Tag: bedtime

The details of my life that deserve more attention.

There’s probably a few areas of my life where I don’t pay enough attention to detail. I will list a few below.

  1. Clothing. My life has went through significant changes in the past few years. I would like to pay more attention to my clothing choices and develop my own personal style. Right now, my clothing isn’t bad, but it’s pretty plain, and doesn’t represent where I am now. I’ve actually become a completely different person I believe.
  2. Décor. In the same vein, my home interior doesn’t convey much about me. I went through an extreme minimalism stage. I gained more space after moving downtown, but I’ve done very little with it. Paying more attention to the details of my living quarters might bring more motivation in other areas.
  3. Planning. I need to pay closer attention to what I do outside of work. I do enjoy a fair degree of spontaneity on my day’s off, but I might benefit from better planning of my free time. I would really like to accomplish more in the time I have. I need to set some life goals, and then plan out how to accomplish them.
  4. Dining. I should pay more attention to meal planning. I think having a nice dining experience, both at home and when out at restaurants, is important for well being. I also need to put more thought into exactly what I am eating, and especially the quantities. It’s not that I’m over indulgent. I just need a little more planning.
  5. Wellbeing. I believe I should pay more attention to my mental wellbeing. This might include more reading time, or maybe meditation and quiet contemplation. I should also focus on getting the right amount of sleep. There’s a lot going on in my life sometimes and I need to let my mind detangle.
  6. Culture. There are lots of things to see and do in my city, but I don’t get out and do much, except at night. I need to plan and schedule more things to do, rather than just sleeping in on the weekend. I might even consider going to bed earlier and setting an alarm on the weekends. We’ll see.
  7. Travel. I haven’t had a real vacation in years, scary thought I know. I generally just burn up my leave, a day here and there, but haven’t even done that lately. I think it’s because my job feels pretty demanding. I do need to find time to put something together though. Life is short and I’m missing out on the best parts. I should set a travel or vacation goal, then plan and execute.

Does this list trigger anything you need to focus on? Is there something you would add? Let us know in the comments, and please remember to like, share, and subscribe! Thanks for being here!

How I relax.

I started this new way to relax. I haven’t done it long enough to know how well it works. After I got those new wine glasses, I decided to just pour a glass of wine and sit in bed and read. Seems to be working fine so far. I also take melatonin on nights I have to work the next day, just to make me sleep through the night. If I don’t take them, I tend to wake up around 3 or 4 am and can’t go back to sleep. Sleeping is not my forte.

Right now, I’m reading a series of short books over novel writing that I found on Amazon. The author’s name is K. M. Weiland. Maybe you might be interested in them if you are thinking about writing a novel. I’m just on the first one, but it’s pretty informative so far.

Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success

Can Outlining Help You Write a Better Story?

Writers often look upon outlines with fear and trembling. But when properly understood and correctly wielded, the outline is one of the most powerful weapons in a writer’s arsenal. Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success will:

  • Help you choose the right type of outline for you
  • Guide you in brainstorming plot ideas
  • Aid you in discovering your characters
  • Show you how to structure your scenes
  • Explain how to format your finished outline
  • Instruct you in how to use your outline
  • Reveal the benefits
  • Dispel the misconceptions

Includes exclusive interviews with ten respected authors, answering important questions about outlining.

Outlining can organize your writing and help you take your stories to the next level. Find out how!

I normally don’t add to a post after it’s published, but it occurred to me that I have one more thing I do to relax. I listen to thunderstorm sounds. I don’t know why, but storms calm and soothe me.

I have a Windows app that I use on my computer called Ambie. It is a white noise generator that allows you to mix various sounds, including those of a thunderstorm. The app is free, but you can buy different sounds to mix. I positively love this app! I sleep with it on practically every night, and I think I sleep much better on the nights that I use it.

Picture of Ambie Windows App

Sometimes I just pull up YouTube and find a channel that has thunderstorm sounds. There’s a lot of them out there, so I guess I’m not the only one that can be put to sleep by a storm. Below is a random one I found as an example. Watch it for a few minutes, and maybe you will feel relaxed too.

Do you have trouble relaxing? Ever take sleep aids? Do storms relax you? Do you like to listen to nature sounds? Have any relaxation tips? Have you written a novel or thinking about it? Do you outline your writing beforehand? Any tips on novel or story writing? Let me know in the comments, and don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe!

My favorite state of mind.

Today I was thinking about something to write about. I do have tons more things to say, but I sometimes think, no, I don’t want to write that one today, I’m just not feeling it. It might be long winded, or emotional and change my mood, or maybe it just doesn’t feel like the right time. I know I’ll get around to it sooner or later, so don’t worry, there’s a lot more to come.

Confused by too many competing ideas to write about colliding in my brain and vying for my attention, I decided, I’m going to take a little nap to clear my head. You’ve heard me talk about sleep before and how much I love it, and that I also like to take naps. This is really one of the main reasons I do it. My mind becomes a tangled mess and I have to let it unknot itself. The nap resets me to clearheadedness while reducing some of my tiredness. I also think it greatly adds to your health, happiness, longevity, and wellbeing. Sleep is great!

That said, sleep isn’t really my favorite state of mind. Sleep is mostly unmemorable except for the dreams, but it does aid in recovery, growth, and healing. Dreams can be nice, because they take place somewhere that isn’t quite bound by all the rules of this reality, but they do seem to follow some rules, so I feel like it’s just another kind of reality that I can’t totally control half the time. Some dreams are also way more memorable and meaningful (see Dream Messages), as I have found out over the years, and I love them, but the dream state also isn’t my favorite, especially if I’m having a nightmare, which almost never happens these days.

I should mention the waking state also. It’s good in many ways, but definitely not my favorite. It has a very strict set of rules, mostly seems to be following a linear track, and is pretty darn inflexible. The good thing is that it is pretty solid and keeps its form, so I can usually figure out where I left my car keys, or what road to take to get home. There are also tons of amazing things to see and do in it, but it’s also home to pain, exhaustion, loss, sickness, death, poverty, and every imaginable plague and misfortune. It’s by far the most difficult one to control and can be quite uncomfortable some days.

I wasn’t sure what to call my favorite state of mind. It is not really sleep, not really dream, and not really awake. It’s a state that lies somewhere between these realities. If you know about this state, or can find it, I think you will realize it can greatly empower you, especially if you are a creative type. It can also be a very calm and rejuvenating state of mind, or at least it is for me. I decided to call it the Middle Realm, but the technical names are Hypnagogia and Hypnopompia. Feel free to pronounce those words instead if you like.

To get there, you just take a nap, or find it right before you go to sleep at night, or when you wake up in the morning, though an alarm clock really destroys this precious state, which is another reason to hate alarm clocks. It is in this state that I am my real self, but it can be scary sometimes. The material world and the dream world are overlapping somewhat during this state. Because immaterial and material are mingled, you might actually see or sense something that isn’t actually present. I don’t worry too much though. I just see it as part of a dream.

Now I get to the part where I tell you what was on my mind during that state after my nap. It was a thought, not overly profound, but definitely meaningful, and it kind of hit me in the face. It was a phrase, and I woke up and tweeted it (or Xed it?).

You don’t deserve the people in your life if you’re always wanting someone better.

The phrase was, you don’t deserve the people in your life if you’re always wanting someone better. It slapped me in the face because I’m the type of person who is always looking for new friends and acquaintances. It was a reminder that I need to remember other relationships and old friends. This is the wisdom that came from the Middle Realm today. I may post about other experiences in Middle Realm at a later date, stay tuned!

Possible discussion ideas

  1. What’s your favorite state of mind?
  2. Do you get inspired to write at bedtime?
  3. Do you have excellent thoughts when you first wake up?
  4. Does sleep or a nap untangle your thoughts?
  5. Do you remember a lot of your dreams?
  6. Do you have nightmares often?
  7. What do you think wisdom is and is it worldly?
  8. What are your experiences in the Middle Realm?

Thanks for reading! Looking forward to hearing from you in the comments! Please remember to like, share, and subscribe!

Strategies I use to maintain health and well-being.

I’ve touched upon this one before in another post. I will repost the list here to bring it up to the top. I haven’t changed much since the last time I posted it.

  • I take vitamins and outer supplements. I’ve been taking vitamins since I was a kid.
  • I do things that improve my mental health, like reading, audiobooks, music, and blogging.
  • I try to go to bed at a decent hour. It’s definitely a challenge. I’m a natural night owl.
  • I focus on the growth mindset. Here’s a great book on it: Mindset – The New Psychology of Success
  • I do a lot of walking, both at work and when I get off work.
  • I try to avoid stressful situations and people, when possible.
  • I take naps. It doesn’t sound healthy, but it really makes me more energized.
  • Food quality is important to me, and I buy organic or non-GMO foods.
  • I don’t consume a large number of calories most days.
  • I avoid processed sugar and I don’t drink soft drinks.
  • I don’t smoke or use other tobacco products.
  • I try to unplug from work and forget about it.
  • I try to avoid foods that are high in salt, preservatives, and additives.
  • I go see a doctor when I am facing some sort of illness.
  • I tend to follow a ketogenic diet most days.
  • I eat foods that contain probiotics every day.
  • I avoid dangerous people, places, and things.
  • I try to focus on positive thoughts and read positive things.
  • I forgive myself for my failures and don’t expect perfection.
  • I shower and practice good hygiene every day.
  • I realize that the worst-case scenario rarely happens, so don’t worry.
  • When things do go wrong, I realize it’s just a new life direction.
  • I take it easy and nurse myself back to health when I’m injured.
  • I don’t drink unfiltered tap water ever, unless I have nothing else.
  • I don’t drink alcohol, just kidding. 🙂
  • I have faith in a higher power, and I pray every night.

What do you do to maintain health and well-being? Let me know in the comments, and please like, subscribe, and share!