Inadequate sleep can have a profound impact on our physical and mental well-being. The most immediate effect of insufficient sleep is fatigue, making individuals feel tired and sluggish throughout the day. Additionally, lack of sleep can impair cognitive function, lead to mood swings and increased stress susceptibility, weaken the immune system, contribute to weight gain, affect physical performance, increase the risk of chronic conditions, disrupt hormone levels, impair skin health, and decrease libido. Chronic sleep deprivation can accumulate over time and may contribute to long-term health issues. Establishing good sleep hygiene practices and prioritizing sufficient sleep is crucial for overall well-being.
Sleep is crucial for overall health and well-being, impacting physical and mental functioning. It allows the body to repair and rejuvenate, consolidates and strengthens memories, promotes emotional well-being, supports a healthy immune system, influences metabolic health and cardiovascular health. The recommended amount of sleep varies by age, from 14-17 hours for newborns to 7-9 hours for adults. Individual needs may vary, the key is to pay attention to how you feel during the day and make adjustments to your sleep duration accordingly. If sleep difficulties persist, consult with a healthcare professional to address potential underlying issues.
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Have you ever wondered what spiritual awakening mean? And do you think you are or have gone through an awakening process?
So firstly; how can spiritual awakening be described.. well, I would describe it as a call to higher consciousness and a deeper mental awareness. It is a process that brings about personal transformation and a shift in one's world view.
Going through a spiritual awakening can be one of the most confusing, lonely, scary but also a very beautiful experience in life.
So what causes a spiritual awakening?
For many it's brought on by a life changing event. such as a traumatic experience that has a huge impact on our physical and emotional wellbeing. This event is often followed by a long period of healing. It could be from example a traumatic experience such as significant surgery, surviving an accident or serious abuse. It could be brought on by major life changing events that has the potential to change the entire course of your life such as divorce, death of aloved one, a "plandemic" or a serious illness.
It can also be brought on by a Near Death Experience. Experiencing such a profound event can transforms one's outlook on life. It can be brought on by what we know as the an existential crisis - also known as the Dark Night of the soul. During an existential crisis, an individual begins to question the meaning and purpose of life.
We can also go through a natural awakening This is an involuntary process of awakening. It takes place after engaging in a practice that produces a shift in conscious awareness.
Practices that can activate a greater conscious awareness are:
Mindfulness, Meditation, Yoga, Connecting with nature or animals for example
So, Spiritual Awakening is different for everyone. Everyone's experience is unique although and what you may experience might be something like this..
You might start to feel disconnected from the world. You may develop an awareness of your ego and that it is separate from yourself and acknowledge that there is greater energy at work within this universe - something is larger than yourself.
I'd love to hear if you have or are going through a Spiritual Awakening and what you are experiencing. Please comment below.
It's easy to stay where we are comfortable but have you ever asked yourself if that is the best place to be?
You see there are many good reasons and benefits from stepping out of your comfort zone.
Here are just a 6 reasons and benefits of leaving your comfort zone
- It makes you grow and discover a sense of self - when learning new ways of doing something we have the opportunity to grow and develop a sense of self. We also get the experience different perspectives.
- It exercises your mind! By learning to do new things we are creating new pathways in our brain.
- You become more confident and brave. Once you understand the emotions that come with stepping outside your comfort zone, you become more confident. You understand the process and it becomes more familiar to you. As you trust yourself in leaving the comfort zone you will build yourself up and become brave.
- You personally grow. You will learn a new skill and that will benefit you in so many ways.
- It can change your life! It can open new doors to experiences and possibilities that otherwise may have never appeared.
- You can find a new hobby which you love. Are there any activities that you’ve always wanted to try, but for some reason, you never have? Your comfort zone may have caused you to not try the new activity.
I decided to leave my comfort zone a few years ago when I decided that I wanted to learn to paddle a Surfski in the ocean. I had never paddled before at all, and certainly not in the ocean.
Surf skis are not easy to balance in! That certainly made me leave my comfort zone. I had to learn a new skill which challenged me. I also had to leave my comfort zone by being in the ocean. My biggest fear used to be deep water and what's in the ocean! That was another big step for me. I am so glad I decided to leave my comfort zone and learn how to Surfski. It's given be so much! New skills, more confidence, new friendships, the opportunity to travel to new places, to see wildlife, to relax from everyday stresses and more.
Last week I contacted the Mooloolaba Paddling club to see if I could go paddling with someone there. I have now been out a couple of times with people there. I did not just get to meet more people - I also get to challenge myself more by paddling further out in the ocean (about 400 meters out) and in messy, windy conditions with pretty big swell. I feel proud of myself for challenging myself once again.
Why don't you take the "chance" to try something new - it might give you so many gifts.
Below is a little video from my paddling session.
Have you ever had a feeling - perhaps call it gut feeling, that something does not make sense, or perhaps something is telling you don't do it?
Intuition is available to each and everyone of us. Intuition is a quiet but firm inner voice and can be referred to as God's voice speaking directly to us, the voice of my guardian angel guiding me, a gut feeling that happens without any effort to me. It's knowing something clearly without knowing how you came to know it.
There are many ways we can describe it and you may have your way of describing it too.
Intuition involves no conscious use of the reasoning mind.
The Latin word intuition mean "to regard inwards".
This gives you an idea of what intuition is. Intuition comes from within, even though outer things, people or events may be present and a part.
Intuition can work for you in everyday decisions you have to make. It can help you decide what path to take, how to solve a problem and to help you along your life path.
When you open yourself to possibilities, your consciousness will expand, you will awaken and that is the most useful skill you can open yourself up to in life.
The famous physicist Albert Einstein said " The intellect has little to do on the road to discovery. There comes a leap in consciousness, call it intuition or what you will, and the solution comes to you, and you don't know how or why"
Join me to awaken your intuition and how to set daily intentions.
Are you aware that your thoughts can have either a negative or positive impact on our health and wellness?
Your thoughts can for example relax your body and induce positive physical responses, but when you are stressed anxious or upset these emotions can manifest themselves in form of high blood pressure, head aches or stomach ulcers. The thing is that Your body gives numerous clues that your emotions or thoughts are out of balance or negative.
These may include some of the following: Back Pain, Joint pain, decrease or increase in apatite, chest pain, dry mouth, fatigue, unexplained aches and pains, head aches, high blood pressure, inability to sleep, sexual dysfunctions shortness or breath, upset stomach, weight gain or weight loss.
Your thoughts and emotions have a direct effect on your health and can weaken your body's immune system, making you more likely to get colds and other infections during stressful times. It is important to note that these physical issues are not just due to your thoughts but also due to the fact that when you're anxious or upset, you may not take care of your health as well as you normally would. You may not feel like exercising, eating right, or taking medicine for chronic issues.
So what about our emotional health. Did you know that exercise has numerous effects on the brain. Research has shown that exercise can produce effects much like an antidepressant and can also improve brain function, allowing you to concentrate longer and think faster. One theory for some of the benefits of exercise is that it triggers the production of endorphins in the body. These natural opiates are chemically similar to morphine, This gives a feeling of euphoria during exercise and lessens the body's response to pain. Animal studies have also found that exercise increases the levels of certain neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine. These neurotransmitters have been linked to elevated mood levels and work much in the same way as antidepressant medication. Most people express they feel good after exercise. I certainly know that I feel so much better when I move my body. Exercise does therefor not just have a positive impact on our physical health but also our mental and emotional health and can just as thoughts have an enourmous benefit to our wellness.
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