I love encouraging others!
Since I love encouraging others so much, I’m sharing Creativity Memes for this year’s A to Z Blog Challenge. The quotes are from all over, but I took each photo with my iPhone. Here’s today’s featured letter:
N is for Nap Power
I used to push myself to the breaking point, trying to get by with as little sleep as possible. These days, however, I now honor my body’s need for a solid 8 or 9 hours of sleep each night. I wish I could say the reason for this change is that I wisely realized the importance of listening to my body.
The truth is that my body finally got fed up and threw a tantrum. After a health scare or two, I was essentially forced to respect my body’s need for sleep. I feel so much better! And, ironically, I’m actually more productive than when I was pushing myself to death.
Another thing that caused me to look at naps in at sleep in a new light is the time I spent in Italy. Italy is a siesta culture, and from roughly 1-4pm each day, shops close so that people can go home, have lunch with their family and, if they feel like it, take a nap! After a while, I found this to be a very comfortable rhythm.
Here in America, we often scoff at those who nap, as if it’s a sign of weakness. But in Italy, without that nap stigma, I developed a new appreciation for them, and appreciate how they can improve productivity. I don’t nap every day, but when I do, I no longer feel guilty about it.
What about you? Do you listen to your body’s needs? Do you ever take naps? Has your attitude towards naps, rest and sleeping changed over the years?
Follow me on Instagram & I’ll follow you back!
If you are on Instagram, I’d be delighted to follow you. Simply follow my photo feed (@TuiSnider) on Instagram and I’ll follow you back! Isn’t Instagram fun? I’ve gone from turning up my nose at the idea of cell phone pictures, to being an avid iPhone photographer. I even had my first gallery show last summer!
What is the April A to Z Blog Challenge?
Each April, bloggers from all over the world participate in the April A to Z blog challenge, and you can too. It’s a lot of fun and a great way to meet other bloggers.
To play along, all you do is make a blog post for each letter of the alphabet during April, then visit as many other bloggers as you can. In addition to my personal blog here, I’m also writing A to Z posts for the the Story Dam writing community. You can check those out by clicking here: Story Dam’s Writing Quotes & Encouragement
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…and the older I get, the more I enjoy my naps. LOL!
Theme: Oh, the places we will go!
Oregon & Oahu
DB McNicol , author & traveler
The ‘nap culture’ lifestyle sounds like something a person could grow quite accustomed to… :)
I need to move to Italy.
If I don’t sleep at least 8 hours a night, I fill all droggy and I can’t do anything. So I know, don’t stretch too much. It is worth it and it does give more energy. Well, at least to me ;-)
@JazzFeathers
The Old Shelter – 1940s Film Noir
We joke around at work about wanting to use an empty office as a nap room, but I personally love the siesta idea!
Lisa / Tales from the Love Shaque
Oh, a subject dear to my heart! I have been a devout napper for 15 years or more. My brother, a nurse who worked pm shifts, first taught me the value of naps. I’m lucky that my work schedule fits perfectly with napping. I have a mat and soft blankie at my work center (okay, I’m regressing here), and I avail myself of them every day. I often stay up late and get up early, but the nap takes care of the rest.
As I get older sometimes my body does not give me choices in that. I have never been a napper but more and more in this last year, I found I have had to just stop and give in to it. It did help. I was surprised, when I was younger this would have caused me to be up all night and short of sleep the next day, but not anymore.
‘Enjoyed reading. Happy A to Z Juneta @ Writer’s Gambit