These signs mean that your body is telling you to slow down!
Have you ever done something stupid and wished you could go back in time to correct what you did?
Yesterday, I did something stupid. I really wish I could relive yesterday and not do what I did.
We have a two car garage with two garage doors. Yesterday, I opened the wrong garage door then tried to back out of the garage. The garage door did not like that. The garage door that was happy before I hit it, but now it has an angry countenance and looks damaged.
Fortunately, unlike the garage door, my husband did not look angry at all. He just hugged me, told me he loves me, and said that accidents happen and we will have to fix it. Thank goodness my second husband is not like my first husband. My first husband would have beaten me to death had I done something like this.
Nevertheless, I am determined to never do something like this again. It can be difficult to realize that I need to slow down because I do not think clearly when I am fatigued. I have been researching how to know when I need to slow down. Here is what I have come up with.
Notice your foggy brain syndrome.
Your brain needs sleep to function just like a car needs gas to run. Your body uses sleep to stabilize chemical imbalances, to refresh areas of your brain that control mood and behavior, and process what has been happening in your life.
When your sleep is disturbed (especially when rapid eye movement sleep is disturbed), your mind might be sluggish during the day. You will not retain knowledge very well, and you tend to forget important things (like making sure the garage door is open before you try to back the car out).
In the future before I begin to do something, I will check for “foggy brain” syndrome. I will try to solve a Sudoku puzzle. If I get frustrated when I try to do a Sudoku puzzle, I will stop and rest.
Are your lips dry?
Did you know that dehydration goes hand-in-hand with exhaustion? It really does!
If your lips are cracked, your skin is dry, and you suffer from headaches, you might be dehydrated. And when you are dehydrated, you feel more fatigued.
Before I begin to do something in the future, I will check for signs of dehydration. I will check to see if my lips and skin are dry. If they are, I will stop and rest and drink more water instead of continuing through my day.
What foods have you been craving?
Have you ever noticed that when you are exhausted your junk food cravings increase? I have noticed that, and so have researchers.
Researchers say that junk food appeals to exhausted people because sleepy brains associate junk food with reward and pleasure. Junk food does not activate the reward centers of well-rested brains in the same way, though.
So before I start to do something, I will ask myself what kind of foods I have been craving. If I have been craving junk food more than I normally do, I just might take a nap before continuing with my plans for the day.
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Are you dehydrated? Overly tired? Have you been craving junk food more than you normally do lately? Join the club! So have I! Maybe we both should slow down and take a nap before we continue our plans for today…
Unfortunately, I cannot travel back in time and relive yesterday. I cannot change what I did yesterday, but I can take steps to prevent myself from doing stupid things in the future.
Slow down and get enough rest to think clearly and function your best.
Let the encouraging words in these bobbiejrae posts help you
soar like an eagle above life’s storms.
Celebrate every day of your life, even the not so good ones.
The hero you are searching for is not far away.
Here is a pearl of wisdom for your life.
In spite of your circumstances…