Lack of sleep tremendously impacts my day for the worse. My job is essentially to listen to people and that listening requires intense concentration. I can even drink an extra cup of coffee but eventually that crash will hit me. That crash is discouraging when I have to meet with two more people. That lack of sleep can never be made up later.
Every four weeks I have an infusion of IVIG or Immune Globulin that boosts my immune system. I have had these treatments every month for the past 26 years. IVIG is incredibly expensive. Without health insurance one dose of IVIG costs around $50 thousand dollars. For one treatment. One. Having had this for so long I tend to take it for granted. This week was different.
The place I receive the IVIG from changed ownership in July of last year. The holdup had to do with medical insurance as this company was deemed “out of network” this year when it was “in network” last year. My insurance plan now is the same one from last year so I did not think there would be any changes. I will still get the IVIG, but it is looking like it will be sometime next week.
Even when I am getting close to needing a new dose I can tell when my IG level is low. I can tell because it affects my sleep. I have to get up more times during the night and I do not have that same quality of sleep I need. Fortunately, there is a work around until my next dose comes.
All of this is to say that I have learned to build in rules and boundaries to safeguard my sleep. One safeguard is that I go to bed as early as I can. I get a much better sleep if I go to bed at 9pm and wake up at 6am than if I go to bed at 11pm and get up at 8am. Sleep for me is a non-negotiable.
When you think through you daily routine, what have you found is vital you get but if that falls off it really impacts you for the worse? Perhaps it is finding room in your day to eat breakfast or to exercise on a consistent basis. Whatever it is that you know would benefit you for the better but find yourself negating, it is worth it to at least try.
Exercise is a huge value to me. I know when I get done, I will feel more motivated and better about myself. This past year has been a challenge with gyms being closed. I canceled my gym membership and used that money to buy an elliptical machine. I have never been one to work out in the mornings, but I am now. It is much easier to go to the next room at 7am instead of driving somewhere else.
Changes can be intimidating but are worth the work to get through the challenge. Can you identify one thing you know you would benefit from that you find yourself putting off? When you find that one thing, start to brainstorm solutions. Easier said than done, I realize, but worth the effort in the end.
If you are looking for a therapist near you then a Google search is a great way of finding one. I happen to be a therapist in Charlotte, NC but am licensed to counsel anyone in the state of North Carolina. In Google, try looking for “psychotherapist,” “find therapist,” “therapy near me,” or even “counseling charlotte, nc.” If you feel like you have hit a wall you are not able to get past, call me at (704) 458-6298 or email me at jeffhelms@clearerthoughtspllc.com.
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