Find the book at www.charleymackesy.com

How will you know that your sleep debt is impacting you? Look for the following tell-tale signs that your sleep habits affect your overall health.

1. Brain Fog: You may notice diminished alertness, concentration, and perhaps even confusion or forgetfulness. Poor sleep interferes with the movement of short-term memories to long-term memories resulting in the symptoms of “brain fog.”
2. Weight Struggles: Poor sleep is linked to excess body fat because it can disrupt appetite regulation, causing you to feel hungrier. The resulting increased calorie intake leads to weight gain.
3. More Frequent Illness: Lack of sleep can cause lowered T-cells and increased inflammation, making one vulnerable to viruses and bacteria. One is more perceptible to acute illnesses (i.e., colds) and at risk for heart disease and other inflammation-related conditions.
4. Emotion/Mood Changes: Lack of sleep can hinder the production of neurotransmitters and the regulation of hormone production resulting in changes to your mood and emotions. You may notice difficulty regulating emotions, feelings of heightened stress, and low mood. 

Good news! Even though you can’t repay your “sleep debt,” you can start feeling better soon by improving your sleep habits now. Strive for 8 hours of sleep each night to boost mood and energy, stabilize weight, facilitate memory and learning, support a healthy immune system, and more. Refer to last year’s blog post for simple tips to improve your sleep. Invest in your sleep for short-term and long-term benefits.

​Improve your sleep, not only for yourself but for those around you. Alert, focused, healthy, happy, and energetic adults are the best brain architects (learning facilitators and caregivers).

References and Resources: 
Hyman, M. (2023). Young Forever: The secrets to living your longest, healthiest life. Little Brown Spark: NY
Dr. Mark Hyman. Why Sleep is More Important Than Diet-Optimize it Today! Podcast Episode 487
Walker, M.  ( 2018). Why we sleep: Unlocking the power of sleep and dreams. Scribner: NY
Precision Nutrition. Hacking Sleep www.precisionnutrition.com/hacking-sleep 

​How is your well-being, my friend? Are you kind to yourself? Research suggests that people who are self-compassionate or kind to themselves experience many benefits (Neff, 2009; Allen & Leary, 2010; Zessin, Dickhauser, & Garbade, 2015). They have greater life satisfaction, less anxiety and depression, greater mindfulness, and more compassion for others. Individuals experiencing stress and challenge (i.e., infant and early childhood brain architects, K-12 teachers, and parents) exposed to self-compassion strategies demonstrate higher levels of well-being, such as optimism, positive affect, and personal initiative. When we practice self-compassion, we feel more confident and view ourselves more positively. Be kind to yourself to have increased motivation, improved productivity, better relationships, and better physical health. 

But why is being kind to ourselves so hard? Do you find yourself being self-critical sometimes? That's okay, my friend. It's natural and healthy to experience a wide range of thoughts and feelings, including less pleasant ones like unhappiness, disappointment, or guilt. There are no right and wrong thoughts; some serve one well while others do not.

Are you worried that being kind to yourself is self-indulgent? That is a common concern, but research shows that being too self-compassionate will NOT undermine motivation. Instead, people who practice self-compassion tend to have the greater personal initiative to make needed changes and are likelier to take on new challenges (Zessin, Dickhauser, & Garbade, 2015).

Are you convinced yet?! Let’s go for it! Treating oneself kindly can look like taking time and space to give oneself a break emotionally. Or, it can look like mental acts of self-kindness, such as engaging in self-talk that is positive, encouraging, and forgiving (Allen & Leary, 2010). Learning to turn negative thinking into positive thinking takes time and practice as one creates a new habit. One positive self-talk exercise you can do to help increase your self-compassion is the practice of reframing your inner conversation or “quieting your inner critic.” This exercise should be repeated over several weeks to eventually form the blueprint for changing how one may relate to oneself long-term.

1. First, notice when you are being self-critical. Become aware of your inner dialogues. Begin to notice when you say or think things to yourself, such as “I can’t,” “I don’t know,” “This is too hard for me,” or “I’m not good at it.”
2. Second, pay attention to both your inner speech and tone. Note the language or phrases you use when talking with yourself, but also be aware of the tone. Do you sound kind and loving? Or do you sound judgmental? Harsh? Or, like a snappy, irritable teen? ​
3. Third, soften your critical voice from judgment to compassion. Now that you have identified the message and tone,  ease or change it to one of kindness.

Always remember to stand in a friend’s shoes. Relate to yourself as you would relate to a friend. Steps 1, 2, and 3 are more accessible and productive when we do this. If a friend said to us, "This is so hard, I just can't get it." We would never say, "You are right, Sally; it’s too hard for you. You’ll never get it." Instead, we would encourage our friend Sally by saying something like, "Sure you can, Sally. With some more practice, you will get it!" Be kind to yourself, and talk to yourself like you would to a friend.

Learning to turn negative thinking into positive thinking takes time and practice; you are creating a new habit. One way to set yourself on a positive path is to practice "outside" of the moment. Then, the next time you have a negative thought, you will have a positive thought prepared and ready as a substitution. Following are some common self-critical phrases and sample positive statements or reframes. These include ideas shared by educators who have participated in our various professional developments and presentations. Use these as examples to support you in quieting your inner critic. Try brainstorming additional positive phrases, and/or reach out to us for even more examples.Then, substitute these scripts to replace your negative or self-critical talk.