is different, but fortunately I'm a pretty good sleeper.

Why did I write about sleep today? I spent the day again DoorDashing and came home and took a quick nap. Really helped.

Thought I'd write about it.

Are you able to enjoy peace and quiet for the gift that it is?

Now I like the company of good friends and even co-workers, but I have also come to greatly appreciate the gift of my alone time over the years.

Far from being a sterile, boring desert of isolation and loneliness, it can be a personal space for growth and reflection.

It can be a great opportunity for creativity. (You don't need to be a "master" at anything (except possibly yourself) to enjoy the creative arts.

Everything in moderation, though, and in due time.

I had a football coach in high school who saw me struggling to bench press some weights as a puny little, underdeveloped freshman, and he saw my frustration. He smiled at me, appreciating my effort, and assured me that "well, Rome wasn't built in a day".

Life is a gift. Take some time to appreciate it.

Latest reading... The Brothers Karamozov

Now I, like a lot of people, like writing, but I really like reading in my spare time, as I have said before. Especially the classics.

Believe me, I have no delusions as to my own meager creative abilities. I just like writing and sharing what I think might enrich some people's lives, simple as it may be. I certainly don't do it for the money.

At the moment, I am reading and am halfway through The Brothers Karamozov by Dostoevsky.

The author, in my opinion, is a real genius at expressing the broad range of the human condition and emotions through his characters and stories. (At least this one)

I won't bore you with any more literary criticism.

Just hope you have some healthy go-tos to relax and hopefully enrich your life.

It's all about living a balanced life. 

I like working, spending time with friends, watching a baseball game, etc,  playing a little golf...

If this seems out of reach for you at the moment, just know that a long time ago, when I was first dealing with a bipolar diagnosis at the age of 26, it seemed out of reach to me too.

Gradually, over time, things get better.

If you think you need professional help, get it. 

That's not your identity; it's just a wound or injury like any other that needs to be dealt with. 

Okay, no more preaching.

Have a great day.

 

If you don't have a sense of humor, Catholicism probably isn't for you... if you know, you know.

 

Now my dad (pictured above a few years before his death) was the most faithful and kindest man I know, but he had the rare ability to separate what actually matters from the b.s.

He didn't vocalize that much or make fun of people, but he recognized the total narcissism in people, particularly of his generation.

Did that get him down? Sometimes.

All I can tell you is that he suffered well. Loved his family and friends. And died very peacefully.

His faith mattered, and he loved to bring humor to his loved ones when appropriate.

One of his grandsons bought him the hat shown in the picture, and he wore it proudly.

The older I get, Dad, the more I appreciate it.

Alas, I have many years left in me, and fortunately I have good friends with good senses of humor to share them with.

Boredom... this is a good video from a YouTube Psychiatrist

 Some practical advice from a mental health professional:

Okay, some real art I happened upon and like

 

I just got done doing an online evaluation to be a remote AI trainer for a reputable company (wish me luck) and thought I did pretty well, but you never know.

I've had some time during my breaks to reflect on the positive (and negative) influences that organized religion has had on me over the years, and I'm particularly sensitive to how God is portrayed in a lot of art throughout the ages. 

Some of it "speaks" to me as true, and some of it definitely does not from my experience, but I am just one subjective person like everyone else. To each his own, I suppose.

This is one of the Holy Trinity I really appreciate.

This isn't a fear-inducing or threatening image of the Trinitarian God.

Do I have the fear of God in me? Definitely yes! But that is because I know the lengths that he was willing to go and what he is willing to put me through to save me from myself, mainly.

More of my simplistic attempts at artwork dedicated to the Immaculate Conception

I had that urge again to create something visual. I know, it's pretty simplistic and childish as usual, but there is real value in the creative act. Therapeutically and just for fun.

Anyway, in the Catholic Church, the month of August is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, which we believe is Mary, the Mother of Jesus (God).

Mary, like every other human being, had to be saved by God, but the Church teaches that she is unique in that she was preserved from the "stain" of original sin at the moment of her conception to be Christ's human mother as well as the "Mother" of the Church and all Christians.

She, through the sheer grace of God, remained sinless during her natural life here on Earth.

That's the best I can do to explain it, and I hope that it is an accurate statement, if not entirely complete, which I apologize for.

If you have recourse to her for whatever reason, she always points and directs you to her Son, Jesus Christ.

We know that Jesus, as a true human and True God, perfectly kept the commandments, and of course that includes "Honor thy mother and father". 

That is why she is held in such high esteem.