Won't sleep? Sound familiar, anyone who dipped their toes into the world of parenting would have at some point hit the brick wall known as bed time stand off, so when those wide eyes accompanied by a smile try the first in a long line of pleas, it's easy to give in for a quiet life. Or is it. After all a quiet life is a sleeping child, is it not.
Can I have a drink - oh that old chestnut, and be honest it was your key whine as a child too, however parenting varies, my Mum's in a minute lasted so long I inevitably fell asleep, my nieces were just too terrified to even ask their Mum, of course we can find middle ground, because boring your child or scaring your child is never the long term solution. So what is, can we really find an answer that doesn't have us running up and down the stairs for two hours until peace finally reins and we are just too exhausted to do whatever we planned in the first place.
Well actually the answer doesn't lay with the child, but the parent, it starts with one simple question
What do you want?
Can you answer that honestly, and I mean with more effort and thought than you are frustrated by bed time drama. Because the question is not what do you want to change, it is what do you want?
Back tomorrow with more ..
Our parental coaching courses have a new timetable from November, first meeting free.
Saturday, 29 September 2012
Smokers Unite
Why do you smoke?
That was yesterdays question. So have you explored the reason? Or is one day not enough time, should it be that difficult to know why. So let's explore those options, taken from smoking clinic questions.
Feeling hungry - nicotine is an appetite suppressant, so no time to eat but smoke on the go, the smoke itself is of course bad for health, but is having to skip me time good for our health, no it isn't because we all need battery recharge time, so can you get off of the carousel, if this is your reason for smoking. I don't mean by giving up, if it was that easy then the anti-smoking placebos would have no place, I mean by changing what you do first. Have that cigarette but sit down and smoke it as if it was meal time, so you still get the me time. Think about every single draw and taste each individual mouthful, then write down or if that isn't possible, commit to memory, how it feels.
One of the biggest concerns amongst smokers is that if they quit they will put on weight, if you are replacing food with nicotine then yes initially you will, because you are likely to be a thoughtless snacker as much as a thoughtless smoker. But this can be dealt with while you are a smoker, to stop the pattern.
Willpower - Have you got the willpower to quit? That isn't necessarily the problem, smoking is a prop for something, even if you want to pretend it isn't, so do you need to replace it with something, maybe, you could be someone who does. You can give up smoking and have determination to succeed, rarely does anyone who can just quit need advice, help or alternatives.
When I gave up smoking for good, it was after a few feeble attempts, I had a box of 20 and would buy 10's to top it up to convince myself it was still the same box, sad huh. The answer for me was to throw away the whole box, there were 19 in it at the time, break each one in half, to save salvaging them from the bin, been there before, throw away lighters and ashtrays! Then put the rubbish out for the bin man, to save me being the ultimate saddo and be caught rumaging in the bin in the front garden later that day I actually went to the high street and put it in a public bin, there was no way I'd be caught fumbling through there in the middle of the night. So it may sound dramatic, but quitting is a really big deal and everyone needs a plan. Of course willpower has a place but you can give up with very little of it, trust me.
Enjoyment - A little bit of what we like does us good. I asked this question the other day, do you enjoy smoking, this is something that comes up regularly, but it also comes up a lot from those who have given up but attend our maintenence clinic. I like smoking, I enjoy smoking, I can't imagine having a drink with friends and not gathering with the social smoky group outside. So which bit is the enoyment, the lighting, the inhaling, the first puff, or your last puff. Topping up your nicotine levels, the fix, that is the pleasure zone, but on a night out those levels are often topped up and then exceeded, too much of that and one cigarette will have to be two to get back up where you want to be, only careful control can stop that spiral, how many do you know who smoke socially and draw a line.
More later ...
That was yesterdays question. So have you explored the reason? Or is one day not enough time, should it be that difficult to know why. So let's explore those options, taken from smoking clinic questions.
Feeling hungry - nicotine is an appetite suppressant, so no time to eat but smoke on the go, the smoke itself is of course bad for health, but is having to skip me time good for our health, no it isn't because we all need battery recharge time, so can you get off of the carousel, if this is your reason for smoking. I don't mean by giving up, if it was that easy then the anti-smoking placebos would have no place, I mean by changing what you do first. Have that cigarette but sit down and smoke it as if it was meal time, so you still get the me time. Think about every single draw and taste each individual mouthful, then write down or if that isn't possible, commit to memory, how it feels.
One of the biggest concerns amongst smokers is that if they quit they will put on weight, if you are replacing food with nicotine then yes initially you will, because you are likely to be a thoughtless snacker as much as a thoughtless smoker. But this can be dealt with while you are a smoker, to stop the pattern.
Willpower - Have you got the willpower to quit? That isn't necessarily the problem, smoking is a prop for something, even if you want to pretend it isn't, so do you need to replace it with something, maybe, you could be someone who does. You can give up smoking and have determination to succeed, rarely does anyone who can just quit need advice, help or alternatives.
When I gave up smoking for good, it was after a few feeble attempts, I had a box of 20 and would buy 10's to top it up to convince myself it was still the same box, sad huh. The answer for me was to throw away the whole box, there were 19 in it at the time, break each one in half, to save salvaging them from the bin, been there before, throw away lighters and ashtrays! Then put the rubbish out for the bin man, to save me being the ultimate saddo and be caught rumaging in the bin in the front garden later that day I actually went to the high street and put it in a public bin, there was no way I'd be caught fumbling through there in the middle of the night. So it may sound dramatic, but quitting is a really big deal and everyone needs a plan. Of course willpower has a place but you can give up with very little of it, trust me.
Enjoyment - A little bit of what we like does us good. I asked this question the other day, do you enjoy smoking, this is something that comes up regularly, but it also comes up a lot from those who have given up but attend our maintenence clinic. I like smoking, I enjoy smoking, I can't imagine having a drink with friends and not gathering with the social smoky group outside. So which bit is the enoyment, the lighting, the inhaling, the first puff, or your last puff. Topping up your nicotine levels, the fix, that is the pleasure zone, but on a night out those levels are often topped up and then exceeded, too much of that and one cigarette will have to be two to get back up where you want to be, only careful control can stop that spiral, how many do you know who smoke socially and draw a line.
More later ...
Friday, 28 September 2012
Quitting Smoking
1. When you had your first cigarette of the day, how did you feel?
That moment, when you take the first deep drag on a cigarette and the smoke hits the back of your throat, relief after a night of abstinence or the fleeting thought that there are other things you could be doing right now. Was the cigarette rushed, a few quick puffs because you were running late, or was it a slow draw and an indulgent moment of your day. Was it closely followed by another one. Did you give it limited thought and treated it as routine, is smoking a luxury or a need?
2. How did you feel one hour later?
Had you already had another cigarette, or two, did it take priority over other things you needed to do, or does it fit around your lifestyle easily. Or had you not had another one.
3. Do you enjoy smoking?
When you first started smoking, what was the motivation, were your social group smokers, were your family smokers, are they still. Think back to the day you very first had a cigarette, how did it feel was it a pleasure or was it uncomfortable, what makes smoking enjoyable?
When I very first had a cigarette I was 11 years old, it wasn't to be cool I just wanted to try one, my family smoked which was common in the seventies, secondary school was my first opportunity on my own, I'd tried smoking hair grips in front of the mirror it wasn't the same. I can still picture that moment, the strange taste different to anything I'd ever experienced, then panic set in and I dumped the pack of ten and bought some mints, smoking in adult years is different because nobody is in a position to tell you it is forbidden. So why do we make these choices as adults. For me at 17 I tried again, my friend smoked so although it wasn't an influencing factor curiosity did get the better of me. I can't say I enjoyed it so why did I have another one, well I think it was because I was sure it would get better, it did, I soon needed a fix of nicotine yet didn't actually see it that way. I did stop at 18, so an intermitent smoker. Yet at 24 I was back there and this time instead of the odd cigarette with friends or booze it was twenty a day puffing my way through and enjoying it, so how did the transition take place, I think because it was a difficult time for me a cigarette gave me refuge, when I was smoking I did not have to think about anything else. So of course I took pleasure in escape, so not the cigarette as such but the hiding place it provided. I gave up again 5 years later when life settled down and then took it up again during a rough time, but for me it is solace. Do I enjoy smoking - no, do I enjoy the distraction - when needed obviously I did.
4. Do you honestly want to quit?
So do you want to give up, if you do then it's not always as easy as throwing the packet in the bin, because that little devil on our shoulder says you can buy more if you really want to. Quitting is about more than willpower.
Step one - why do you smoke, and saying because you like smoking is a cop out, think more deeply.
I will move on to answering some of the questions I've been sent and dealing with step one soon.
My smoking clinic is on 27th October at 11am, details on my FB page. It's free for the first session.
That moment, when you take the first deep drag on a cigarette and the smoke hits the back of your throat, relief after a night of abstinence or the fleeting thought that there are other things you could be doing right now. Was the cigarette rushed, a few quick puffs because you were running late, or was it a slow draw and an indulgent moment of your day. Was it closely followed by another one. Did you give it limited thought and treated it as routine, is smoking a luxury or a need?
2. How did you feel one hour later?
Had you already had another cigarette, or two, did it take priority over other things you needed to do, or does it fit around your lifestyle easily. Or had you not had another one.
3. Do you enjoy smoking?
When you first started smoking, what was the motivation, were your social group smokers, were your family smokers, are they still. Think back to the day you very first had a cigarette, how did it feel was it a pleasure or was it uncomfortable, what makes smoking enjoyable?
When I very first had a cigarette I was 11 years old, it wasn't to be cool I just wanted to try one, my family smoked which was common in the seventies, secondary school was my first opportunity on my own, I'd tried smoking hair grips in front of the mirror it wasn't the same. I can still picture that moment, the strange taste different to anything I'd ever experienced, then panic set in and I dumped the pack of ten and bought some mints, smoking in adult years is different because nobody is in a position to tell you it is forbidden. So why do we make these choices as adults. For me at 17 I tried again, my friend smoked so although it wasn't an influencing factor curiosity did get the better of me. I can't say I enjoyed it so why did I have another one, well I think it was because I was sure it would get better, it did, I soon needed a fix of nicotine yet didn't actually see it that way. I did stop at 18, so an intermitent smoker. Yet at 24 I was back there and this time instead of the odd cigarette with friends or booze it was twenty a day puffing my way through and enjoying it, so how did the transition take place, I think because it was a difficult time for me a cigarette gave me refuge, when I was smoking I did not have to think about anything else. So of course I took pleasure in escape, so not the cigarette as such but the hiding place it provided. I gave up again 5 years later when life settled down and then took it up again during a rough time, but for me it is solace. Do I enjoy smoking - no, do I enjoy the distraction - when needed obviously I did.
4. Do you honestly want to quit?
So do you want to give up, if you do then it's not always as easy as throwing the packet in the bin, because that little devil on our shoulder says you can buy more if you really want to. Quitting is about more than willpower.
Step one - why do you smoke, and saying because you like smoking is a cop out, think more deeply.
I will move on to answering some of the questions I've been sent and dealing with step one soon.
My smoking clinic is on 27th October at 11am, details on my FB page. It's free for the first session.
Thursday, 27 September 2012
The Roads We Use
Currently
the use of variable speed limits on motorways are under review, after a recent
consultation by the Highways Agency to investigate the managed motorway policy
implementation for the Birmingham Box, which is sections of the M5, M6 and M42.
This is to incorporate variable speed limits with running time on the hard
shoulder during peak times, when a mandatory 60MPH upper limit would be in
force, reduced during times of poor visibility.
The results of this will be available in the near future.
Because
this part of the network suffers from extensive congestion during peak times, these
roads have to be managed to help try and tackle the problem. This intervention
has to be taken by the Government who own the motorways, management is covered
by HA which is a department of the DFT.
The
consultation gave two options, the preferred one above of managed motorways, or
option two, widening the road to four lanes and keeping in place a permanent
hard shoulder.
The
costs for option one, at today’s prices is £284.4m,
The
Highways Agency (HA) own around 1500 cameras on our road network, not easily
identified due to the fact that they are not in use for speed enforcement, they
are however critical in terms of traffic management. But what are these cameras
actually used for. As drivers, is it
relevant, especially if we are driving within the law.
The
HA uses ANPR, also known as automatic number plate recognition, to collect data
which is used to calculate journey times across the road network which they are
responsible for, this includes motorways and major trunk roads, this enables
the agency to update their live traffic service available through Traffic
England.
The ANPR automatically converts the
vehicle registration number through a mathematical process know as hashing into
non unique reference numbers known as tagging, this tag is then noted by the
roadside cameras. It is not possible to identify each individual number plate,
as a collection of vehicles can generate the same tag. The data is transferred
approximately every five minutes and up to 14 million tags can be generated in
one day. This highlights just how much traffic uses our road network in the UK.
To have some of the safest roads in the World with this sort of data is an
incredible achievement.
This
system does not transmit driver or vehicle images. As the data has no personal
information it is not covered under the data protection act, so no restrictions
are placed on how long this is held for. There have been previous requests for
more information regarding the hash tags however this was shown to have exemption
under the freedom of information act.
Camera
information helps to keep our road network running smoothly, allowing rolling
road blocks and traffic diversions to help keep our journey as smooth running
as possible. HA vehicles are on the road all day every day. Since 2004 the officers have been helping the
Police with a great support service. Ignoring a direction from a HA officer or
their signage can invite fines up to £1000, an endorsement or even
disqualification.
So
how did the role change, after all, many of us remember road traffic control
being the responsibility of the Police.
In 1998 the Government’s new deal for transport identified that the
highways agency would change their focus to become road network operator, the
review which also involved the Police was completed in 2002, it showed there
was a strong case for the Police to be relieved of some duties and these could
be dealt with by the HA. The transport management bill became the traffic
management act in 2004, and along with that came a role change for HA officers.
This
enables officers to stop and direct traffic and pedestrians, to stop traffic as
part of surveys asking for journey details etc, and same powers as the Police
under section 67 road traffic regulation act. HA vehicles have been authorised
to use amber and red lights since 2004, blue lights are only on vehicles used
by the emergency services. HA officers deal with around 850 incidents per day.
Although
the HA is not a recovery service, the roadside emergency phones are now managed
by them, it is more effective to use roadside phones than a mobile as the
agency can then identify immediately where you are and in most cases monitor
your location with CCTV. They will then inform the appropriate service for your
situation. With the hard shoulder being the most dangerous lane on our motorway
network, having help at hand and quickly is imperative.
As
with all DFT departments spending cuts are under way, in the 2012 business plan
the vehicles used by the HA are under review, so is also the possibility of
single crew officers attending some incidents. The CLEAR initiative will see
specific tasks dealt with, currently diesel and oil spills mean lane closures
and significant treatment, the issue of oil and diesel spill kits will
hopefully address this, so will carriageway clearance, where vehicles, with the
aid of new recovery vehicles will enable broken down travellers to be removed
from lanes that are in use, more quickly.
VOSA will play a part by helping to deal with repeat HGV breakdowns and
incidents from the same operator.
The
Highways Agency are committed to helping tackle road safety issues on our
roads, in 2005 there were 5 fatalities on the highway network which was more
than double previous years. AFZ, aiming for zero is the strategy put forward by
the HA to eliminate exposure of road side workers to traffic on lanes that are
in operation, therefore reducing risk. With the HA working with leading
organisations to improve driver behaviour through road works.
Part of the
efforts to improve safety through road works and lane closures will include,
speed detection measures, thought to be SPECS, possibly the use of a National
Blanket Order during overnight works and short term closures. To produce driver influencing tools to enable
effective training, influencing and briefing sessions to take place.
So
with all agencies tightening their belt, road safety is still a priority, good
news for everyone who works within this environment, could we be doing more to
help. It’s not just about obeying speed limits, it’s the general protection of
the working area and potential mistakes of other road users, after all, how
much road work traffic flow training takes place amongst new drivers, or even
the experienced ones.
Road
works and lane closures often ignite frustration and impatience, after all that
is human nature, particularly amongst those who have left too late and are now
racing against the clock. Average speed cameras or remote policing, can monitor
and slow down the drivers who want to protect their licence and possibly their
career, but could we help put out a more informed message as to the risk taken
by those who work hard at keeping our network moving even if sometimes, it does
feel slow.
Anne
Green BA Dip DI
Dip
NLP Dip LC
Feeling Good?
6. Ask yourself at the end of tomorrow if you achieved your plan
7. If yes, how did it feel. If not, why not?
So how did you get on? Did yesterday go according to plan, did you get out of bed with a beaming smile and bounce through the day, did your usual routine take over but it still felt good, or was the start a bit slow and got better. maybe neither of these. If you were opening one eye and peeping out at the World wishing it would go away then we need to find out why.
First of all though lets start positively, your day was excellent, you are pleased with your work life balance and can't wait for the next day, then you definitely do not suffer from SAD, but also you are in the minority which is good for you but bad news for the rest of us. The majority figure are in the middle group, routine, stressed, not enough hours in the day but still some me time.
Then there is the group who are at the biggest risk from SAD, life is sometimes unhappy, each new morning feels like a trial and the dark mornings can leave you dragging your body through the motions. You are at risk of becoming depressed, you might have even taken the first step into the tunnel that has no light, or you may just feel as if your oomph has got up and gone. Can it change and can you jump off of the carousel and walk into a bright sunny start to everyday. Yes of course you can it is yours for the taking. I will be covering how you can feel better, with tiny steps not insurmountable leaps.
7. If yes, how did it feel. If not, why not?
So how did you get on? Did yesterday go according to plan, did you get out of bed with a beaming smile and bounce through the day, did your usual routine take over but it still felt good, or was the start a bit slow and got better. maybe neither of these. If you were opening one eye and peeping out at the World wishing it would go away then we need to find out why.
First of all though lets start positively, your day was excellent, you are pleased with your work life balance and can't wait for the next day, then you definitely do not suffer from SAD, but also you are in the minority which is good for you but bad news for the rest of us. The majority figure are in the middle group, routine, stressed, not enough hours in the day but still some me time.
Then there is the group who are at the biggest risk from SAD, life is sometimes unhappy, each new morning feels like a trial and the dark mornings can leave you dragging your body through the motions. You are at risk of becoming depressed, you might have even taken the first step into the tunnel that has no light, or you may just feel as if your oomph has got up and gone. Can it change and can you jump off of the carousel and walk into a bright sunny start to everyday. Yes of course you can it is yours for the taking. I will be covering how you can feel better, with tiny steps not insurmountable leaps.
Quit smoking
Giving up smoking and seen the adverts, well the Government inspired Stoptober has a few things lacking. If you quit smoking for 28 days you are five times more likely to give up, well five times more likely than who?
I gave up smoking for 12 years but I also started again, after two years I quit and have remained smoke free, but is a smoker ever a non smoker or are they a smoker who just happens to be not smoking at the moment. I am not alone, I know many people who have given up for years and the started again, yet at one point the majority said they couldn't ever imagine smoking again. So what makes us smoke, what inspires us to give up and why on Earth do we start again.
learning by experience is where it starts, so this is peer pressure and nurture, a home where both parents smoke the children are much more likely to smoke than those who were raised in a smoke free environment, even if their friends smoke. Research has identified that smoking in teens could be reduced by 1/5 if smoking in movies aimed at this age group was stopped or dramatically reduced, as smoking sill carries with it an impression of street wise hero. In the UK teen movie goers are exposed to more on screen smoking than their US counterparts.
Smokers are very defensive when questioned whether they would give up and why they choose not to. Reduced quality of life is one of the most common reasons that smokers give when citing their reasons for continuing to smoke. Yet those who have successfully given up, which is guaged at about 3 years not smoking, say their quality of life was not worse once they gave up, but they do notice the health benefits, and the financial saving.
I'm running a smoking clinic in October, for those who want to give up, not start ..
A few questions to be explored. Aimed at smokers
1. When you had your first cigarette of the day, how did you feel?
2. How did you feel one hour later?
3. Do you enjoy smoking?
4. Do you honestly want to quit?
Back tomorrow with this one to explore the common answers, feel free to comment.
I gave up smoking for 12 years but I also started again, after two years I quit and have remained smoke free, but is a smoker ever a non smoker or are they a smoker who just happens to be not smoking at the moment. I am not alone, I know many people who have given up for years and the started again, yet at one point the majority said they couldn't ever imagine smoking again. So what makes us smoke, what inspires us to give up and why on Earth do we start again.
learning by experience is where it starts, so this is peer pressure and nurture, a home where both parents smoke the children are much more likely to smoke than those who were raised in a smoke free environment, even if their friends smoke. Research has identified that smoking in teens could be reduced by 1/5 if smoking in movies aimed at this age group was stopped or dramatically reduced, as smoking sill carries with it an impression of street wise hero. In the UK teen movie goers are exposed to more on screen smoking than their US counterparts.
Smokers are very defensive when questioned whether they would give up and why they choose not to. Reduced quality of life is one of the most common reasons that smokers give when citing their reasons for continuing to smoke. Yet those who have successfully given up, which is guaged at about 3 years not smoking, say their quality of life was not worse once they gave up, but they do notice the health benefits, and the financial saving.
I'm running a smoking clinic in October, for those who want to give up, not start ..
A few questions to be explored. Aimed at smokers
1. When you had your first cigarette of the day, how did you feel?
2. How did you feel one hour later?
3. Do you enjoy smoking?
4. Do you honestly want to quit?
Back tomorrow with this one to explore the common answers, feel free to comment.
Wednesday, 26 September 2012
How is your Tomorrow?
5. Do you have a plan for your day tomorrow?
What is your plan for tomorrow? Using the throw away lines of things like, the same as today, is a cop out, what is your plan from the moment you leap out of bed ready for a new and beautiful day, until you go to bed. If you are letting your days merge then now is the time to put a halt to that. People with a life plan, have a happier outlook even when dealing with things that are trying or mundane.
It's much easier to settle into a routine and never break free from it, if you search for no more or do not desire a goal from your lifestyle, then nothing will ever change. Making a plan for one day, and then following it raises the happy endorphins in your body because you feel rewarded, and at this time of year, when we are trying to avoid the symptoms of SAD, positive planning is a must, especially if you think you may be at risk.
6. Ask yourself at the end of tomorrow if you achieved your plan
7. If yes, how did it feel. If not, why not?
What is your plan for tomorrow? Using the throw away lines of things like, the same as today, is a cop out, what is your plan from the moment you leap out of bed ready for a new and beautiful day, until you go to bed. If you are letting your days merge then now is the time to put a halt to that. People with a life plan, have a happier outlook even when dealing with things that are trying or mundane.
It's much easier to settle into a routine and never break free from it, if you search for no more or do not desire a goal from your lifestyle, then nothing will ever change. Making a plan for one day, and then following it raises the happy endorphins in your body because you feel rewarded, and at this time of year, when we are trying to avoid the symptoms of SAD, positive planning is a must, especially if you think you may be at risk.
6. Ask yourself at the end of tomorrow if you achieved your plan
7. If yes, how did it feel. If not, why not?
Tuesday, 25 September 2012
Dementia, know your own mind
Dementia adverts on TV, a Government backed campaign to raise awareness, but what does it really mean and who is at risk.
A fair amount of research has taken place into the connection between hysterectomies in pre-menopausal women, meaning prior to reaching age 50, and the early onset of Dementia. So is the NHS doing women a dis-service by offering routine hysterectomies as a financial decision rather than a need in the best interest of the patient. The BMJ published an article recently that said financially decided hysterectomies were common place in the NHS, it neglected to mention that although the website is NHS choices, to actually have a choice or at least be given total opportunity to explore that choice is limited, even negligible. Having very recently travelled that road, the intention was for me to have a full hysterectomy, my personal research encouraged me to push for more choice and indeed answers. After all it was a cyst on my ovary, which in real terms can often be removed independently. I settled on a salpingo-oophorectomy, which still shows an increase in my chances of suffering from Dementia despite the fact there is absolutely no family history of that or Alzheimers. Luckily for me, my NHS consultant listened and understood that I was prepared to take on board potentially another operation if the lab report was not good. I cannot fault the care I have received, however, it was only luck that got me here I nearly ended up on the NHS conveyor belt.
With life expectancy in women who have a hysterectomy being reduced, it could be considered that yes it is cost effective after all, or is that a little too controversial and distatsteful to fully consider.
Inherited Dementia, that raises the same questions as many long term illness, and of course much research has taken place, with all of these things not enough money is invested in research resulting in a false economy if prevention is out there for us. Science Daily reported that data is available that suggests changes in the levels of biological markers in spinal fluid can be detected many years prior to Dementia. Wouldn't it be good if this can really be developed to slow or halt the onset in the early stages, the research and trials are continuing, however many years of research point to the fact that there is a greater risk of Dementia depending on your own personal genetic make up, individual or inherited genes.
Watch this space for updates on recognising the signs and what you can do to help yourself.
Monday, 24 September 2012
Feeling SAD?
Seasonal affective disorder, heard of it before? Maybe, maybe not. It's that time of year when the nights begin to draw in, more quickly than usual this year, previous years have seen summer drift into late September and early October. So does dark nights and cold mornings affect how we feel? YES it does!
Sunshine is a mood enhancer, where even things that are getting us down, can be improved by a bright, warm day which can lift spirits and even the hardest of days can then seem better. So cold, dark, rainy days are mood depressants, and who wants to feel down and depressed.
Sleep patterns are the first disruption to how we are, so with the early mornings being replaced by darkness, our body feels the urge to sleep more, compared to a bright morning and our body clock wakes us early, so sleep patterns contribute to our performance at work. They also contribute to how we cope with life, a restless night doesn't feel nearly as bad when the weather is good, but a sleepless night and a dark cold morning is going to be a bad start to the day.
Lifting the mood and feeling brighter is difficult, fighting nature is not the way forward. Identifying your triggers is the first step.
1. Do you feel positive about tomorrow?
2. Ask yourself the same question as you get out of bed in the morning
3. Do you feel as if your life has direction?
4. Ask yourself the same question one hour after you wake up
5. Do you have a plan for your day tomorrow?
6. Ask yourself at the end of tomorrow if you achieved your plan
7. If yes, how did it feel. If not, why not?
Life is a journey, and the road can be bumpy, having to fight the natural pattern of light and dark on our mood is an added pressure, it may never have affected you, but if it is just a little, you may never have known. So answer these questions and read my next blog to find out if SAD affects you.
Sunshine is a mood enhancer, where even things that are getting us down, can be improved by a bright, warm day which can lift spirits and even the hardest of days can then seem better. So cold, dark, rainy days are mood depressants, and who wants to feel down and depressed.
Sleep patterns are the first disruption to how we are, so with the early mornings being replaced by darkness, our body feels the urge to sleep more, compared to a bright morning and our body clock wakes us early, so sleep patterns contribute to our performance at work. They also contribute to how we cope with life, a restless night doesn't feel nearly as bad when the weather is good, but a sleepless night and a dark cold morning is going to be a bad start to the day.
Lifting the mood and feeling brighter is difficult, fighting nature is not the way forward. Identifying your triggers is the first step.
1. Do you feel positive about tomorrow?
2. Ask yourself the same question as you get out of bed in the morning
3. Do you feel as if your life has direction?
4. Ask yourself the same question one hour after you wake up
5. Do you have a plan for your day tomorrow?
6. Ask yourself at the end of tomorrow if you achieved your plan
7. If yes, how did it feel. If not, why not?
Life is a journey, and the road can be bumpy, having to fight the natural pattern of light and dark on our mood is an added pressure, it may never have affected you, but if it is just a little, you may never have known. So answer these questions and read my next blog to find out if SAD affects you.
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