The Vicious Cycle…
The vicious cycle of not eating well, not sleeping well, gaining weight, being stressed and becoming depressed, can seem much like the dilemma of the chicken and the egg….
What came first?
What started this mess?
And what do I do to get out of this vicious cycle?
The vicious cycle that is killing my energy and crushing my soul.
Where do I step off?
How to I free myself from the downward spiral that takes me out every day?
There are many wellness wheels defining the key aspects of wellness. Like in this diagram.
But nothing in this wheel tells you where to start, what to do first, to achieve overall wellness. Nor does it show the inner connections and impacts between these areas of our life.
So we get up, go through the day, struggle, fall, get back up, over and over and over again. Everyday.
And every time we struggle, fall and sludge through the day, we become more tired, more stressed, more depressed.
The vicious cycle is sucking the energy from us and stealing our joy.
Stealing our spirit. And damaging our soul, when we beat ourselves up day after day.
We need to stop this damage. We need to say no more. No thanks to any further damage.
We need to be desperate enough to want a change.
When we are desperate enough to want a change, then we are ready to embrace another way.
Here is one key step that has worked for me. And I pray it works for you too.
I eliminated sugar and flour from my diet.
When I stopped consuming sugar and flour it eliminated the highs and lows in my blood sugar, reduced inflammation in my body and allowed my body to move more easily.
I know this sounds drastic but after 2 weeks you will totally feel the difference.
This one step lends itself to losing weight, sleeping better and eliminating joint pain.
When we have less pain in moving we will move more, because it doesn’t hurt to move.
When you move more it allows your body to be ready for sleep at night, which is the foundation for well being.
We NEED good solid sleep at night to repair and restore our bodies to serve us the following day.
RESTFULL SLEEP is the BEST thing we can give our bodies.
All our actions should be focused on making sleep our TOP priority.
The food we eat, the thoughts we think, our daily activities, our connections with others, how we manage our finances. Everything we do daily, needs to be in support of allowing peaceful sleep at night.
If we engage in toxic relationships, spend money we don’t have, over eat or indulge in food that sends our sugar levels through the roof, we will not be ready for peaceful sleep at night.
So…step one is eliminating sugar and flour. Then pay attention to how your body responds. If you fuel yourself with good protein and greens/veggies your body is going to thank you by giving you a body and mind you can count on. You won’t be having HIGHS and lows that send you into a tizzy. You will be more balanced. You will be more serene and more prepared to handle the daily decisions and activities within your day.
I do not use any stimulants to motivate me or depressants to slow me down. I rely totally on my body to do the beautiful work it does, naturally. When I treat my body well, it responds beautifully. I am lucky in this regard. I do not have conditions which require me to take pills for any aliment. I also do not drink. Alcohol is filled with sugar so NOT drinking makes it easy for me to avoid sugar in the form of alcohol.
If I were to list the key elements attributing to good sleep here’s my take.
Look at these 7 keys areas:
- Connections with People
- Activities/Movement
- Spending $ Daily/Monthly
- Food
- Water
- Thoughts
- Work/School/Career
Of these 7 areas which is giving you the MOST concern each day?
Number the areas from most concerning to least concerning…
You now have a roadmap to resolving your sleep issues…
All seven areas impact how well we can put our head on the pillow at night and get restful sleep.
If you have NO movement at all during day, you sitting in front of a computer or sitting on the couch – or driving all day, your body will not be tired and ready for sleep.
If you are stressed over finances and consumed with fear, your mind will not be ready for restful sleep.
If you have interactions with people professionally or personally who are toxic, or disruptive to your peace it will weigh heavy on your mind at night.
If you are consuming sugar and carbs your body has to work extra hard to process all this…and it WILL impact good restful sleep.
The vicious cycle cannot be corrected overnight.
But today, you can take one small step at eliminating something that is causing you, your greatest concern.
Each small step you take will serve you in getting a better night’s sleep.
Once you start getting restful sleep, you will be stronger and more prepared to address the other areas in the vicious cycle causing you concern.
One small step today…and then another small step tomorrow is the path forward.
I am grateful to be able to say “No Thanks” to Vicious Cycle days and welcome peaceful restful nights (most the time). Surely my sleep is not always perfect. But I’ll take great sleep any day.
Wishing you a blessed day and restful night of sleep.
Coach Sandy
www.nothanks.me