Better You #2 : Hacks to improve your sleep and practical tips & thoughts to enhance your life

Ever had any sleeping problems? Tonight was one of those nights where I only had about 4 hours of sleep, tumbling endlessly while my mind took form of an internal battlefield between my lower and higher self.

While my reasonable, stoic side tries to practice mindfulness and the thousands of relaxation techniques I've learned over the years, my other low-conscious side utters thoughts such as "Ok William, now there is 5 hours, 36 minutes and 54 seconds until you have to wake up and study for your exam on Monday, no pressure".

I'm sure many of you out there can relate.

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Although looking at my life from a macro perspective I feel very blessed. I don't suffer from any serious illnesses nor do I have to worry about if I can afford tomorrows food. And that is something that I practice gratitude to every single day. So to have sleep troubles and as a consequence suffer from sleepless nights every now and again is a minor issue in large.

Nonetheless, one should respect insomnia and sleep disorders and one should definitely do whatever is in one's power to try to mitigate them. My sleep has become much better over the years but I still have miles to go. 🙏🏼

Let me know in the comments if you have any tips of your own.

Here are my personal top three (highly subjective) tips for better sleep (and believe my I've tried dozens):

1. Get yourself a kindle and allow yourself to read however long you want to (on extremely low brightness levels). This makes you not stress of simply lying there and feeling "unproductive", usually my eyes gets tired eventually and I'll fall asleep within 20-30 minutes of closing them.

   

2. Try lying on a bed of nails for 10-15 minutes before going to sleep. I can't remember where I read this biohack but I find it truly relaxing and effective.

3. Don't eat 2-3 hours prior to bed, I find it very much harder to fall asleep if I just had a huge meal devoured.

Well enough with the sleeping stuff, got a little bit carried away. 😉

Taking your weekend to the next level

As mentioned, I will write my third and final exam for this period on Monday. Although my days are to a 80% filled with studies during times like these, I find it very important to not lay off on my cornerstone habits such as reading, meditation, gym, and of course Steemit.

This morning I commenced a new book called Tribe of Mentors written by Tim Ferris (sure you've heard of it). And I must say I'm impressed. I haven't been the biggest fan of Tim during the years for various reasons but I find this book really promising. I'd love to share some key notes I took this morning, ready for you to apply to enhance your life. 💯

Key Takeaways (Tribe of Mentors)

• Think about what gives you bliss rather than happiness. If happiness is just above the status quo, bliss makes you feel alive.

What do you think of when you hear the word bliss? Personally, I would say freedom, accomplishment and joy. The feeling of standing on-top of a mountain (literally and metaphorically), the feeling of going to bed at night knowing that I have given the day 100% of my effort. This shift in mind-set opens up for an entire new set of questions.

Following the pursuit of bliss won't always be easy or the "happy" way to go. It will take courage, you will have to take risks, you will have to face adversity. View bliss as a compass of where you need to go, follow the bliss.

• Sisu - the mental strength to continue to try even after you feel you've reached the limits of your abilities.

Sisu is a Finnish word, to my understanding unmatched in its definition by any other language. I would say it is a mindset one should adopt in all areas in life. Make it a personal maxim. That's when the serious growth happens.

When you feel you can't go on, know that you're just getting started.

• The more clear you are about your goals, the easier it is to say no.

I personally don't suffer from "I-must-please-everyone-itis" but I know a lot of people do, so I scribbled this down to spread this thought because I think its incredibly important. Being able to say no is key to a happier life, and to an effective one as well. Be cautious and make sure you spend your time well, it is your most valuable resource, don't let anyone toy with it.

Magic Bullet of the Day

This will be the section where I share one book, article, gadget, food, supplement, app, quote etcetera that I personally use or utilise in my life and consider to be top 1% of its kind. The magic bullet of the day is:

Toggle Timer

Always when I hustle and especially when I study I always make sure to track my time to make sure I'm getting as many effective hours of work in as I want to achieve that particular day.

I have acquaintances in my class whom says (and actually do think) that they study e.g. 10 hours a day. But when you subtract the chit-chatting, breaks, toilets, lunch, dinner, feed scrolling.. you name it.. activities those 10 hours may barely account to a solid 4-6 hours tops.

This helps you to stay on top of your game and to make sure that you're putting in the work. A great tool to measure your progress and to track your goals as well.

Although how I personally track goals and utilise time-management strategies to make the most out of my day will have to wait to another article. 🔥