Living Juicy- The Benefits of Napping
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This post is part of The Living Juicy Project. Check it out!
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I LOOOOOVE napping. So believe me, I’ve really enjoyed this week of The Living Juicy Project.
Unfortunately, not everyone shares my opinion about napping. Lots of people see it as a waste of time. Why sleep when you could be getting stuff done? A friend of mine has been known to say, “Sleeping is just practice for death.”
Well, pooh on them. They don’t know what they’re missing.
SARK says that “napping prepares the mind for new thoughts,” and I’ve found that to be true.
In fact, I just remembered one time I had lost my wallet. I’d been searching for it for days and I couldn’t find it anywhere. It was during a really stressful summer- my stepfather was bed-bound with a cancerous brain tumor and my mom and I were taking care of him. Even a little thing like losing my wallet seemed like a huge deal. I don’t know why, but one day I decided to take a nap. As I woke up I just knew that the wallet was in between the bed-frame and the mattress. I leaned over the side of the bed, looked down, and there it was. Like magic.
Here are some other benefits of napping, aka nappy naps (based on extensive personal research):
- Naps are very refreshing. They’re like a restart button for your mind each day.
- Napping feels so decadent- like you should be doing something else, but instead you’re going to give yourself the gift of a nap. It’s a cheap and easy way to spoil yourself.
- Naps are good with a buddy (or with pets).
- Rainy day naps are magical.
- Naps boost creativity and productivity. It’s scientifically proven. Check out the research by Dr. Mednick. (She has a nap wheel that calculates your optimum napping time.)
If you can’t remember the last time you took a nap, it’s time to try it again. You’ll be glad you did.
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Song to fall asleep with – Stay Awake by Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins
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P.S. Here’s a short video with some scientific proof that naps are good. (Use it as a justification for all your naps. I should show it to my friend.)
P.P.S. This is probably the real reason I take so many naps. How can I resist curling up with this cute, little guy?
Living Juicy – Final Procrastination
Final Procrastination? I wish. I mostly said it because it’s a cheesy play off the movie Final Destination (which I do NOT recommend). But let’s look at the concept. What if, from this moment on, you never procrastinated again? What if you did everything as it occurred to you? How would your life be different?
Yesterday I wrote about some of the smaller things I put off, mostly related to chores. The energy I’ll save by doing things as I think of them will be amazing, but even by writing that post I was putting off the more serious discussion. Procrastinating is not just ignoring the dishes, it’s ignoring the opportunities to go after my dreams.
A lot of the bits I’ve read this week link procrastination with perfectionism. SARK writes, “Procrastinators are also tremendous perfectionists and relentless rehearsers. They rehearse over and over in their mind how they’re going to do it perfectly–then when they do nothing–it doesn’t disturb their perfect vision!” This really resonated with me. I’m sure we’ve all had a lot of great ideas, and somehow, they rarely seem to come to fruition. What stops us from taking the steps to make them happen?
For me, I hate making mistakes. Sometimes I wake up in the morning, worrying about little things I may have done wrong at work. Here’s an example- a couple months ago I almost got into a major car accident. A young guy in a fast car did a U-turn in front of me, and I swear I missed hitting him by 2 inches. Adrenaline was pouring through my veins, and it felt almost like a near-death experience. Fortunately I was almost home, and everything was fine.
The next day I made a mistake at work. Not a big one. No one was hurt by it, but it was definitely my fault. When I realized my mistake the adrenaline started pumping- it was the same feeling as the almost accident.
Maybe you’ve felt something similar. It’s that feeling I’m avoiding. The only trouble is, everyone makes mistakes. There’s no way to avoid making mistakes. Not only that, making mistakes isn’t bad. In fact, they should really be called “learning experiences.” Isn’t that what our parents and teachers told us when we were younger?
When you see a baby learning to walk, its one of the most precious things in this world. The baby takes a step, maybe two, and then falls on their diapered bum. Nobody thinks the baby is making a mistake when she falls. She’s just learning how to walk. That’s what we’re all doing- we’re just learning how to live.
I want to be more like that baby. She isn’t thinking about how she might look if she falls down on video. She doesn’t worry about making mistakes. She’s just wants to get where she’s going, and nothing is going to stop her.
SARK calls herself a “recovering procrastinator.” I think that’s a good title. It’s time to unlearn those habits that are keeping us from realizing our dreams (Yep, I’m talking about you, Mr. Procrastination). Maybe start with some smaller things, like chores, and work up to the big stuff.*
If you’re like me, and want to do some more work on this topic, stop by the bookstore this weekend and pick up the book Procrastination: Why You Do It, What to Do About It Now, or just order it here. Why procrastinate? *grin* I’ll be reading my copy at the same time.
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Songs to get you started – If Not Now by Tracy Chapman & What You Waiting For by Gwen Stefani
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Next week’s Living Juicy topic: Napping…Zzzzzz…
*Note: It’s important to acknowledge the things that you ARE doing. For me, it’s this blog. One of the things about blogging- it’s a very forgiving medium. It’s hard to say what a “perfect” blog is, because the range of style and content is huge.
Living Juicy- Procrastination 2.0
Oh my goodness, it’s been such a revealing week. I’ve really been studying and searching and contemplating procrastination in my life, and I feel like I could keep on this topic for another month.
I literally just realized that I don’t have to procrastinate. I thought it was some basic human function, like breathing or eating. Everyone procrastinates, right? Wrong! Some people don’t procrastinate. I’m still flabbergasted by this.
People have different reasons for procrastinating. They’re discussed pretty well here in the context of writing, but you could easily apply them to any situation.
One of the reasons I procrastinate is because I attach emotional significance to things that makes them unpleasant or scary. Here’s a good example- A month ago I knew I needed to clean out my refrigerator. The bottom shelf was full of not-so-fresh herbs, a container of mashed potatoes from Thanksgiving, and more gross, gloopy stuff I’m sure you can imagine. So, sometime in December I said to myself, “I need to clean out the fridge. Bleh,” and proceeded to ignore my impulse. Of course, since then every time I’ve opened the fridge I had the same thought, “I need to clean out the fridge. Bleh.”
I kept putting it off, until tonight. Three things happened that made me clean the fridge. First, I’m doing this thing on Procrastination. I felt guilty about simple stuff that I put off for so long. Second, it was really starting to smell bad, which is just nasty. And third, my mom brought me chicken soup. Where would I store it? (Yes, I finally cleaned out the fridge.)
Lots of the stuff I procrastinate on has to do with chores. And it’s stuff I’ll eventually do anyway, like clean the bathroom or clean out the fridge. When I procrastinate I use all this energy thinking about how unpleasant the chore will be, and spend even more energy feeling guilty about having a dirty [fill in the blank].
It’s ridiculous! I’m going to do the chore at some point. That’s a given. Why not do it when I first realize it needs doing? Then I can save all that “guilty” energy for more fun stuff. Seriously…the stuff in my fridge was much nastier/moldier/smellier tonight than it would have been a month ago.
There’s a good lesson there. I hope I remember it.
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Song to think by – A Time Comes by Nina Gordon
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Coming soon…Final thoughts on procrastination.
Living Juicy- Procrastination
Here we are in the first week of the Living Juicy Project, and already I’ve started some pretty serious soul searching.
This week’s theme is Procrastination. According to the theme, I’m writing my first Living Juicy Project post on the second day of the year. Actually, it was pretty ridiculous. I didn’t read the first page until 11:45 last night. Is it possible to plan procrastinating? And if so, why would anyone do it? I guess if you wanted to put off some soul searching…
January 1, Procrastinating- SARK writes some tough truths; that procrastination is part of being a perfectionist and having a low self-esteem. Essentially, if you always put things off, then you never ruin anything. Unfortunately that also means you don’t get anything done.
It’s hard. I don’t want to think I have a low self-esteem. I imagine myself bold and beautiful- like a soap opera star. But that facts are, particularly around my career, I definitely procrastinate. I do research on things for months before taking action. And I’m sure I’ve missed opportunities because I’m scared to start something and have it go wrong. Like if something went wrong, that would be proof that I wasn’t supposed to do it in the first place. So I’m stopped by the phantom mistake. It doesn’t exist. The only mistake I actually make is not trying anyway.
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January 2, Identifying Procrastination- According to SARK, some of the symptoms of procrastination are over-eating and over-sleeping. I’m sure I could add to that over-reading and over-watchingTVing.
In fact, I can even trick myself into believing my procrastinating is actually a good thing. I’m making a scarf for Person A, baking cookies for Person B, and helping Person C move. All the while, my own projects remain incomplete. But look how righteous I am? I did all these things for other people!
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It’s important to be gentle…It’s easy berate oneself for all the incomplete projects and missed opportunities. But you may have noticed, that doesn’t feel good and it certainly doesn’t help. Believe me, I spent a few pages chastising myself in my journal last night for my low self-esteem before I caught onto the the fact that I was hurting more than helping.
Right now, it’s enough just to notice and be aware. Yes, I procrastinate. Yes, that may be an indication of some things.
(Deep Breath) This is where I’m starting at. And that’s okay.
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Song to breathe by – Hard Time Killing Floor Blues by Chris Thomas King
The Living Juicy Project
A new year is just around the corner. Goodness, it’s almost been 10 years since Y2K, and it barely seems like any time has gone by- except I have all those memories (and a few pounds) I’ve gained. *grin*
The last couple weeks, as I’ve been thinking and singing in the shower, an idea has been growing and blossoming in my mind… I have a few favorite authors, but the most colorful and fun is SARK. You’ve probably seen her stuff- it’s an amazing and contagious source of smiles.*
She has this lovely book called Living Juicy: Daily Morsels for Your Creative Soul
That’s all about to change.
This year, from January 1st to December 31st, I’m going to read, do, and write about Living Juicy
(Plus, I watched Julie & Julia this year, and I love the idea of taking something I love, doing it for a year, authentically sharing my experience with people, and possibly making a difference in your life.)
I invite you to join me! Next time you visit your local bookstore, flip through the book. See if it calls out to you. Maybe only some of the weeks will pull on your heart. You’re welcome to join me for however much or little feels right.
I have to say, I am very excited about this project. I’m excited to see who will join me. I’m excited to nurture myself. Like I’ll be giving my heart a gentle massage to get the creative juice flowing. And maybe, by sharing, I’ll touch your heart too. I’m excited to read about your experiences. I’m excited that it’s almost 2010, and I have a feeling that it’s going to be a full and luscious year.
The Living Juicy Project starts on January 1st. (Except the theme of the first week is ‘Procrastination,’ so don’t be surprised if I don’t post until the 2nd. *wink*) I hope to see you here!
Many hugs and warm winter greetings to you!
Erin
* For more SARK information, color, fun, or to buy the book, visit her website at PlanetSark.com
Happy Dancing
Something about large groups of people being happy and dancing in unison gets to me every time. Dancing is such a great method of expression- it’s emotion made physical. And when people get up and start grooving, it’s contagious.
I’ve compiled some of my favorite videos below. Please, watch and enjoy.
Let’s start with JK Wedding Entrance Dance. You’ve probably seen it, but it’s worth rewatching. I cried the first 10 times I watched it.
Then there’s the classic T-Mobile Dance in the Liverpool Street Station. My favorite part is the “Public’s Reaction” video which is posted below.
The Public’s Reaction
As the lady at the end of the video said, dancing, or even watching people dancing, can put you in a good mood. I know it does for me. Sometimes when I’m feeling a bit down, all I have to do is watch one of these videos and I’m reminded of how amazing people are. And I’m filled with gratitude that I get to be alive in a time when people can dance at a wedding in Michigan get to share their joy with millions of people.
The next video is my personal favorite. Over 20,000 people came together for this dance, and they’re completely in sync. By the time the video is over, I bet you one hug that your feet are tapping- either that or you’re dancing around your living room.
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On this same synchronized-happy-dancing theme, I recommend the following movies
- Mamma Mia!
- The Sound of Music
- Dirty Dancing (classic)
- Save the Last Dance
- Calamity Jane
- Oklahoma
Please, please feel free to comment with other dancing video recommendations.
Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing
When was the last time you had a slice of homemade bread? If you had to think about it for more than 3 seconds, it’s been too long. It’s the season for making hearty, warm meals, and homemade bread adds to every meal. Something about the cooling season reminds me of playing games with my family in the evenings and drinking hot chocolate.
I made some soup in my crockpot, and wanted some bread to go with it. So I made French Bread for the first time ever. It turned out so much better than I ever could have expected. (I ate half a loaf in one evening with butter and fresh apricot jam. It was the best meal I’d eaten in months. Not that I haven’t eaten good food, but it was so delicious I just couldn’t stop.)
It was easier than I expected to make it. In fact, I made another batch last night. The hardest part is waiting for the dough to rise. But it’s so worth it. If you have a few hours and feel like baking, I highly recommend Yummy French Bread.
Homemade French Bread About to Go In the Oven
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Homemade French Bread Just Out of the Oven
Treasure Hunt Fun
This weekend I threw a potluck picnic party at the park. I invited a bunch of friends and told them to bring food and outdoor games. I had scheduled a couple hours for the event. I knew everyone would be eating and hanging out but I was still kind of worried about entertainment. What if everyone got bored? I didn’t want that to happen. I decided to have at least one activity planned that everyone could participate in.
After some deliberation I decided upon a Treasure Hunt! When I was a kid, my grandparents used to do a major treasure hunt every summer for all the young ones. I remembered how much fun it was to go looking for clues, not knowing what could be at the end of the search.
Of course, the most tedious part of making a treasure hunt is coming up with good clues. I wanted this party to be really easy so I looked around online and found this fabulous treasure hunt software called Riddle Me. It’s a simple, but flexible software, and within just a few minutes I had generated a 12-clue hunt. It was super easy.* Plus, it’s cheap! Gotta love that. It took me longer to tape the clues to the items than to actually make the puzzle.
The best part was that everyone loved it. Really, that’s the most important thing- that people have a good time.
Afterward I had people tell me how much fun it is to act like a kid sometimes. It’s true (and the squirt guns in the treasure bowl certainly helped with that).
If you want to check out the Riddle Me software, go here. I liked it so much, I became an affiliate. So if you purchase through this link, I’ll get a little something also.
Check out the pictures of the Treasure Hunt below.
"Which is the last clue?"
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"We found the treasure!!!"
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"These are nice pens..."
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Riddle Me also has a Scavenger Hunt generator. You know what I’ll be using to plan my next party!!!
* At one point I had a question about the software and sent an email to their support team. They responded within 24 hours. A+ Service.
Women are like…
“Women are like apples on trees. The best ones are at the top of the tree. Most men don’t want to reach for the good ones because they are afraid of falling and getting hurt. Instead, they sometimes take the apples from the ground that aren’t as good, but easy. The apples at the top think something is wrong with them, when in reality, they’re amazing. They just have to wait for the right man to come along, the one who is brave enough to climb all the way to the top of the tree.
Now Men…. Men are like a fine wine. They begin as grapes, and it’s up to women to stomp the crap out of them until they turn into something acceptable to have dinner with.”
A friend sent this to me today. It’s the first time I’ve heard it, and it’s just so perfect I had to share it.
I’m single. I have been for a while. And there are a lot of women in my same boat. Sometimes it can be discouraging. Just remind yourself, if applicable -
All you single ladies are just the best apples, ripening to perfection so when the right guy climbs the tree you’ll be super delicious.
Also, make sure you want to be picked. 
—–Video for this post —–>> Baby Dancing to Beyonce’s “All the Single Ladies”
And here’s another thing to remember about women-
~ Eleanor Roosevelt
Walking
“I’m walking through my resistance.”
That’s what I wrote this morning in my journal. It resonated through me as Truth. Like my Higher Self had managed to shoot that one thought out, one firework in the sky, among my thoughts of doing laundry, paying bills, and grocery shopping.
It all started a couple months ago. I had gone to my doctor for a regular check-up and she told me if I wanted to lose some weight I just had to walk briskly for 1 hour, 3-4 times a week. Normally I ignore people who say I need to lose weight, but she must have said it just right because just a few weeks later I took her advice.
I would put my walking gear on (shorts, sports bra, tank top), check the time, and walk for 30 minutes in one direction, then turn around and walk back. I didn’t even know how far I was going. I just wanted to get moving and get healthier. Initially my muscles weren’t used to walking that much, but it got easier pretty quickly.
And I ended up getting far more than better legs. Walking was meditative. No music, repetitive steps, rhythmic movement, soothing scenery- like a baby on a dryer. Something about the movement distracted my busy mind so my wiser self was easier to hear.
Which reminded me…
- I was lucky enough to see Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way, speak in New York City. It was just before she released her book Walking in this World, and she was speaking about how walking settles the mind and releases creativity.
- Another favorite author, SARK, devotes an entire week to walking in her book Living Juicy: Daily Morsels for Your Creative Soul. She says, “A good, conscious walk encourages meditation by it’s repetitive and calming movement. The body is in action, and the mind can relax.”
I walked religiously 4-5 times a week for one month. I felt so good. Walking felt great and I was so happy. Life just felt better.
Then I checked my scale and I had lost 10 lbs! I started wondering if I could lose more weight with jogging. So I committed to jogging. But I don’t like jogging, so I didn’t do it. Eventually, I was barely walking once or twice a week and then only short walks or maybe with a friend.
Which brings us to this morning. I was feeling kind of tense and almost grumpy, pushing against my day. I was writing in my journal complaining, but trying to feel better when I thought, “I should walk again, not because I want to lose weight, but because I was so happy. I’m walking my way through resistance.” Literally.
And so this evening, I took my own advice. I walked and I feel great.
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Songs to inspire walking
Walk On – U2
25 Miles – Edwin Starr
I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) – The Proclaimers