We've all been there before, sat at a computer screen struggling to find inspiration, feeling tired, restless and worse still unproductive.
In this post i'll try to set out some ways in which we as bloggers can improve the amount and quality of sleep which in turn should help us to blog better.
Make Tomorrows To Do List
I have made the mistake of lying in bed thinking about different ways I can improve my blogging, remembering things I meant to do during the day, worrying about what I should be doing in the morning. All of these thoughts keep the mind racing and can prevent sleep. Before retiring to the bedroom make concise to do list of all of the blogging related tasks you want to achieve the next day. Doing so will help you switch off from you blogging and focus on getting some proper rest.
Make the bedroom just for sleep
Try to make sure you only use your bedroom for sleep related activities. Move distracting things like televisions, books, mobile phones, pda's, laptops, magazines etc to another room. Aim to have no electronic devices in the bedroom at all. The idea is that your body will soon associate the bedroom purely with relaxation and sleep, and nothing else, helping you get to sleep faster and sleep deeper.
Prepare for bed properly
Most problems associated with being unable to get to sleep can be easily solved by preparing properly for bed. Avoid eating in the two hours before bed time and digestion speeds the metabolism and can prevent sleep. Get undressed, brush your teeth and change into your night dress (assuming you wear some!) and close the bedroom door. Close the curtains, dim the lights and spend between 10 to 20 minutes doing some light stretching and breathing exercises. This will help relax both your body and mind before you attempt to sleep.
You don't need to be a yoga expert or thai chi guru to do this. Most people know a few basic stretches (if not google will show you plenty), just remember to stretch using long slow movements, never bounce into a stretch as this can put you at risk of pulling a muscle. Always end this session with by lying on the floor doing some slow breathing. Once you are finished slowly get up, switch off the lights and get into bed.
Create a nice sleep environment
I'm not a huge believer in Feng Shui but i am a believer in the difference a clean clutter free bedroom can make. Try to implements a few of these simple rules:
- Always make the be in the morning as soon as you get up
- Never dump your clothes on the floor, either put them away or in the laundry bin
- De clutter your bedroom of unnecessary furniture and objects
- Try to maintain neutral decoration in light, plain, calming colors
- Ensure your curtains lock out as much ambient light as possible
If you manage to achieve all of the above tips your bedroom should be a great place to sleep.
A lot of the tips above may seem so obvious they are not worth implementing. However what you should aim to achieve is to eliminate the things that can prevent you getting the best sleep possible. By taking a holistic approach and making lots of small changes I believe most people could benefit from getting better quality sleep every night, making them more productive during the day.
So what do you think? Can sleeping better really help you blog better?
Guest post by James Gerrard
James runs a website called mattress comfort which is dedicated to helping people improve their sleep habits. He's written a more in depth article detailing more good sleep tips if you want to learn more.
Sleep Your Way to a Better Blog is a post from: We Blog Better. © 2010. Share it freely, but please link back to this source.