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wefoundloveunderthelight · 3 years

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Void of Extinction by GleefullyCaptainSwan Chapter 1/9

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Stacy's Tortured Crew: @teamhook @kmomof4 @stahlop @lfh1226-linda @ilovemesomekillianjones @itsfabianadocarmo @mariakov81 @qualitycoffeethings @zaharadessert @jrob64 @jonesfandomfanatic @natascha-ronin @tiganasummertree @xarandomdreamx @therooksshiningknight @batana54 @superchocovian @onceratheart18 @ultraluckycatnd @snowbellewells @karlyfr13s @the-darkdragonfly @xsajx @deckerstarblanche

Chapter 1: There is Nothing to Fear

Storybrooke Maine, 2052. The world is slowly dying from a plague, only known as J2, that is spreading across the realms, a disease that has no cure. A faction known as “The Rebellion” have moved underground to search for a cure while avoiding detection from “The Hive”, a dangerous group run by an unidentified man of darkness searching for power. The only thing standing in the way of either group taking power is Mayor Regina Mills, who spends her time protecting the residents of Storybrooke from criminals who might bring the plague to her small town. The most dangerous occupants, those deemed most likely to bring the plague to town, are given a new opportunity, a chance for a new life, without being a danger to society, courtesy of the Gold Collective.

The pain was tortuously blinding as he tried to open his eyes. It was a feeling of waking from an all-night bender he couldn’t even remember attending. Peering through slits, his room came into view, blue neon lit behind the monitor on his wall. “Status Report.” He spoke, a gritty tone leaving his throat.

“Good morning James, it’s 7:53 am, pollution level 63%, you have no appointments today.” The pleasant robotic voice carried throughout the room. Something felt wrong, like a small itch at the back of his brain, a light tick that was calling out to him, telling him to pay attention.

He stood from his bed, the silk sheets falling to the ground behind him as he wandered through the apartment. “Open blinds.” He spoke and the metal slats hummed as they opened fully, revealing the land in front of him, dark smoke clouds on the horizon behind the mountains. Storybrooke, the only home he had ever known. He sighed; he was going to be late. He was halfway to the bathroom before he stopped in his tracks.

What the bloody hell was he about to be late for?

“What time do I have to be at work?” he said loudly.

“You are expected at 8:30am. Shall I prepare transport?”

He groaned, “Sure, but where is my destination?”

“Granny’s Diner, Main Street, Storybrooke.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose, a headache taking form at the back of his neck. “Granny’s.” He mumbled. Short memories, like a picture show, formed in his head, an older woman barking orders at him as he cooked burgers in the back of the small diner. He was a cook. He wasn’t sure why that felt odd to him, like something was out of place. He didn’t have time to contemplate the decisions he made in his life. He was going to be late for work.

The quick shower didn’t erase the feelings, images he didn’t recognize were imprinted in his subconscious every time he closed his eyes. A woman with hair, a light pale yellow, eyes green as grass staring at him. He couldn’t place the image, some celebrity perhaps he had seen in a movie. He shut off the water, running the towel through his hair as he tried to rub the sleep from his brain.

He dressed and left his apartment, sliding the locks shut with a slam, cranking the large metal door handle to the right to ensure it was locked. He glanced down the darkened hallway at the few people meandering about, the lot of which always appeared to be lurking, watching for unsuspecting individuals who left their belongings unprotected.

“You’re late.” The woman growled as soon as he entered the back of the diner.

“I’m sorry, Granny. In my defense, I forgot I had…” He thought about his sentence. What did he forget exactly? That he had a job, that he was a cook, why he had even woken up at the time he did, dreaming about a woman he had never met, “to work this early.” He finished.

“I’ve had to tell you the same thing since you started working here, it would do you some good to have your AIM set a damn alarm before you go to bed.”

Killian had alerted his AIM or Artificial Intelligence Monitorto set a 7am alarm, yet it failed to alert him to his shift for the last few weeks. He would need to have it repaired if this continued.

“Yes Ma’am, apologizes.”

“Just get to work, we got people waiting.”

James pushed through his shift, flipping burgers, cracking eggs, and sending out plates of food he had no memory of knowing how to cook. He wondered to himself how he ended up with this life, when had he decided that this was the best job he could find? Each time he tried to imagine another career, something that he might actually enjoy doing, the migraine would hit him out of nowhere, crippling him until the inhibitor was injected into his arm and his breathing returned to normal.

Whatever plagued him, this medical condition that brought him to his knees had always been with him from what he could remember. He assumed that it had begun when he was a child, it was second nature for him to know to inject himself once the pain hit. Yet he couldn’t remember when it began.

He climbed the stairs to his apartment at the end of the day, entering his room and locking it down behind him. “Set alarm for 7am.” He said once he sat his keys on the counter.

“Alarm set. 7am.”

He went about the mundane task of preparing his dinner, watching the Holo TV, news that the plague had spread to the outer banks was on every station. Mayor Mills calmed the crowd during her press conference and on each holo announcement that played every 15 mins.

“People of Storybrooke, I give you my assurance that the plague will not breach our walls. We have taken every measure possible to protect our citizens. We continue to fight back the resistance uprising, and our law enforcement continues to arrest any faction that supports it. There is nothing to fear.”

Mayor Regina Mills stood in the center of the screen, flanked by her officers on either side. She was fierce, strong, and protected the town of Storybrooke with honor.

“Turn off Holo TV.” He announced, setting his dishes in the machine for cleaning.

He crawled into bed, pulling the covers over his hips. “What time is the alarm set for?” He asked, ensuring that everything was still working.

“Alarm is set for 7am, James. Sleep well.”

~*~

Emma woke to the sound of crying. She jumped up from her spot and reached for her son, pulling him against her chest. “Hush now Henry, mommy’s got you.” Pressing her child to her breast she felt the tug against her nipple as her son quieted. She smiled down at the infant in her arms, her heart aching as she watched him so still against her, as if nothing in the world mattered but his own nourishment.

Emma wished her view of the world were as innocent. But she knew better.

She looked around the dark shack she had been hiding in for the last few weeks. She could hear the water on the other end of the door, just on the outskirts of the town line. It would be dangerous if anyone were to find her. She had given up everything to get away from Neal Cassidy. Her safety, comfort, even her future was all gone the instant she escaped the tower that had been her home for the last five years.

Emma knew it was dangerous being outside the protective walls of Storybrooke, those who had been exiled lived on the outskirts, many would not escape the plague once they lost the protections provided behind the walls. Emma knew it all too well, five years ago when the plague first appeared, she had taken ill, she was expected to die quickly, painfully. But after a month, the symptoms subsided, and Emma survived.

Doctors could not explain why she survived, only that she had been very lucky.

And then she met Neal. She thought she had finally found someone to share her life with. She was taken in by his father, Gold, a man obsessed with finding the cure to the plague.

His company, The Gold Collective had invested in experimenting on anyone who had come down with the plague, valiantly searching for a cure, the perfect gene sample that would save humanity, but his efforts had been fruitless as most of his subjects died before he had completed his experiments.

Emma found him to be odd, even a bit intimidating at times. His obsession with the plague caused her to keep her own situation quiet. She had a feeling if he had known that she had somehow lived through the plague that his interest in her might become more than just the father of the man she lived with.

Gold took care of her, as Neal’s girlfriend, he ensured that she had everything she could ever want. And Neal provided her money, food, and a roof over her head. Something she didn’t have before she had met him, back when she was homeless, trying to find her place in Storybrooke. Neal took her in and loved her.

But all of that changed a little over a year ago. Emma wasn’t snooping, she hadn’t meant to be in the office after hours, but Neal had not returned home that evening, and Emma had been worried. So, she left the penthouse suite of Gold Laboratories and headed to Neal’s office. Before she even reached his wing, she heard arguing.

The conversation between Gold and his son was chilling. She knew she needed help. She didn’t want to cause alarm or alert either of the men to the knowledge she had overheard them, had realized who the Gold Collective really was, so instead she waited out her time. A week passed before she found her mark, a police detective whom she had followed for days. He lived a quiet life, devoted to his job, going between his apartment downtown and his job at the station, never deviating from his day. He always arrived at work at 10:02am for a 10:30 shift. He had lunch with his partner at 12:45, he picked up Chinese food at 9:00pm before returning to his apartment. She had watched him assisting his elderly neighbor up the stairs and she knew this was the man she needed to trust.

Officer Killian Jones didn’t know what to make of her when she showed up at his door at midnight one night. Begging to talk to him, asking for discretion as she tried to determine if he trusted her. When he learned of the knowledge she had, he panicked. He sent her home that evening, telling her to wait a week before she reached out to him again.

It took a month, Emma would arrive at his apartment, they would talk about their plans, share intel on what they had each learned, and suddenly, knowing he was the one person she could trust, feeling like for the first time in her life, someone understood and truly cared about her, she fell for the man.

He tried to deny her, not wanting to take advantage of her trust. But they were in love. There was no denying it. The affair was something that neither one of them had the power to stop. Emma would spend her evenings with Killian, staring at the stars talking about what the future held for them once they were able to figure out a way to stop everything that was happening around them.

But she always returned to Neal, she had no choice but to keep up the ruse in order to protect the secret she had. Too many powerful people were involved for her to alert anyone else. Killian didn’t even trust his partner David enough to share the information.

Suddenly Neal became protective of her, asking her where she was going anytime she left the apartment, so Emma had to distance herself from Killian. It had been a month since they had been in contact when Emma received devastating news. She and Neal were having a baby. It broke her heart. When she finally told Killian, he urged her to escape before the child was born. Once Neal had a child, he would never let her leave.

Emma knew he was right, unfortunately by the time she planned her escape, the child was born a prematurely. She was trapped. Killian became concerned for her safety now that a child was involved, and Emma was forced to share her secret with her childhood friend, Will Scarlett. He sprang into action, becoming the go between for Emma and Killian to set their plan in motion for Emma and Henry to escape.

That night, she met Will on the roof, and they made their daring escape, 65 flights of stairs down the back of the building. They waited for hours at the drop off point, but Killian never showed. Emma was devastated, she felt trapped. Will went in search of him, he wasn’t at his apartment, the station, or any of his usual locations. Killian was gone without a trace.

She knew that something bad had happened to him. He would never abandon her. She trusted him. The only solution she could come up with was that Gold or Neal had found out about their plan.

Killian was in danger, unless something bad had already happened to him. She was desperate to find him. Without Killian Jones, the entire town was in danger.

“Are you decent?” Will’s voice rang out from the other side of the door. She pulled her shirt over her breast, setting her sleeping son beside her.

She stood up and looked through the crack in the door. Will was standing nervously on the edge of the water. She clicked the locks, lifting the wooden latch until the door slid open. Will stepped quickly into the shack.

“You ok?”

“Did you find anything?” She asked anxiously.

“Maybe.”

Emma stared at him with pleading eyes. “What do you mean maybe?”

“Look, don’t freak out, ok?”

“You’re scaring me.” She responded nervously.

“I drove by the station again, nothing. David is there but Killian wasn’t around. I didn’t want to go in, because I figure they might start asking questions, but there was this girl sitting outside and I asked who I could talk to about a case of Killian’s, and I used me ole charm and she told me that he never came back to work a few days ago, and that they opened a missing persons case on him.”

“Oh God, Will.”

“I said don’t freak out.”

“This is terrible. They killed him, didn’t they?”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, I haven’t told you everything yet.” He pleaded as she paced the room. “Anyway, I went by his apartment, and it was empty. The neighbor says they haven’t seen him for days.” She started to speak, and he pressed his hand to her mouth. “Emmie, I need you to be quiet, I know that’s hard for you.”

She groaned against his finger and mumbled. “Fine.”

“I got hungry as I usually do about this time and got a craving for a big greasy burger.”

“Seriously, you wanted me to be quiet so you could talk about food? I’m losing my patience, Scarlet.”

“The burger was excellent by the way, but that’s not the point.” He paused. “I went back to my car, and there was a man out back tossing out some trash.”

“Would you get to the damn point!” She yelled.

“It was Killian.”

“What?”

“The guy out back. Spitting image of him.”

“Did you talk to him, ask him what the hell is going on?”

“I talked to him, but he acted like he’d never seen me in his life. Swears his name is James Rogers. Emmie, it was the damnedest thing I’ve ever seen. But I tried, I even called him Killian Jones and he stared straight through me…” He dropped his head. “And then he thought about it, I could see the wheels turning in his head, and then he started wincing, and that’s when I saw it.”

“Saw what?” Emma asked impatiently, dreading the fact that she could already feel it in her gut, she knew what he was going to tell her, every sensor in her brain was going off that she already knew the truth.

“An inhibitor. The man injected himself with one of Gold’s inhibitors.”

Emma felt the tears forming, she knew it was the truth. It made sense, he would never have abandoned her or Henry. The only explanation was that Gold or Neal had found out what she was planning to do and got to Killian first. “They erased him.” She said sadly, feeling every last bit of hope she had draining from her being.

“Emmie, he’s one of the void. There’s no way back from that.”

“Don’t say that, we don’t know that. It’s all experimental, it’s not even legal. Gold’s been doing it for years on test subjects. Killian can fight it; I know he can. He’s too strong.”

“Emmie, he had no idea, absolutely no idea of who I was.”

“It doesn’t matter, Will. We must keep trying. Maybe the inhibitor just suppresses his memories. We have to get him not to use it.”

“For all we know, not using it could cause his brain to explode. It’s dangerous.”

“I won’t give up on him Will. I can’t lose him.”

He pulled her into his arms, rubbing her back in slow circles as she cried. “It’s gonna be ok, we’ll figure it out.”

“What are we going to do, Will? Without Killian, I’ll never get into the station to upload the information.”

“We’ll find a way. That’s what we do right?”

She smiled weakly. She wouldn’t give up on him, he risked so much to try and protect her and another man’s child. He had given her hope when she had none. She would never stop trying to get him back. Even if it killed her, she would save Killian Jones and take down the Gold empire.

#void of extinction #stacy's fics #killian jones #emma swan #captain swan #captain swan au #captain swan fics #captain swan modern au

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starryseo · 4 years

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mess. [1/3] | seo changbin

pairing ↠ changbin x gn!reader genre ↠ typical chaotic roommates behaviour (humour + fluff) wc ↠ 1678 summary ↠ cleaning is the bane of changbin’s existence. luckily, you know just how to fix that. warnings ↠ a lot of swearing. a/n ↠ when will elon musk create a thing that automatically writes my stories when i half-ass a plot

read: MESS | mayhem (part two) | purify (part three)

series masterlist

Changbin is, by all accounts, an absolute dumbass.

He could revise for an exam two hours before it started and ace it; he could bullshit his way through a 5k essay in thirty minutes with enough coffee, he could even rap to three Eminem songs, back-to-back, without breaking a sweat.

But God forbid he pick up his clothes from the floor, or wash a couple of the dishes.

No, Seo Changbin was above cleaning.

But he was an even worse chef, so, after hiding his phone, laptop, playstation controller and even a goddamn ipod, you picked up a plushie that had fallen to the floor - not Gyu, of course, because Changbin would throttle you if you touched his best friend - and whacked him with it until he woke up.

His futile attempts to push you away made you come down on him harder until he gave up, exclaiming, “I’m up, I’m up! What the hell, y/n?”

His eyes were barely open, his hair sticking up this way and that, and drool was drying on his chin - because he was no sleeping beauty. But at least he was sitting up - groaning into his hands, cursing the day you were born and every day since then, but more awake than he was two minutes ago.

“Get up, princess, you’ve got shit to do.”

“It’s too early to be alive right now,” he whined, “five more minutes?”

And, in true desperate-Changbin fashion, he pouted and gave you puppy dog eyes. One look at his face right now could bring the monarchy to their knees, and had you been some amateur you would’ve fallen for his anguish and caved in. Thankfully, you had roomed with him for two years and known him for three more, so you were more than prepared.

As soon as the words left his mouth, you lifted the plush still in your hand; his arms raised in defence, wait wait wait barely leaving his lips before you knocked the pout off his face.

“I hate you,” he grumbled, pulling back one corner of his spaceship duvet - because who the hell does astronomy if they don’t have cool starry shit in their room and they were cheap, “so, so much. I hope you know that.”

“Ditto, but it’s two in the afternoon, so get your fat ass up.” You dropped the plush on his lap before spinning around to leave his room.

He met you in the living room, pyjamas creased from sleeping for over ten hours, but right now that was the least of his concerns. Because you had prepared the cutest outfit for him.

A frilly purple apron hung from your hand and, with one glance at the smirk on your face, Changbin knew who it was for. “You’re gonna look super cute in that, y/n.”

“If only it was for me,” you grinned, tossing the clothing over him.

“Yeah,” he caught it, before throwing it back, “it ain’t for me either.”

“If you want your phone back, you’ve gotta wear it.”

His eyes narrowed at you, trying to call your bluff, but the easy smirk you wore had him groaning exasperatedly, snatching the apron from your outstretched hand.

“Hate you so much,” he muttered again, crossing his arms grumpily.

“C’mon, you look adorable!” He rolled his eyes and looked away from you, acting annoyed, but you took the opportunity to snap a picture of him. As soon as he realised what you had done, he jumped into action, trying to grab your phone but you locked it and slipped it back into your pocket. “If you do everything I say, I won’t send it to the others.”

He grit his teeth, battling between wrestling you for the phone or listening to you.

“I feel the need to remind you I still have your phone.”

He huffed out his anger, giving you the tensest smile ever before acquiescing. “Fine. Let’s do this shit.”

First order of business was clearing out his floor.

You dragged the hamper from the bathroom into his room and watched as he: picked up an article of clothing from the floor, sniffed it, pulled a what-the-hell-died-in-this face, threw it in the hamper, moved half a step forward and repeated the process. Sure, his floor would be clothesless if you helped him - or if he realised that he was disgusting and all of his clothes were dirty - but it was amusing to watch him get increasingly worried as the hamper started overflowing.

“Holy shit,” he sighed, finally done with job number one, “I didn’t even think I owned that many clothes.”

Task two was changing his bed.

You went to find him fresh sheets as he took the hamper back to the bathroom (because you didn’t trust him with running the washing machine unsupervised - he probably didn’t trust himself either).

When you returned, he was lying on his bed, playing on a goddamn Tamagotchi and the shriek you let out had him jumping off his bed.

“Where the fuck do you hide this shit?” You exclaimed, throwing the clean sheets at his face to wrench the device from his hands.

“Leave me alone,” he all but whined, pushing the bedding off his face to glare at you, “I’m tired of cleaning.”

“You’ve done shit all, Bin!”

“I’m baby.”

“Ugly baby,” you grumbled, stepping away from him, “Sheets. Now.”

He groaned, complying with your command, then cursing you further when he saw you playing on the Tamagotchi.

You were pretty startled he even knew how to change his sheets properly. You’d seen him eat an entire carton of ice cream without getting a brain freeze and yet he struggled to change his pillow case? Seo Changbin truly was an enigma.

Once his bed was set, wrinkles smoothed and duvet tucked in, Changbin turned to you with the most pleading look you think he’s ever conjured up. His eyes were practically begging for a break, hands clasped beneath his chin, but he crumbled when you grinned and said, “Vacuum time!”

He could actually see his floor now.

No more dust lingered between strewn textbooks and gone were the cobwebs hanging from the ceiling lights. His room was tidy - cleaner than the day he moved in - and, damn, was he proud of that. He had successfully cleaned his desk, his shelves, even his windowsill, and he left the window open because holy shit was he nose blind. How did you ever let him get to that state?

He was thankful you hauled his lazy ass out of bed so early, but he’d rather clean Jisung and Felix’s shared room - and he’d bet your life (never his own, of course) that their room was a dumpyard compared to his - than ever admit that to you.

You could tell he was grateful when he offered to order in take-away though.

Once dinner was over and done with, you slumped against the sofa, knackered.

“Why the hell are you so tired, huh?” He scoffed, swinging his legs over yours and leaning against the arm rest. “I did all the hard work.”

“You think it’s easy supervising your ass?”

He spluttered, shoving you as best as he could with his legs, “I’m a delight.”

“We’ll see about that tomorrow.” You replied and he raised a brow in question. “Tomorrow you’re cleaning the kitchen.”

“Bullshit,” he groaned, throwing his head back, “Tomorrow, I rest. Feel free to clean that shit up though.”

“Nope! But because you’ve been so good today, I’ll give you back your phone.” You moved his legs off of yours, stretching as you stood before making your way to your room. You tensed when he followed you, making you stop and turn back, “I think I’m capable of getting your phone without supervision, y'know?”

He scoffed, “I wouldn’t trust you with my life, and my phone is much more important.”

“Wow, okay. Just for that, I’m not getting it now.”

You thought that would work and make him argue with you but he simply shrugged, walking on, “I’ll find it myself then.”

“No!” You grabbed onto his wrist, pulling him back, “You can’t go into my room.”

“Why not? You got a shrine of me or something in there?”

“Ew, no. I just have, like, underwear out, y'know? Don’t be a pervert, Bin.”

He teasingly raised his eyebrows as soon as you said that and in the split second it took for you to roll your eyes, he dashed towards your door. Curse Chan for dragging Changbin to the gym because the muscle pig slipped out of your grip like butter.

“Holy. Fucking. Shit.”

You stuttered when you got to the door, trying to pull it closed, but he easily pushed through. “In my defence, I’ve been cramming revision for my exams and I haven’t-”

“I don’t give a damn,” he said, turning to you with a smirk so taunting the devil would quake in fear, “you fuckin’ hypocrite. Give me your phone.”

“I’ll give you your laptop too if you-”

His laugh cut you off and his steps forward forced you to move back. How was this the same man that woke up in robot pj’s with drool on his face?

“You’re waking up at 7am to clean that shithole and I’m gonna supervise your ass so hard you’re gonna-”

“Please, for the sake of all things holy, don’t finish that sentence off.”

“Fine. But get a good night’s sleep, sweetheart,” he grinned, patting your shoulder before taking a step back, “because tomorrow your ass is mine.”

Changbin had never slept more comfortably in his life, and that alone had you tossing and turning until your alarm buzzed at the dreaded time of 7am.

You thought of running to Hyunjin or Seungmin or even Jisung and Felix for safety, but after knowing Changbin for five years, you knew the man to be determined and ruthless when it came to revenge.

Changbin is, by all accounts, an absolute dumbass. But he’s also a man of his word.

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missmentelle · 4 years

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Tips for pulling all-nighters?

Absolutely:

1. Try not to do it. I know, I know, this is advice that every college student hears constantly, but it really is good advice. You are never going to produce your best work or get your best possible test results after pulling an all-nighter. I understand that all-nighters happen sometimes - I have certainly pulled my fair share - but if they are happening on a semi-regular basis, it means that you are starting to actively saboutage your own education. Make a conscious effort to develop good time management skills. Do a little bit of work each day. Start assignments early. Set reminders in your phone. Finish drafts of your papers early so you have time to get feedback from your TA. Ask for extensions on deadlines if you need to. Try to avoid all-nighters as much as possible.

2. Keep caffeine to a minimum. I know conventional wisdom says that you should get through an all-nighter by pounding back Red Bull and coffee until you burst, but that’s really not a good idea. Caffeine may temporarily make you more alert, but too much caffeine will make you anxious and jittery - and since you’re probably already anxious about your schoolwork, you’re bound to just end up having a panic attack over how behind you are instead of being productive. Also, caffeine wears off a few hours after consumption and leaves you drowsier than you would have been without it - which is not great if you’re staying up all night to study for a big test in the morning. Instead, stay alert by getting up and moving around or doing some light exercise when you feel yourself nodding off.

3. Have a plan and map out your night. If you are in a position where an all-nighter is necessary, then it seems pretty likely that you already struggle with procrastination. It’s important, therefore, to make sure that you have a solid plan for your all-nighter to make sure that you are on task. Clearly define the task that you need to accomplish by the end of the night (”I need to have written a 10-page paper with a minimum of 5 cited sources”), and figure out what your “deadline” is. If you’re starting your all-nighter at midnight and the paper needs to be done by 7am, that means you need to get roughly 1.5 pages done per hour. Assess your progress once per hour, and make sure that you are staying on track to get things done on time. Try to start with the most difficult and complex tasks earlier in the night, when you are sharper, and leave the easier tasks until the end of the night.

4. Take a nap if you have the opportunity. If you find yourself ahead of schedule and you find that you can sneak in even a 30-minute or 1-hour nap, do it. Your brain needs rest, and taking even a short nap is better than nothing at all. Our brains consolidate our memories while we sleep, and finding the time for a quick nap will increase your chances of being able to recall the information you learned during your test or presentation. Just make sure you set your alarm!

5. Take frequent breaks. Trying to work straight through will tire you out and make you less alert. Take regular short breaks. Get up from your computer and do some stretches or quick exercises. Put on some fast-paced music and dance for a couple of minutes. I’m dating myself here, but my go-to was always Cascada’s “Every Time We Touch”. Get up, refresh, re-energize, and get back at it.

6. Keep the room warm and brightly-lit. Our sleep cycles and circadian rhythms are biological. At night, your body temperature drops (this is why most people prefer sleeping in a cold room), and you become sensitive to dim lighting. Working in a cold, dark room by the dim light of a desk lamp is going to make you fall asleep on your keyboard. Turn the heat up slightly and keep all the lights on. Also, do your best to maintain good posture and sit in chair that’s comfortable, but not too comfortable. Sitting on the couch or in an armchair is more likely to bring on drowsiness.

7. Keep junk food and simple carbs to a minimum. There’s a reason that you feel groggy after gorging on pizza and potato chips - simple carbs and sugars cause big changes in your blood sugar, which can bring on sleepiness. The same goes for eating large meals - everyone has experienced the post-Thanksgiving-dinner phenomenon where you get up from the table and immediately go lie down on the couch. To avoid this, you should eat occasional light snacks that are high in protein and low in simple carbs - things like lean meats, cheese, eggs, veggies, fruits, nuts and whole grain bread work much better for promoting alertness.

8. Give yourself time to recover. You are going to be off your A-game for a couple of days after you pull an all-nighter - it’s a pretty major disruption to your circadian rhythm, and it takes a few days to recover. Try to schedule early bedtimes for the next couple of days, and if you can, try to work in time for a nap. Avoid driving as much as possible in the days following your all-nighter. This is also why it’s good to try to avoid all-nighters as much as possible - if you pull an all-nighter to finish a paper and then you have a final exam the day after that, your all-nighter will affect your exam performance. It’s important to make sure that any all-nighters you pull are worthwhile, and try to make sure that you catch up on your sleep as soon as possible after it’s over.Happy studying!

Miss Mentelle

#AnsweredByMM #Anonymous

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the-blind-assassin-12 · 4 years

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Nothin’ Big

A/N: The 12 Days of Christmas start on Christmas Day and go into the new year. But the 12 Days of Christmas Fics starts RIGHT NOW. Starting the countdown with the sweetest Mafioso that ever lived. This is MM Nick. There’s a “chapter 3″ floating around unfinished, and this little interlude to the main story comes chronologically after it, but luckily non-linear storytelling is a game i like to play, so out of order it is!

Word Count: 4,097

Prompt from: @its-my-little-dumpster-fire

“Just open it.”

“It’s not weird, it’s tradition.”

“I didn’t know what to get you. You’re not exactly easy to shop for.”

It was warmer in your drafty home than it had been since the weather turned. The heat still wasn’t working right, but for once you had all four burners on the stove going, and the tiny oven had been set to 375 all morning. The sweet smell of sugary confections filled the air as you pulled a batch of cookies from the center rack, setting the tray on top of the waiting trivets on the counter. Red, green and blue sprinkles covered the crisp, golden forms of trees, mittens and snowflakes, and you smiled as you slipped the quilted pot holders from your hands and stuck them into the pocket of your apron. Just need to finish the chocolate chip, then I can get dinner in and start cleaning up. You turned and grabbed the second tray, already loaded up with rounded dollops of dough, and placed it in the oven. The timer beeped as you set it for twelve minutes, the microwave chiming in to let you know that your coffee was once again an acceptable temperature. You grabbed your mug, a chipped ceramic snowman that was nearly as old as you were, noting the time as you took a sip of the warm nutty beverage. I’ve got three hours. Perfect.

Setting your coffee down, you started sliding the sugar cookies onto a sheet of tin foil so that they could cool. You’d admittedly gone overboard- one batch of cookies would have been more than enough, but you’d let yourself get carried away by the nostalgia of the beat up old recipe book, the stained apron and festive pot holders, ending up with two dozen each of the sugar cookies, chocolate chip, and oatmeal raisin that you’d made the night before. Gonna be eating cookies for breakfast lunch and dinner. You made a mental note to find the green tins in the closet upstairs so that you could fill them up and bring the leftover sweets in to work with you on Thursday. For tonight though, you’d pulled out the long glass tray etched with little reindeer that had once belonged to your grandmother. You ran your fingers over the design before arranging the cooled cookies, letting your mind wander back to Thanksgiving, and the start of this entire holiday hullabaloo.

.. .. .. .. .. .. ..

The wind lashed at the screens, causing them to buckle and knock against the glass panes, the windows shaking in their frames. You nestled deeper into the pile of blankets that you’d disappeared beneath, eyes shut tight as you sighed contentedly, pressing your cheek into the soft green pillowcase. Rain pattered against the roof, adding to the stormy symphony, the clouds contributing to the colorless sky. You loved sleeping through storms, especially on rare days off from work when you didn’t have to pull yourself from your cocoon before you were willing to do so. Normally your alarm would be blaring by 7am, alerting you that it was time to start your day, but turning your face to the clock on your side table, you pried one eye open just enough to see the bright red numbers reading 10:57. A sleepy smile pulled your lips upwards. Still so much time to sleep. You flipped your pillow, relishing the cool side as another strong gust rattled the glass and screens above your head.

But just as you felt yourself giving in to the waves of slumber that would take you back into dreams, your phone rang. It buzzed and vibrated against the wooden surface of your bedside table, causing you to jolt, nearly falling out of bed in a tangle of sheets and covers. What the- you groaned, slowly realizing that you’d forgotten to turn your phone on silent. You never got calls on your days off, so you didn’t bother to switch the setting before crawling into bed. Glancing at the phone clutched in your hand, you read the caller ID, blinking questioningly at it. Huh? What’s he calling me for? Sudden panic mixed with your sleepy confusion as you swiped your screen to answer.

“Hello?” Your heart pounded three times in the half beat it took him to respond.

He spoke your name in a sigh of relief. “Where are you? Ya good? Ya okay?” His questions tumbled out one after the next, accent thicker than you’d heard it in person.

“Nick? Yeah, of course I’m fine, what are you…what do you mean? What’s going on?” You raised yourself up on your knees and turned to peer through the curtains, nothing to see but a gray sky and a few seagulls swooping through it. “Why are you callin’ me?”

“You’re okay? You’re not…” he let out a heavy breath. “You’re not hurt or…or anythin’?”

His tone was only making you more nervous and unsure. Hurt? Why would he think that? “Nick, calm down. I’m fine. Where are you, what’s going on?” You sat back against your pillows, pulling your knees to your chest.

“I’m…at work. I’m outside, it’s,” you heard the rattle of the door handle as he tried to yank it open. “It’s locked and the lights are out. There’s no cars here. No one’s here and you usually are so…” The door rattled once more as he let it go. “So I wanted to make sure nothin’ happened.”

He was worried about me? You couldn’t really blame him, considering how things had gone only a few weeks before when you’d gone from cashbox girl to getaway driver to…whatever new label your latest antics had earned you. “Nothin’ happened, Nick, everything’s okay.”

He sighed again and you heard a soft thud, imagining him collapsing back against the locked door, that one section of hair falling in his face as he tucked his chin to his chest. “Okay. Okay, good, I… Okay…so where is everyone? No Steve? No Ralph?”

Pfft. I wish no Ralph, ever, that’s the dream. “No, Nick. No Steve, no Ralph, no me. Dockside’s closed today, it’s-“ The adrenaline had cleared the drowsiness from your brain, and it socked you in the gut that he had absolutely no idea why things weren’t operating like business as usual today. “Nick, it’s Thanksgiving. Even we close on Thanksgiving.”

He was silent for a few seconds, just the sound of the waves crashing against the vacant boat slips echoing in the background. The smaller sailboats and scuppers had all been plucked from the water to dry dock inland for the winter the week before, and soon enough the remaining ferries and large fishing boats would don festive lights and evergreen roping to usher in the Christmas season. “Shit,” he finally whispered. “Shit, I forgot about Thanksgivin’…” There was sadness in the silence as his sentence tapered off, and it sent a chill through your chest as the screen banged against the glass above your head. “I’m sorry, I- you probably have holiday plans and…and family an all that an-“

“I don’t.” You cut him off, biting your lip. “I uh…well, my plan was to sleep ‘til noon but some jerk had to call me and wake me up, so,” You gave a nervous laugh, hoping to erase whatever tension or uneasiness he was still feeling. “So I’m up now. Nothing planned but football and beer today if you wanna… I mean if you got nothin’ to do, you could come watch the games with me.” You said you’d be careful with this one. What are you doing inviting him here? You told yourself to shut up while you waited for his response.

He sniffed. “Yeah? You…you sure you don’t mind me crashin’ your party?”

Again that chill swam through your chest. He was trying to joke, but there was something there, something that sounded like loneliness and regret, and it was something you understood. Oh, Nick, of course I’m sure. If you were being completely honest with yourself, you were feeling just as lonely as he sounded, despite telling yourself over and over that you enjoyed the way that you spent your holidays, and company might just be the cure for that misery. “Yeah, I mean, don’t go expecting a turkey and stuffing and all that jazz or anything. I’m pulling out exactly zero stops here,” you paused and the sound of his chuckle chased some of that chill away. “But yeah, you’re welcome to join me. If you want.” You held your phone tightly to your ear, the backs of your earrings digging into the skin behind the lobes as you tried not to get your hopes up too much that he’d say yes.

“Alright,” he said a few hour long seconds later. “Alright, yeah, that’s…”

“Alright? That a yes, Nick?” You flung the sheets from the bed and stood, your free hand combing through your hair as you headed for a shower you wouldn’t have taken if it was just going to be you.

“Yeah,” he said, and you couldn’t help but grin at your reflection as you passed the long mirror hanging on your closet door. “Yeah, it’s a yes. Text me your address…I’ll see you for the games.” You were about to wrap up the conversation before hurrying to make yourself and your place presentable when he spoke your name, solidly, like it mattered. “Thank you. For doin’ this.”

.. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..

By the time you’d finished in the kitchen, plating everything on the festive dishware that hadn’t gotten any use in over a decade and cleaning up the inevitable mess that your cooking space became every time you made a foray into the culinary arts, it was nearly 3pm. You hung the apron you’d been wearing all morning and afternoon on the hook next to the fridge, and ran upstairs to change and freshen up, the steps creaking beneath your socked feet as you took them two at a time, the framed photos that lined the staircase blurring by the corners of your eyes.

You exchanged your oversized tee shirt and dark green flannel pajama pants for a bright red cable knit sweater that fell off your right shoulder and a pair of black jeans that clung to your hips and thighs. Smoothing your hands down over the material of your top and picking off a few stray pieces of lint, you looked yourself over in the mirror. Your hair had been pulled up and clipped in place, soft tendrils falling around your face, and you’d dug your green and silver droplet earrings out from the bottom of your jewelry box. They sparkled, light bouncing off of the emerald facets, but you opted not to do your makeup. This is still just… we’re just friends. This is just two people spending a holiday together, so they don’t have to do it alone. No need to… I don’t need lipstick for that.

The fact was that it had been becoming increasingly difficult to see Nick as just a friend, and impossible to see him as simply a co-worker. Whatever had changed that night when you’d helped him pull off his inaugural job for Steve had deepened at Thanksgiving, when he’d shown up at your door with two turkey subs and a side of mashed potatoes from Wawa. He’s such a good guy. How’d he ever get caught up in all’a this? You’d laughed as he brandished the bag and a grin, opening the door for him and wondering if he questioned the same about you.

.. .. .. .. .. ..

You were on your third beer and Nick his fourth, empty, crumpled wrappers and a few shreds of lettuce all that remained of your holiday meal, when the second game of the day cut away to the halftime show. Both of you had gotten comfortable on your well-worn couches, you curled up in the corner where the two sides formed an L shaped angle, and Nick sprawled out on the reclining portion, shoeless feet propped up on the extended foot rest. “S’a nice place,” he said, looking around the room while the game was on hold.

You laughed, a warm fuzzy tickle in your brain from the beer, and it yanked the corners of his mouth up into a smile that wrinkled the skin on the bridge of his nose. “No it’s not. It’s drafty and old and creaky. The pipes freeze, the heat’s toast, and –“

“Yeah,” he said, draping one arm over the back of the couch. “Maybe all that’s true. But it’s yours. And it’s,” he looked around at the few decorations and knick-knacks that defined the space, some old, some new, all of them having some kind of meaning. “It’s cozy. I dunno, feels,” he shrugged. “Feels homey.”

“That’s because it’s the only home I ever had,” you explained plainly, blinking at the eyelet lace that lined the curtains. You sighed, facing him with a small smile. “This is where I grew up. Pretty much everything you see has been here longer than…well longer than I have, actually.” The tickle in your brain faded and you felt a tug behind your ribs, reminding you of memories made and teasing you about the ones that would never come to fruition. Time for another round. You stood then, grabbing the deli wrappers and the empty potato container.

“Lemme help ya” he stood, swinging his legs over the side of the recliner and leaving it extended. In just half a step he was right next to you, so close that you could smell his cologne mixing with the beer on his breath. You could feel the warmth coming off his body, his socked feet only a few centimeters from your own, the heavily worn orange carpet tufting up in the space between. He bent down to reach for the wrappers, knuckles nearly brushing yours.

You turned, the paper and container in one hand and four empty bottles between the fingers of the other, to face him. “Nah, sit, I got this.” You looked up into his dark brown eyes, wondering if the chocolate in them was bittersweet. He tried to protest, swiping his hand over his hair as he opened his mouth, but you cut him off. “I said sit, Nick, guests don’t help.” And I need to pull myself together, here. “I’ll grab you a beer, ‘kay?”

He nodded, a sideways smile lifting one rounded cheek into his eye, lips twitching beneath the scruffy stubble. “‘Kay,” he did as he was told and sank back into his seat while you ducked into the kitchen. “Hey what’s this shelf up here for?” He called as you stuffed the trash into the can under the sink. “S’empty.”

You sucked in a breath as you reached for two more brown bottles in the fridge and thought about how to answer. The shelf in question ran the length of the wall above the couch from corner to corner, held up by carved maple brackets stained a rich amber color. “Uh, yeah.” You let the refrigerator door swing closed with a soft smack, and returned to the living room. Handing him his drink, you followed his eyes up to the one item on the shelf- a small snow globe depicting the lighthouses of the Outer Banks, the base sculpted to look like the crashing waves of the Atlantic.

Using the neck of your bottle, you pointed up to the lone trinket. “Used to be more of those…” you took a sip, the hoppy IPA doing nothing to dislodge the knot that unexpectedly formed at the memory of that shelf when it was full. “A lot more.” You finished, punctuating your thought with another swig.

You hadn’t turned around, but you could feel his intense eyes on you. “What happened to ‘em?”

Short answer? “They broke.” You blinked twice and gave a minute shake of your head to clear the images of shattered glass, your father’s desperate, tear stained face, the heartbreak in the vibrations of his vocal chords as he threw each one to the ground.

“All these goddamn perfect moments!” He grabbed two more pieces of your mother’s collection and hurled them downward, glittery liquid splashing over the floorboards. “All these perfect fuckin moments of hers and what good are they now?!”

You’d gotten him to stop in time to save the last one, a memento from a family vacation from a decade past- from before she’d gotten sick and lived vicariously through the memories trapped inside the crystal globes. It was all you had left that meant anything to you. You turned back to face Nick, wiping at your eyes with the back of your hand before you did. “But what can you do, right? Things break.”

His forehead wrinkled as his brows gathered together. “Yeah,” he cleared his throat. “Things break.”

.. .. .. .. .. .. ..

At 3pm on the dot you heard his knuckles rap against the borders of your screen door. He’s here. Setting the last bowl on the table, you tugged at the sleeves of your sweater and headed for the door. He was standing on your front step, vapor puffing from his mouth as he let out a breath in the frosty winter air. As usual, he was dressed all in black, a stark contrast to the white sky, frozen blanket of crusty snow and unlit decorations all around him. He turned as he heard you opening the door, a smile on his face. “Merry Christmas Eve, Nick,” you greeted him, welcoming him in from the cold.

“Merry Christmas Eve to you too,” he responded, scraping his boots against the doorframe before entering your home. You let the screen swing closed and bolted the front door against the chill. When you turned back, he was looking at you with a shine in his dark eyes. “You look…” he gestured up and down your height. “You look nice. Real festive.”

You felt your cheeks flush and rolled your eyes inwardly at yourself. “Oh, thanks,” you mumbled through a smirk.

Nick looked around your living room, taking in the tree, lights, and other decorations before landing on the table in the dining room, laden with trays, dishes and serving bowls. “And all this is... “ He grinned with a small shake of his head.

“Go big or go home.” You shrugged and winked, reaching for the coat he’d just removed. The top lines of the ink on his neck peeked over the collar of his shirt, and you swallowed the flush before it made it to your cheeks this time. Stop it, will you? You can’t...he can’t… It was only after you’d hung his coat and you were about to offer him a glass of eggnog or a hot cider when you realized he was holding a small gift bag. “Nick,” you tilted your head as he extended his arm out to hand it to you. “What did you...you didn’t have to-”

He stepped closer and you curled your fingers around the gold ribbon handles, the contents of the bag shifting and feeling heavier than you assumed as he let go. “Just open it.” He cocked his head over towards the couch before taking a seat himself. You followed, sitting down beside him, leaving enough space between your thigh and his. “It’s nothin’ big or anythin’, just…”

You reached in, digging through the crumpled tissue paper. When your fingertips found a smooth, round surface, your heart skipped off rhythm. Is that..? Closing your grip around the round object, you pulled it from the gift bag. Oh, Nick. You turned the object over in your hands, the white glitter floating magically through the clear liquid and falling down around a bright green Christmas tree topped with a shiny gold star and surrounded by colorful gifts. “Nick…” you whispered his name, staring at the globe in your hands before lifting your eyes to his. “Nick, it’s…” He smiled and you couldn’t keep one from your own face, from your own heart. “It’s beautiful. Thank you.”

He shrugged. “Ah, your welcome, like I said, it’s nothin’ big, just...ya know,” he pointed to the shelf above where you sat. “Figured you’d wanna fill that back up.”

It’s huge, Nick. You don’t know how big that is to me. You stood on the couch cushion and placed his gift next to the lighthouse globe, catching a flush leaving his cheeks as you came back down. “Well, Tortano, you figured right.” You fixed the pillows, smacking a holiday throw as you stood back up. “And I actually…” you toyed with your earring before your hand fell behind your neck. “I did something for you, too.”

“What? C’mon you didn’t have ta get me nothin’, it’s nice enough you invited me over and-“

“Relax,” you laughed and held up your hands, palms facing him. “It’s not… it’s not a gift really. Not that you can open anyway. I still don’t know you that well, so I didn’t know what to get you. You’re not exactly easy to shop for.”

It was true, and it was by design. You and Nick shared very few personal details with one another. He knew you were estranged from your father but didn’t know why. You knew he had a brother but didn’t know where. Mostly, you kept things light, which was what both of you needed. But with each week that passed you felt things take on more and more weight. Like when he’d told you how much he’d miss spending Christmas Eve with his family this year; how he’d miss his cousins and brother, his aunts and his Nonna, all the food and the laughter. It would be the first one that he’d missed, and though he tried to shrug it off you could tell that it hurt him more than he was letting on.

.. .. .. .. .. ..

“Does your family do the six fishes thing?” You’d asked, trying to learn what you could about the man you’d just spent Thanksgiving with. “I always thought that was weird, but hey who’m I to judge?”

He’d been turning a bottle cap over in his long fingers, and he tossed it at you breaking into a grin. “It’s not weird, it’s tradition,” he protested. You laughed, swatting the small metal projectile away from your face. “And it’s seven, not six.”

.. .. .. .. .. ..

“So, yeah,” you gestured toward the dining room table and the array of seafood that sat atop the holly patterned tablecloth. Nick gripped the back of one of the chairs, staring at the spread. “It’s not much, but,” You’d stopped at the Fishery in Keyport and picked up two or three each of shrimp, crab legs, scallops, and mussels, as well as a filet of flounder and one of salmon. “I know it’s not like your family’s cooking but… traditions are important.”

He turned to you, mouth open and eyes wide. “You…” you watched him swallow the words that he couldn’t get out, then shake his head before dragging one hand down over his mouth, letting out a stunned burst of air. “This is amazing,” He finally said, not taking his eyes off of yours. A spark ignited in them as a slow, mischievous grin spread up his face. Here it comes. You’d been waiting for this moment, knowing it would make him laugh. “But I’m only countin’ six here.”

“Count again, Tortano,” you smirked, watching him scan the table, and knowing exactly when he’d found the seventh “fish” by the twitch of his lip and the crinkle near his eye. Between a pot of penne and a dish of green beans sat a small snack bowl full of goldfish crackers. You grabbed a small handful, tossing one at his chest and popping the rest in your mouth. “Seven fishes.”

In a moment that happened too quickly for either of you to stop it, he wrapped his arms around you, one behind your waist and the other draped over your shoulder. He pulled you tight against himself, so close that you had no choice but to lean your cheek against his chest. You found it easy to slip your arms around his torso and reciprocate the embrace. Too easy. “Merry Christmas”, you felt more than heard him say the words, and before you could respond he released you, his watch sliding back down his arm as it fell to his side.

Way too easy. “Merry Christmas, Nick.”

@something-tofightfor @its-my-little-dumpster-fire @suchatinyinfinity @lexxierave @songtoyou @poindexted @thesumofmychoices @gollyderek @zaffrenotes @traeumerinwitzhelden @breanime @roses-in-your-country-house

#12 days of christmas fics #12 days of christmas #christmas countdown #nick tortano #nick tortano x you #nick tortano x reader #by the gun fanfic #made man #christmas traditions #nicky tortano #the danger dipped cotton candy man

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aspergersissues · 5 years

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RLS

Time for a blog post on this. Medical stuff incoming.

I’ve had Restless Leg Syndrome as far back as I can remember. The earliest time it effected me, I think I was 13. I told my mom and she acted like I was making it up. My bio dad had it too and would have believed me if I’d been raised with him. Still, it came up pretty rarely when I was younger. Maybe once a month or so, and it would nag me for an hour or two, then stop. It was like this until my early 30s.

After my big surgery in Chicago, it got much worse. I don’t know if it’s because I became less active due to recovery, or loss of iron levels from blood loss, but things progressed to happening every night and they never went back. My GP started me on a medication called Rhopinerole and it worked well. After about two years, I developed a tolerance and we doubled the dose with a new doctor. It was about 18 months after that, that it stopped working around 3 hours before I woke up, causing me to wake up early from shocking sensations in my feet. I went online to see if this med had issues with tolerance and I was greeted by a horrific surprise: Rhopinerole interacts with three meds I was taking. The side effect of that interaction was extreme nausea and vomiting.

The whole time I was taking Rhopinerole, I was dealing with nausea. Some nights it was horrific, keeping me up for hours. After a while, I began throwing up. I chalked it up to food poisoning. I stopped eating foods I liked because they often made me sick. Some nights, I wouldn’t eat for six hours before bed, then I’d still throw up my last meal, looking like it hadn’t even been digested. It was terrifying. It got worse and worse. I had to start taking Prilosec for acid reflux because i couldn’t lay down without my throat burning. One night, the vomiting got so bad that I thought I’d had a heart attack— I was cold, but dripping sweat so bad it looked like I’d jumped out of a pool; I had a heart beat that set off the alarm on my watch (160bpm); and I started projectile vomiting. I brought this up to my doctors many times and no one knew what was up. I was supposed to get my heart checked, but it got delayed for 10 months. It just came back fine, finally. I still need a stomach scope, but they wouldn’t do it without the heart check. My GP put me on omaprazole, the prescription med for extreme nausea. That one also interacts with Rhopinerole and, while it kept me from throwing up, it made the nausea even more intense. If I hadn’t found that interaction information by dumb luck, I’d still be dealing with this.

I had to taper off Rhopinerole for a week. As I did, the symptoms of my RLS came back with a fury, like they were upset I suppressed them for so long and they had to make up for lost time. All night for two weeks, I had intense electric shocks every 30-45 seconds in the soles of my feet, so bad that every muscle in my leg would tense at once. Every morning, it felt like I had run a marathon. Even after the withdrawal, it became obvious I needed a new option. While the shocks got less severe, they were still happening every night.

I tried non-medical options while waiting in new medication ones. I tried iron supplements until my poop turned grey. No luck. I tried exercise. It got to the point I was riding my exercise bike for more than an hour just before bed. No luck. I tried going to bed earlier. It worked once. I tried keeping a regular schedule. No luck. I need medication, it seems.

There are five medications that work for RLS and Parkinson’s (they’re related). The first was out, now.

Gabapentin and Lyrica are in the same family. I had tried them for my wrist pain a decade back. They fuck with my brain. They slow my processing speed and destroy my short term memory. The first time I took them, I was in my first semester of college. I described the side effect as, “I can’t do math on these.” Still, I tried them both again. These account for why I spent a good amount of time very forgetful and probably shouldn’t have been driving. The gabapentin worked for my RLS, but I couldn’t think. Lyrica didn’t work at all AND had that side effect. These are ruled out. I don’t know how long I was on them because they fucked with my memory so badly.

It took a week to get this med, but my doctor wanted to try Neupro patches. The idea was that the patch bypasses my stomach, so maybe it wouldn’t cause nausea. I tried it for the first time last night. I put the patch on at 8pm. By 8:45, I was feeling a bit queasy. Rachel said it was in my head, so I tried to ignore it. When I laid down for bed, my legs were silent. I felt like I was finally going to get a good night of sleep. I was wrong. Once I laid down, I started getting bad acid reflux. I got up and took a Tums. After 30 more minutes of laying down, I started to feel like I may throw up. I took one of my emergency omaprazole, then sat in front of the toilet for two hours. I then felt a bit better, but came downstairs for a Prilosec for the reflux that was now bad even when vertical. I was laid down for 20 more minutes before I ended up spending the next 2 hours in front of the toilet. I never barfed, but I came very close. I took the patch off at 1:30am and was still nauseated and awake through 7am. I finally got to sleep around then, but when the nausea left, the RLS came back. I thought that even with the suffering, at least I’d get to sleep at the end. I was wrong. I slept in 30 minute bursts until noon, when I finally gave up.

That’s four of the five medical options all down. There’s one medication left. I left my GP a message last night and am waiting to hear back still. I don’t know what to do if this doesn’t work. I’m not sleeping well at all, and this condition just gets progressively worse as you age.

This is really heavy on me right now and I’m having trouble handling it. I dunno what to do now.

#autism #aspie #aspergers #asd #autistic #disability #actually autistic #actuallyautistic #rls #restless leg syndrome #medication #medicine #side effects

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rantingstories · 6 years

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I woke up at 5am, drove to a local hill and read my book. How did it affect my day?

I use to wake up at 7am, eat straight away, sleep for half an hour and be late for work

Hellewwww. So, I would like to discuss a concept probably foreign to a lot of us, and that is productivity in the mornings. I think the general consensus for mornings is; wake up, turn the alarm off, lay there being miserable about our inevitable rise from the bed, literally fall back asleep like you don’t even need wages because you got the rent fairy to help you out, turn the alarm off, after laughing at the wage fairy thing become miserable again, tiny ‘lil pep talk, and rise. Usually, the mornings are for being sluggish, letting your body adjust and rest at the same time. You would eat your food and watch some TV or look on your phone, until it’s time to get ready for work or school. I feel this is the default morning of most people. My mornings have always been a little lazier and more shameful then that!

Typically, I would give myself an hour and 9 minutes. I’d have to leave at 8:15 so I would get up at 7:06 because sleep minutes are more like hours when you feel you’re losing them and 6 more minutes in bed felt like a lot to me. Then I would sluggishly walk to the kitchen and feed my two cats who would be bountiful balls of energy, making me a mere shell of a person in their presence. I would then make any cereal I can find and sit on the couch watching TV or looking through my phone as I ate. I wouldn’t really have time for a cooked breakfast or tea because here comes the important bit; I lay sleep, on the couch, for half an hour, as my partner lays in bed. Why? Glad you asked J I have no clueL. For me, being awake whilst in bed is fantastic because I can actually feel the pleasure of just lying there and letting my mind drift. I’m conscious to know I’m snuggly in bed and that’s a great feeling. So for me, I actually like my body being awake. That’s the reason I lay on the couch, much to my fiancés dismay that I would rather lay alone on the couch where the cats walk all over me and crush my ribs, their wet noses tapping my skin as they examine what the hell I think I’m doing with my life, then in her arms in our warm bed. I lay there merrily, thinking about nice happy things, body at rest, mind adrift, milk getting sneakily licked from my cereal bowl by those assholes as I lay careless and oblivious in my own warm bubble of rest and contentment. This is also subliminally stressful as I have to remember to get up at eight and each morning, my drifting mind lives in secret fear and sheer panic that I’ll properly fall asleep and be awoken at like 8:15 by my ashamed partner. Nonetheless, I always get up because I don’t actually sleep, I just lay there, pointlessly. Let’s think about what can be done in half an hour?

ü A workout session

ü Reading a book

ü Applying for jobs

ü Answering emails

ü A walk with fresh air

ü A shower

ü Putting effort into your make up, hair and outfit

ü Chores that you now don’t have to come home to

ü Making your partner breakfast

ü Watching EastEnders whilst washing up

You can get a lot done in that space of time so why was I just lying there, not even sleeping? It was pointless and I decided to change it, to explore the enigmatic world that rapidly progresses as we lie half dead asleep. The World of the Larks. The Larks are strange beings, they do the equivalent of half a day’s work a night owl does, in the two or three hours you’re still asleep. They are powerful and their motivation and strength should be feared or stolen from them when you get the chance. I decided this morning, I would try it. I spent a week, a few years ago, jogging at 6am. It was winter, dark, everyone at the bus stop looked like lonely orphans in any film designed to tug on your heart strings, and it didn’t appeal to me. However it’s the penultimate month of summer now, so I thought it would be different.

The hardest part already was the night before. Using my valuable, precious, beautiful time in evenings to actually be asleep by 10pm. I was devastated. I typically have so much damn fun in the evening, writing ideas for my 27 open novels, being too devoted to Bored Panda, Facebooking drama watching, TV, shouting “CUTENESS” at my cats, then I’ll go to bed at the ridiculous hour of about half 11, 12 or even 1! I’d fall asleep straight away and then repeat the aforementioned cycle of the 7:06 start. It sounds dreadfully unproductive and like a stereotypical uni student really. Like I would have lived when I was working till 10pm then at uni at like 10 or 2am. But this isn’t fun times anymore, I have a big girl job with a big girl flat and a big girl life and car insurance. It’s time to behave like a big productive girl who organises her life in diaries and budgets. So now we’re in the morning and I sort of woke up at 4:48am, my brain obviously pre-empting its doom. Then 5am hit. I took some advice from videos I had watched to prepare for this and I charged my phone in the hallway outside my door. That way, to shut off the noise, I had to get up, walk out to the hall and crouch down, giving my knees a workout already to switch it off. My partner decided to do this experiment with me, but left her phone on the nightstand, showing clear signs that her heart wasn’t in this, but she came with me and I feel so very proud. Her names Ashleigh by the way. Anyway, so I used the time to respond to some messages, they had built up because I didn’t use my phone half an hour before bed the previous night, another tip I picked up. The break from the screens will really do me good. It will help my eyes and my concentration levels. My eye lids won’t be lower, looking down at the phone, which helps with the eyes feeling lighter and me feeling more awake.

I was also surprised with how awake I actually felt. I find this happens every time I wake up before 7am, I always feel more awake then when I wake up after 7am. It’s odd but it’s true. Your body feels a bit weaker rather than just sluggish, but your eyes and mind are awake, like this is the time they are meant to be up all along and you’ve been over sleeping them. I don’t know if it’s the same for everyone else, but always been like this for me. So we woke up and had some grapes and water. I’m the type of person who could honestly eat KFC and drink coke, 5 minutes after waking up. Ashleigh could barely look at the grapes. 2 hours before their breakfast time, and the cats thought we were tired enough to forget and feed them early. Suckers! So then we left in her car and we drove to these hills near our flat, you climb them in a twisting motion and they overlook a beautiful canvas under the blue skies’ light of cars racing down the motorway, dull brown house roofs and Greater London pollution. Once we reached the precipice, we found our journey up had consisted of talks of the mind, how it copes with waking up early, how being productive actually boosts our serotonin levels and how we feel happier and more alive. So smarter conversation was happening. In our normal routine, the only conversation we’d get in the morning is what’s happening on Facebook or… nothing. It felt great to have an in depth conversation with nothing but the breeze around us, no screens no third party media to influence our conversations, just us, our minds and the world. It was lovely.

At the top, it took a minor toll on our legs. Let me tell you by the way, your legs at 5am are the equivalent to the little devil on your shoulder who tells you, you won’t get a degree because you’re useless at life or you won’t ever find a career you love just lower your standards or you won’t feel in the slightest horrible if you spend over £20 on a pizza delivery at 11pm on a week night. They don’t like 5am and they will remind you you’re a sadist and to have mercy and send them to bed. Ignore them, they are the over dramatic one in the family. Nonetheless, we sat down at the top and began to read our respective books. Mine was “The Good Guy” (Susan Beale), set in 1964, a realistic view on marriage, its ups and downs, the pressures on the typical masculine and feminine roles, motherhood and adultery, and hers was “I Let You Go” (Claire Mackintosh), how one mistake, brought on by pressurising and damaging events, can turn life upside down, with thrills and chases and emotions tugged hard. We only read a chapter each, but as everyone knows, books nourish your eyes better than a screen will, they nourish your imagination, forcing it to work to picture what you read rather than it being given to you, they nourish your vocabulary and extend it and they nourish your mood for the day with the journey you take when reading it, leaving you picturing your own world and story with more passion and thoughtfulness.

We descended the hill (and I ran up another, sorry legs L I am a bit heartless) and made our way home. She cooked us an omelettes and I washed up meaning, we will come home to a clean and tidy flat with no chores after a long day at work. We had tea and coffee, ate our food, shouted “CUTENESS” at the cats for a 37th time, and watched the YouTube Video that inspired this. I will link it down below. When we looked at the time it was 5 minutes to 8. I still had 5 minutes and I felt like I’d done my whole usual morning up until lunch time.

This experiment really did change my day, I feel brighter and more awake at work, driving to work made me feel more conscious and thus, safer. My morning was accomplished and productive, I felt like I had a much better handle on my life. We saw people jogging, people exercising, couples doing yoga at the top of the hill, and the enigmatic world of morning larks turned out to be a nice peaceful group of people exercising, nourishing their minds and bodies, leaving them free to relax in the evening. My partner and I both feel rejuvenated, in control, happier, fresher, lighter, healthier and less stressed immediately. I even got a text about something that had been stressing me and I swear it felt so much lighter on my shoulders, in fact it went straight over my head because I felt happy and in control of life, not down trodden and rushing to get to work. I suggest you all spend at least one day waking up at 5am, I promise you, you will not feel as over tired as you think you will, you’ll even feel more awake than usual, or your money back! It’s still, sort of summer, so leave the house, and go on a small walk or read a book, climb a hill and kiss the rising sun, do anything as long as it’s doing something productive. Then cook a hot breakfast and feel proud of your strength and your beautiful, accomplished morning. I do not miss my beautifully pointless naps and my hobby of running red lights because I’m late for work.

Mentioned YouTube video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGWrGFlYtAQ

Thank you

Siobhan

#blogging #writing #writersblog #tumblr blog #productivity #earlymornings #5am #5amclub #thought #opinions #inspiration #youtubeinspo #happy #motivated #motivationalpost

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jeremystrele · 4 years

Text

A Day In The Life Of Rae Johnston, Trailblazing TV Journalist And Organisation Super-Woman!

A Day In The Life

Sasha Gattermayr

SBS and NITV’s first science and tech editor, Rae Johnston. Photo – Alisha Gore.

‘I used to be a terrible morning person, but now I love it. It’s so peaceful,’ says Rae. Photo – Alisha Gore.

Rae has been working from home recently, and spends the first hour of the day clearing her inbox. At 9am the NITV team has an editorial meeting where everyone pitches their stories for the next 24 hours. Photo – Alisha Gore.

Once she’s gone on air or pre-recorded from the TV studio, Rae heads into the voice-over or radio booth to record a podcast episode or promo voice-overs. Photo – Alisha Gore.

Rae has just finished Uncanny Valley by Anna Wiener, an acclaimed memoir about the author’s experiences as a woman working in a tech startup in Silicon Valley. Photo – Alisha Gore.

Rae Johnston is an incessantly curious person. She has a system-minded brain and a constant thirst for knowledge, the perfect combo for a groundbreaking journalist at the top of her game. She is also a lifelong gamer and self-confessed geek, two passions that primed her for success in her first TV gig – a role as a video game TV presenter. This was the start of her windy, non-traditional route to journalism, one that involved no formal study and a LOT of on-the-spot learning.

‘I went through so much hate and harassment online during my early career, as one of the few female video game journalists in the country (and the world) that I’m pretty much indestructible at this point,’ she says. ‘There is very little about my own life that I keep private – I believe that by sharing the ups and downs in my life it helps break down the idea you have to be “perfect” on social media.’

Now, she’s at NITV and SBS, as the network’s first Science and Technology editor, a role which sees her producing content for television, podcasts and digital channels, as well as hosting tech and science-related panels and events around the country.

‘I love creating processes and efficient ways of working,’ says Rae, identifying herself as a ‘routine person’. ‘That’s always the biggest challenge of helping to create a new role – figuring out how it will work within the existing business – but it’s also my favourite part. Present me a problem, I’ll find five solutions and categorise them by effectiveness, resources required, and time needed to implement them.’

She’s not kidding. The big reveal during our interview (which is a surprise to no one once you’ve seen Rae’s credentials) is that she’s a fastidiously organised person. Between uninstalling social media desktop apps, scheduling her workdays down to 30-minute increments, and some pretty serious spreadsheets I would love to get my hands on for my own life admin purposes, Rae has some of the most impressive productivity hacks going around.

But when it comes down to it, for Rae everything rests on the four ‘wells’: well-rested, well-fed, well-caffeinated and well-organised. I’m obsessed with that mantra.

FIRST THING

I set my alarm for 5am every weekday. On Saturdays I let myself wake up naturally, but it’s usually no later than 7am whether I like it or not. On Sundays, I’m up early again to get ready for a hike.

On weekdays, the first thing I do is throw on my activewear and head to the gym. I like to do classes, whatever is happening, to mix it up. It’s usually a combination of yoga, boxing, and reformer pilates. On Saturdays, I grab a coffee with my husband and son and take our dog to the park. On Sundays I pack my hiking backpack with a thermos of tea and head off to a National Park for the day.

I used to be a terrible morning person, but now I love it. It’s so peaceful.

MORNING

Most days I work from home all day. If I’m hosting an event, or have a filming day in the studio I’ll drive. I bought a car for the first time this year, after 20 years of receiving not-worth-trading-in-hand-me-downs from family. I love driving.

I get back from the gym about 7am. I’ll pop my headphones in and catch up on news podcasts while I do some housework and have a coffee, then at 8am my workday begins.

I like to spend the first hour of the day clearing my inbox, then at 9am the NITV team has an editorial meeting where we all pitch our stories for the day. I could be writing an article for online, producing a TV news segment, scripting an explainer for our current affairs program, or preparing for a podcast episode. Working across all platforms means I have so much flexibility with where stories get to go.

For the rest of the morning, I’m usually making TV and radio appearances as well as chasing and conducting interviews on Zoom for my upcoming stories. It’s my peak research time.

I’ve been getting better at having breakfast every day. Working from home means I can cook something decent to eat while I’m doing my research.

LUNCHTIME

I break for lunch at 12pm every day, and try to eat in the sun as well. I’m following the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet at the moment – it makes me feel better, and gives me more energy.

AFTERNOON

If it’s a studio day, I’ll drive to the SBS/NITV studios after lunch. There I’ll usually head straight into hair and makeup, where I edit my scripts from my phone.

Once I’ve gone on air or pre-recorded from the TV studio, I’ll head into the voice-over or radio booth to record a podcast episode or promo voice-overs.

Then I like to clear my inbox again. Some days, I can get through all my emails.

My final task of the workday is to sort out my schedule for the following day. My life basically looks like a game of Tetris in a Google Calendar.

I usually have a big afternoon slump after recording – being on-air fills me with so much adrenaline, once it leaves my body I just want to nap. I usually have a piece of fruit and a cup of tea to give me a boost at around 4pm.

EVENING

I officially finish at 6pm, but sometimes I have radio or TV appearances in the evening. I find it hard to get any writing work done once the sun sets. I’m great in daylight hours, but as soon as it gets dark, my brain turns to mush.

Myself, my husband and my son take turns to cook – it’s great. If I’m cooking, I’m usually roasting a chicken or making a big pot of soup. My son is the burger specialist, and my husband loves to smoke meat, it’s amazing.

I love to knit while we watch a movie at nighttime. My nan taught me to knit when I was little, and I recently picked it back up again. It’s something to do with my hands that isn’t mindlessly scrolling through Instagram.

I do one of two things to switch off – I hike, and I play video games. Both force me to focus on one thing, don’t allow me to multitask, and show me new and wonderful places with friends and family.

LAST THING

I’m usually in bed by 9:30pm. I’ll start to wind down at 8:30pm with a hot shower, my skincare routine, some comfy PJs, a herbal tea and a book. I’ve started journaling recently, too.

I have clinical depression, and getting enough sleep every night helps me manage it. If I have a bad night, it can throw me off for a week. Sleep is very important to me, and I need a lot of it.

‘If it’s a studio day, I’ll drive to the SBS/NITV studios after lunch. There I’ll usually head straight into hair and makeup, where I edit my scripts from my phone,’ Rae explains. Photo – Alisha Gore.

Flooded with so much adrenaline after being on air, Rae usually experiences a classic 4pm slump. She usualy has a piece of fruit and a cup of tea to keep her going. Photo supplied courtesy of SBS.

Rae officially finishes at 6pm, but sometimes she slots in radio or TV appearances in the evening. Photo supplied courtesy of SBS.

Right now I’m listening to, watching, and reading…

I can never listen to, watch or read just one thing at a time.

So right now I’m listening to a few podcasts: Curtain by Amy McQuire and Martin Hodgson, the Wall Street Journal Tech Briefing and Shameless are my current regulars.

While in isolation I’ve been re-watching Parks and Recreation – I needed something comforting. I’ve also been watching Doom Patrol, an incredible comic series adaptation with Brendan Fraser.

I just finished reading Anna Weiner’s Uncanny Valley, a memoir of her experiences in the early days of Silicon Valley. I’m currently reading Growing Up Aboriginal In Australia, a collection of stories written by some of my NITV colleagues and edited by fellow Wiradjuri woman Anita Heiss. It really highlights the diversity of experience we have.

I get my best work done when…

I’m well-rested, well-fed, well-caffeinated and well-organised.

My productivity tool/tip is…

I’d be lost without my calendars. I have a year-to-a-view spreadsheet that I use to block out big event hosting days, and I use the weekly view on my digital calendar to schedule my workdays in 30-minute increments. It sounds like a lot, but it works for me, and keeps me on track.

I’ve uninstalled Twitter and Facebook from my phone, and only access them on desktop during work hours. I also set limits on Instagram so I don’t waste time scrolling.

A philosophy I live and work by is…

It used to be “never hope harder than you work”, and then I experienced burnout. Now it’s more along the lines of “do what you can, with what you have, where you are”. Everyone is “winging” it. Your best is always good enough.

Something I’ve learned the hard way is…

The importance of scheduling in down-time as well as work. I’m still learning where my limits are, and sometimes overextend myself, but I’m getting better.

Keep up with Rae’s fast-paced life on Instagram!

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ladyoftheshrimp · 7 years

Note

Psst... Percival Graves as a closeted snuggle lover and Newt finds out from Dougle because Dougle like cuddles as well and soon there are snuggle parties in the case and all the creatures and Newt love it *gives you the offering of a pig cause I don't kill cows* *runs away to hide*

The pig has been gratefully accepted. He’s now called Kevin, has his own bed, blanket, and a box of toys. In return please accept this humble offering which took way too long to get to you and may have deviated a little from your original idea.

Like a Flower in Bloom

Every morning Percival would rise when his alarm clock rangshrilly at 5am. He’d sit up, switch it off and get out of bed. He’d stretchbriefly then turn to make his bed with army precision before heading into thekitchen for a quick breakfast – toast with some jam, a hot cup of coffee and aquick glance over the morning newspapers. Over the course of the years he’dmastered the useless skill of reading several of them at once to be moreefficient with his time. Breakfast done with, he’d get changed into workoutclothes and go for a run before finishing off with a few more exercises athome. By then it would be 7am and he’d go for a shower, a quick and cold thing,warm water was a luxury he just didn’t indulge in, saw no point it wasting sucha precious resource when cold water worked just as well. After a shower he’d doa few more cooling down stretches before dressing and getting to work for 8amsharp. Being a soldier in the Great War had taught him efficiency, order andthe need to get things done. His whole life was centred around appearance,presentation and regime. Even as a child he was expected to be prim and properat functions, a child to be seen not heard. There was no room in his life for aluxury, only a sense of duty and accomplishment. He held no pride in hisarrests, no joy in his role deciding people’s fates. It was his job, his dutyand what was expected of him and he’d do it to the best of his abilities for aslong as he could continue.

Others’ lives never really interested Percival, they livedhow they wanted but he had his own standards to live up to. At work he waspolite, to the point and sometimes ruthless but it got results. His departmentwas achieving record level efficiency, they were treated fairly, rarelyoverworked. Perhaps Percival did pride himself a little in the fact that he wasable to look after his subordinates and notice who needed a break, who could bepushed and who needed to be reprimanded for their sloth. But mostly he put itdown to steady and reliable leadership, he tried to set an example and hopedthat most people would fall in line.

It was almost the norm for Percival to work long hours,nobody questioned him when they left and the light in his office was still on.Other than the night staff nobody knew just how late into the night he stayed,depending on the case and his workload. He always went home, he had rulesagainst sleeping in his office but that didn’t mean he left at a sociable hour.After all, there was nothing to go home for other than a bed and sleep. So that’sall he did, he’d work for as long as he could or until he was done, returnhome, get ready for bed and sleep. At 5am the next day his alarm would ring andhis cycle would start all over again. At the weekends he’d take files home withhim and quietly work at the dining table in the corner of the kitchen. For mostof the two days the only noise would be the scratch of his quill on paper andthe clink as he dipped it into an inkwell for more ink.

He was happy with his existence, he didn’t know what otherpeople did. Some nights as he walked home he’d see people in bars, spilling outof clubs roaring drunk and he’d wonder what they got out of it. People weren’tso much a mystery to him, more of a foreign concept. Nobody ever wanted to befriends with him unless it would elevate their station in society and he had nodesire to play such games. All he wanted was to work and be the best he couldbe.

So when Newt turned up in a whirlwind of colour, a strangemix of apparent shyness with an underlying current of dangerous cunningPercival did what he always had. Run through the department’s policies, hisusual welcoming speech and cut him loose to be someone else’s problem. Theaurors on the whole were good at welcoming new members of staff, of guidingthem through their first weeks. It wasn’t his responsibility and as long asthey fell into place with relative ease and pace Percival was happy to leavethem be. However Newt was different. There was an energy about him that pulledpeople along with his hare-brained shenanigans. Things worked out around himbut never by the book as Percival had come to expect from his subordinates. Itwasn’t anything he could write them up for, or even issue a verbal warning forbut it still grated. On top of it Newt would just drop by at random times for achat. Usually he had questions for him but they were the kind that anybody inthe department could have answered for him, he didn’t need the Director toanswer such inane questions. Despite his grumblings Percival found he overalldidn’t actually mind Newt’s presence in his office. It was an almost welcomedistraction at times. Part of him wondered if this was what having a friend waslike before he dismissed the idea. He was Newt’s boss in a roundabout way,probably third boss up the chain but still. Newt probably just wanted to make agood impression and nothing else. People like Percival didn’t get the luxuriousdistraction of friends. He didn’t need them either, he was happy in his ownsolitude.

The thing with Newt didn’t quiet down and Percival slowlycame to look forward to the little interruptions to his day. There were coffeebreaks which he’d never before indulged in and quick exchanges of pleasantriesin the corridors if the ever passed each other. Lunchtime was occasionallyspent swapping tales of their travels rather than a sandwich in one hand and areport in the other. It was one such pleasant lunch with Newt for company whenout of the blue Newt spoke.

“I was in the war too you know.” The bite of sandwich turnedbitter in Percival’s mouth and he fought to swallow it down despite the risingbile. He never talked of the war and his part in it. Never wanted to think ofthe friends he had lost there, the reason why he found making friends so hardnow. He’d been relatively young in the war, not the youngest by any means butstill impressionable. The impressions the war had left behind weren’t the oneshe’d expected of great heroic deeds and a cheered welcome home. No, they werethe memories of fear, the stench of death and screamed begs to make the agonystop. Of friends who fell next to him not to rise again or even worse beg himto end their misery with mangled jaws and broken bodies. To become close tosomeone in the war meant to have repeated heartache when they didn’t return andto keep an ever growing collection of dog tags on the chain around his neck. Itgot to the point that Percival almost lost his own identity to the number ofpeople he’d wished to keep alive by carrying the final bit of them around hisneck.

“I just want you to know that I understand.” Newt’s softvoice drew him out of his spiral of memories. He couldn’t say anything to that,just nodded mutely and shoved another bite of the sandwich in his mouth. Therewas nothing to say, he mused. They were both survivors of horrors untold whichdidn’t bear repeating. Moving on didn’t mean forgetting, it meant not dwellingon things they couldn’t change.

Not long after that one evening Newt asked him to dinner. Itwas phrased so delicately Percival almost missed the implications. He almostsaid no out of habit. He didn’t want a friendship, he didn’t want anything otherthan to live his own life. Yet somehow he found himself agreeing. Newt’spleased little hum at his eventual acceptance soothed any worried he may havehad – there was no gloating of being the one to perhaps ensnare the Directorfor a date, no cruel laughter at the culmination of a long joke where his heartwas the punchline. Instead, as promised Newt accompanied him to the mostpleasant dinner he could remember having in a long while. They didn’t need tospeak much, their silence a comfort rather than awkward. When they bid eachother good night Newt smiled sweetly and reassured him he’d had a good time.Percival returned the sentiment though it sounded wooden to his own ears. Itdidn’t seem to deter Newt.

A week later Percival found himself wanting to return thefavour, he inexplicably found himself summoning Newt to his office, where on companytime he asked about a very personal matter. It was wholly unprofessional butever so satisfying, he’d done something that broke the comfort of his routineand sent a thrill down his spine at breaking his usual code of conduct. Thefact that Newt accepted his offer without hesitation was a bonus. Like theprevious date, they were more quiet than most would have figured two people onan early date to be. Percival wondered a little when they’d ended up socomfortable with each other that it didn’t matter. That night he walked Newthome and was given a peck on the cheek for his efforts. If he hadn’t been so quietlyecstatic he might have cared about the dusting of a pink blush that bloomedacross his cheeks – another first in a long time.

The first time he invited Newt home for a cooked meal wasnerve wracking. In the morning before he left work he made sure everything wastidied away, straightened up the chairs against the table, tucked his creasefree sheets on his bed tightly away and swept away even a hint of dust from theshelf which housed his books of statutes. Admittedly he didn’t usually readthem at home but it was worth having a copy there as well as his office. Thatevening he showed Newt in who took a moment to look round his living room. Aquick tour of his home and Newt looked torn between a weary sadness and worry,it wasn’t a good look on him but Percival chose to ignore it.

Looking round Percival’s home left Newt feeling hollow.Everything was minimalistic, militaristically bare and devoid of the creaturecomforts he’d surrounded himself with after all he’d gone through. It was likewalking through an officer’s barracks or an office. The more he thought of itthe more he realised that Percival’s office wasn’t as barren as it was becauseof regulations but because the man didn’t fill it with personal knickknacks.The tightly made bed with crisp sheets, the set of almost uniform clothes hungprecisely in the wardrobe, Newt would have bet that even his union suits wereneatly folded in the drawer, tucked away in an ordered line. Everything wasdevoid of colour, blacks, whites and greys. The next time Newt invited Percivalinto his case to perhaps show the man that there was a world of colour to behad.

They’d agreed that Newt would take his case to Percival’shome and they’d go down there together in the evening. It was Percival’s firsttime in the case and the man was certainly taken aback by everything he saw. Themyriad of creatures the swarmed the case were overwhelming in their cacophony.Newt simply smiled at him, took his hand and led him through makingintroductions as he went. Their dinner was a simple affair of food Newt hadcooked a little earlier while Percival finished up the case he was working on.Dougal had decided to join them and sat by Percival’s feet, an arm slung aroundhis calf in a cuddle. Once Percival got over the initial discomfort of aninvisible weight against his leg it was quite nice. A warmth that seeped intohis very core and helped loosen something in him which he never realised hadcoiled so tight over the years.

At the end, when Newt needed to return home they left thecase, Percival in front and Dougal mournfully staring up at them. Newt clutcheda little potted plant of exquisite colours which he put on Percival’s table.

“A little something to bring a bit of colour into your day.”Newt had shrugged and Percival straightened the pot so the sides ran parallelto the table’s. He missed the fond smile Newt shot him as he aligned the plant.It wasn’t something he’d have picked out for himself, it felt superfluous andsomething that needed care and attention. Yet every time he glanced at it hefelt a glow, it reminded him of Newt and the fact that the other man caredenough to give him something he’d grown from a seed in his own case. So theplant stayed on his table, he watered it every morning, drew the curtain solight would reach it during late afternoon when the sun wasn’t too hot anymoreand watched the plant flourish and bloom. His trips into Newt’s suitcase becamemore frequent, on occasions at lunchtime they’d go down together and eat in thepeaceful racket of creatures around them. Dougal would usually find them andlatch onto Percival. If they were sat on the ground the demiguise would pushunder his arm until Percival relented and put an arm round slender furryshoulders but if they were seated on chairs Dougal slowly rose from clutchinghis leg to sitting on his lap. Newt never commented on their lunch companionand instead just smiled enigmatically before offering them both some fruit andthen taking some for himself.

The more time Newt spent at his home the more chaos wasintroduced. The first night Newt slept over Percival had turned his alarm offat 5am and much to his surprise cuddled back to Newt under the blanket. He almost ran late to work that morningand found his cup and plate from breakfast in the sink that evening. Over timeNewt trusted him with his case and on days would even leave it with him when heknew he’d be too busy to look after it or was going somewhere his case wasn’twelcome. It was the fourth lunchtime that week Percival spent alone with thecase while Newt consulted in the field. Surreptitiously at lunchtime Percivalcracked the case open and crept down. He wasn’t doing anything wrong as such,Newt had often told him to make himself at home in there, but not once beforehad Percival taken him up on the offer. Yet there he was, standing in the shackwith his packed lunch in one hand, uncertain of just what he was doing. The airshimmered in front of him and Dougal reached for his hand. Together they walkedout into the sunlight of the case and settled on a little mound where Percivalshared his lunch with the demiguise.

His bed was no longer crease free. It was in fact adifferent bed as Newt had convinced him that the small almost cot he’d had foryears was too small for two grown men to sleep in, let along do anything moreintimate. They found out that like everything else Percival fucked like helived. It was meticulous, thorough and steady. Like a metronome Newt hadgiggled mildly tipsy once, sated from their earlier activities. That’s how theydiscovered that Percival never really explored much in the ways of the bedroombefore. He’d fucked to relieve pressure on occasion but it was nothing morethan a night of almost required pleasure, pleasant but meaningless in the grandscheme of things. So Newt had taken it on himself to find different ways ofshowing Percival how someone can be thoroughly taken apart and also dismantlesomeone else in return. After one such adventurous night was the first timePercival almost fell asleep at work while Newt drank potions to try and hidehis mild limp.

Quiet lunches in the case were almost the norm by that pointeven without Newt. When Percival was by himself it wasn’t just Dougal who cameup to him for a cuddle. Various creatures would join them for as long as theywanted to and there’s be a constant ebb and flow of beasts who sought outscratches, tickles and just some company. Life at home became more varied too.Pictures went up on Percival’s wall, his alarm was turned off with a grumblemore often than not and getting ready for work was an affair filled withinnuendo, groping and filthy promises between even dirtier kisses. Percival wasno longer the first in the office at 8am sharp, neither was he the last toleave. His house had become a home more than anything else had ever been onefor him before. There was a warmth to it and it had nothing to do with turningthe heating up or enjoying longer showers under the scalding hot water Newtalways set the temperature to.

It was towards the end of a tiring week when Percival wasonce again left with instructions to look after Newt’s case while he was out.Lunchtime rolled around and Percival meandered down the steps into the shackwhere Dougal was already waiting for him. Hand in hand they wandered out onto agrassy knoll and settled down, Percival passing him the sliced apples and melonpieces he’d taken to packing in his lunch just for the demiguise. Their usualcrowd of cuddlers approached and settled quietly around them in a peaceful heapand Percival closed his eyes in quiet contentment.

“Room for one more?” Newt’s voice jolted him out of hisquiet basking. Percival turned and smiled sheepishly before Dougal got up fromhis lap and led Newt into the centre of the pile. Gracefully Newt sank downinto Percival’s lap and stole a kiss.

“Always room for you.” Percival rumbled. “Didn’t think you’dbe back so soon.”

“Cut things short when it turned out a creature wasn’tinvolved so I wasn’t needed.” Newt shrugged languidly. “Didn’t think I’d findyou down here quite like this though.”

“Well, you asked me to take care of your case so I did.”

“And it took care of you too by the looks of things.” Newtlaughed gently. Percival hummed then nodded.

“That it did. That it did.”

#anon ask #prompt fill #gramander #newt scamander x percival graves #percival graves #newt scamander #fluff #cuddle party

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allyroams-blog · 7 years

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Day 1: Adjumani

July 13, 2017

Today was my first day in Adjumani – right on the border of South Sudan.

So... technically I’m not meant to be within 10 miles of the border because of the internal conflicts, but Lillian asked if I wanted to join the team and I decided I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. This was for a couple of reasons: (1) they asked for my help training village health workers -including those from refugee camps - which was something I was very much interested in being a part of; (2) there is a referral hospital in Adjumani and a doctor there who is willing to have me shadow him; (3) everything has been peaceful at the border recently; and, finally (4) I trust that TERREWODE would not take me anywhere that was anywhere near harms way. So, I decided to go. Mom and dad: I am asking for forgiveness instead of permission. Hope you’re not upset.

The drive up was an experience in and of itself. The term “road” is used very liberally here - especially in northern Uganda. Potholes are rampant and the roads are very narrow and very dusty. You have to cover your nose and mouth at certain points or you’d choke on the dust. Even with your face covered, you can't drive anywhere without ending up with an invisible film of dust pasted to your skin. When I shower the water runs red for the first few seconds. But that being said, driving has really proven to be a wonderful way of getting a feeling for what rural areas of Uganda are like. We passed a few refugee camps and UN outposts as we approached the border, but all was quiet. I more or less went straight to sleep when we arrived.

I woke up the next morning at 6AM (shock horror, sound the alarms: I am officially a morning person here!!). I worked out and was sitting waiting for breakfast at the time we had agreed upon: 7AM. Of course, I forgot about Ugandan time, which meant I was sitting by myself at the table until 8AM. We had a really slow leisurely breakfast (even though we were meant to be in our first meeting at 8AM…I’m really not even sure why Ugandans bother attaching times to things), and then headed off to Adjumani’s District Health Office to set up for the Village Health Team (VHT) training we were leading over the next four days.

Before getting started, we met with the local Director of Maternal Health and then the District Health Officer. We were meant to start training at 9AM, but didn’t start meeting people in the DHO until 10:30ish. If I haven’t made this clear yet, one of the most difficult things to adapt to here has been the pace at which things move. Ugandans are extraordinarily formal and long-winded with their introductions. You can’t just waltz into a building, set up for a training and get going - even if you are running almost 2 hours behind schedule. It seems like you have to sit down with literally everyone and their mother and chat leisurely first. Everything moves very slowly. Like very, very, very slowly. Here’s an example of how a conversation at the DHO might begin:

Ugandan 1: “Hello, you are most welcome.”

Ugandan 2: “Hello, thank you. It is very nice to meet you”

Ugandan 1: “Yes, welcome. You are most welcome. Please sit down.”

Ugandan 2: [sits down] “How are you?”

Ugandan 1: “I am fine.”

Ugandan 2: “Are you well?”

Ugandan 1: “Yes, I am well, thank you. How are you?

Ugandan 2: “I am fine, yes.”

Ugandan 1: “How are things? Is your family well?

Ugandan 2: “Things are fine. My family is well. How are things with you?”

Ugandan 1: “Things are fine.”

Ugandan 2: “That is good.”

Ugandan 1: “You are most welcome to the District Health Office. My name is Blah-de-Blah. We are happy to welcome you here.”

Ugandan 2: “Thank you. Let me introduce myself [*stands up*]. My name is “Blah-de-Blah” from Blah-de-Blah. [goes on to describe qualifications, etc.]

Ugandan 1: You are most welcome, Blah-de-blah.

This back and forth of more or less just welcoming one another can go on for upwards of 20 minutes. No joke. Back in NYC, where schedules are timed to the T and everything moves at a mile a minute, this would give me an extraordinary amount of anxiety. But Ugandans are really chill about it all, so I’ve been trying to follow their lead and just go with the flow. Not to mention, most of the VHTs hadn’t arrived yet (which leads me to believe there must be some sort of ~secret~ Ugandan time conversion table I’m not privy to).

Eventually we finished our meetings and welcomed the first set of 29 VHTs to our two-day training. VHTs are essentially Uganda’s first-line grassroots health workers. They’re volunteers with no official qualifications, but they’ve been selected by their communities to act as local authorities on good health practices. They’re trained to recognize signs of infectious disease, consult on good hygienic practices, and refer community members to hospitals when they note signs of potentially dangerous health conditions. The goal of our trainings was to teach VHTs about obstetric fistula so that they could go back and refer women in their communities to health centers appropriately. We also try to impress upon them the links between obstetric fistula and systemic gender inequality, poverty and child marriage.

I co-led the medical session on explaining obstetric fistula, which was a lot of fun. Alice is a very animated presenter; I’ve been learning lots about how to command an audience’s attention by just watching her speak. She’s really helped me develop my own teaching skills in a way that seems to translate well to a Ugandan audience. I was proud of my teaching sessions – I had the VHTs engaged and laughing, which felt pretty darn cool.

I have also suggested that TERREWODE start using pre- and post- tests to assess participant knowledge of obstetric fistula before and after trainings. TERREWODE does so many on-the-ground training sessions like these, but they’re not walking away much in the way of tangible evidence of the effect they’re having on those they train. So I suggested we have attendees answer one question before our lecture series: what is obstetric fistula? I collected the answers. Out of the first group of 29 VHTS we hosted, only 3 knew. That’s about 10%. This shows just how necessary these outreaches are. We were able to get this number up to 97% by the end of the first training session.

After we finished day 1, I went with Dr. Emmanuel (from here on referred to as Emma), the doctor here who runs the maternity ward at Adjumani Regional Referral Hospital, to shadow. It was almost 5PM by the time we got there, so things had apparently “wound down,” but it was still a really startling experience to witness. The first thing I saw when I walked into a compound was a child’s body being carried out on a stretcher.

Obviously, I know that child mortality is through the roof here, but it’s still another thing all together to see it firsthand -and so flagrantly. It really shook me. It was far from the only eye-opening and tragic medical case I saw that evening.

We walked into the maternity ward and Emma was almost immediately handed a newborn baby girl to examine. The mother had labored for five days before coming to the hospital to deliver. As a result, the baby had suffered severe hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (in other words, the baby had had inadequate oxygen supply during those five days, and had suffered brain damage as a result).

I won’t go into the details, but it goes without saying that it was a really tragic case to bear witness to. I kept on trying to read the mother’s expression – she was 28 years old and it was her first baby – but it was hard to get a read on what was going through her head. She spoke about her baby’s symptoms softly but frankly. There were no tears, no screams, and no gestures looking for support. Whether this was a product of cultural difference, being overwhelmed, shocked, not understanding, or simply accepting the state of her newborn, I couldn’t possibly say. But it was really difficult to witness nonetheless. Especially when I have a pre-existing Western script in my head of how these sorts of difficult conversations ‘should’ play out. I wanted to comfort her, sit with her and support her, but she wasn’t giving any indication that that was what she wanted. What do you do as a provider when a patient doesn’t react how you expect him or her to?

The mother was told that if her baby survived, she was more or less bound to be severely cognitively impaired. How on earth do you explain something like that to a woman who is still recovering from a five day labor? It was just devastating. What was especially tragic was that it could have been prevented if there had not been such a wildly long delay in delivering the baby.

Importantly, there are three delays that typically lead to maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality in these sorts of settings (they’re often referred to as “The Three Delays”). They’re probably worth mentioning here: (1) delays in deciding to go the hospital; (2) delays in getting to the hospital; and (3) delays in treating once at the hospital.

The day ended with a slightly more uplifting case. A week and a half ago a woman had come in to the hospital in pre-term labor. She delivered a baby boy at 20 weeks. Even by U.S. standards, where we usually have access to things like NICUs and respirators, the chance of a 20 week old newborn surviving is not high. The miraculous thing is, this baby not only survived, but was thriving - breathing, crying ,and eating on his own. It should go without saying by this point that the hospital did not have any of the high-tech resources that you’d expect at a hospital like Tisch or even Bellevue for the newborn. But there is a saying in Uganda that goes something like this: “Whatever you need, just look around and you will find it.” They are extraordinarily resourceful and creative. What they did have was a room that they were able to clear out to create a semblance of isolation for the baby, a cot, which they had covered with a mosquito net, and a stove with coals, which they had placed underneath the cot to help keep the baby warm.

The baby was the smallest thing I’ve ever seen, but he was opening his eyes and grabbing my hand and doing all the other sorts of wonderful things that the full-term baby I had been holding an hour before had failed to do. I ran through a newborn physical exam with Emma’s help and then we weighed the baby – 900 g (med school homies: this qualifies as ELBW…and remember that this was the baby’s weight at almost 2 weeks old). After instructing the mother on how to feed her newborn, we moved on.

It was an emotionally draining first day. I really struggled with how to/ whether to write about it. But after doing a lot of thinking, I decided it was worth sharing – obviously not the identifiable specifics (I’m not trying to violate HIPAA), but the general feeling of what it is like to be a provider in rural Uganda. Why? Well, for one, it’s the honest truth and a very real part of my experience here. But also, not everyone has the opportunity I have been given. My hope is that by bearing witness to the health disparities I see, I’m able to make it all a bit more real for everyone back home.

Before I sign off, let me just finish by saying that Emma is really a true champion. I feel so lucky that he has offered to take me under his wing and let me into the world he and his team lives every day. I have so much respect for the work that health care providers here do. It seems like an endless uphill battle without swords, but they show up to do every day.

I’m looking forward to seeing what the next few days bring.

Until then, all of my love.

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trendingnewsb · 6 years

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The Ultimate Night Routine Guide: How to Sleep Better and Wake Up Smarter

I’m sure you’ve come across ‘morning routines’ being talked about as something very important if you want to be healthy and successful. However, I’m guessing you haven’t heard of ‘night routines’ being talked about so much.

Night routines are not popular, as sticking to a healthy routine isn’t easy, especially at night after a whole day of work. Let’s be honest, all we’d really like to do after work is relax. Routines? Not so much!

I understand your feelings about this issue as I used to think this way too. But after reading this article, I’m confident you’ll change your mind – as you’ll learn about the fantastic benefits of a night routine (e.g. no more sleep issues, a smoother morning and a more energetic day).

I’m going to provide you with some great tips (and some exact steps) to make the perfect night routine.

Why a night routine matters?

A night routine is the things you do immediately prior to going to bed. For example, it may be your habit to have a hot drink before going to bed, or perhaps you like to read a book in bed before going to sleep.

Of course, you might have no specific night time routine whatsoever and just take each evening and night as it comes. While it might seem that having a flexible and easygoing night routine is the best thing, I would caution you, and ask you to think about the following:

Your nighttime routine is as important as your morning routine.

By creating a routine for the morning, you don’t have to put much effort into thinking about what you need to do to get ready before leaving your home for work. Clearly, having a morning routine is beneficial. And guess what? Having a night routine is beneficial too.

Here are some three benefits of having a decent night routine:[1]

You’ll have a more restful and higher-quality sleep.

You’ll be able to tackle the morning in a smoother and more productive way.

Your brain will be sharper throughout the next day.

So, what are the ideal components of a night routine? I’ll reveal these now.

The ultimate night routine (with exact steps to follow)

Before you head home…

1. Get rid of caffeine after 4:00pm

Your night routine begins well before your head hits the pillow. If you work a 9 to 5, you need to think about how everything you do after 4:00pm affects your sleep.

For example caffeine stays in your system for up to six hours. If you’re accustomed to having a cup of tea in the evening, make sure it’s an herbal, caffeine free tea. Otherwise, you might be jittery until 10:00pm or later.

2. Stay hydrated

Dehydration can make you feel sluggish and tired when you want to be awake. You can’t go wrong with having some good old-fashioned H2O throughout the evening.[2]

3. Decide when the work day ends

To have a solid night routine, you must decide when you’re leaving work. It’s easy to lose track of time and stay too late. Establish a cut off time for work-related emails and phone calls as well.

If you don’t set boundaries, it’s hard to enjoy life and get a good night of sleep.

Immediately after work…

4. Avoid alcohol

If you’re heading out with friends, be mindful of your alcohol intake. Alcohol may make you drowsy, but the sleep you get won’t be restful. Skip the booze altogether, or stop consuming it at least two hours before bed.[3]

5. Have a healthy dinner

Aim to have your dinner a few hours before you go to bed. Overeating or having heavy or rich meals around bedtime may lead to discomfort and indigestion. When you need a snack closer to bedtime, reach for something light and healthy.

The time immediately after dinner is a great opportunity to pack lunch for the next day. Pull items from the freezer and package leftovers from dinner into individual servings.

Check out here for 20 Quick and Healthy Dinner Recipes For You To Choose.

6. Take time to tidy

Being in an organized environment will help you feel relaxed and in control. Cleaning dishes and counter tops after dinner is an absolute must.

You can also take some time to put things away if you’ve used them during the day.[4] Be mindful of clutter in your bedroom. Waking up in an orderly space will work wonders for your mood.

7. Prepare for tomorrow

Get out tomorrow’s outfit and gym clothes as you tidy. Clear unnecessary items out of your bag and set out everything you need to take with you. Taking these steps means you’re less likely to derail your day by forgetting something, and you’ll prevent decision fatigue from setting in early tomorrow.

When you don’t have a million things to do upon waking, it’s easier to fall asleep. Waking up won’t seem like a chore if you set yourself up for success.

8. Take time for yourself

Perhaps you watch an episode of your favorite show or play video games. Set a time limit for these activities. It’s too easy to binge-watch TV or stay up late playing games if you aren’t mindful of the time.

One hour before bed…

9. Step away from the screens

Cut off all screens at least 30 minutes before bed. The blue light from electronics interferes with the production of melatonin, a hormone necessary for restful sleep.[5]

10. Read a book

A better alternative to looking at your phone is to read a book. Six minutes of reading can ease the tension of stress in the human body and calm your nerves.[6]

Not sure what to read before going to bed? The Oyster Review has picked 21 best books for bedtime reading, check them out here.

11. Reflect on your day

Consider what worked and didn’t work today. This helps you appreciate your accomplishments, and shape a better tomorrow.[7]

Start by acknowledging one or two things you wish had gone better. End your reflection by thinking of a few wins you had. Even if you had a bad day, make an effort to end by thinking about something good that happened.

Write lingering thoughts or reflections in your journal. This keeps you from going to bed with a head full of worries. Find out how you can start journaling here.

12. Plot out tomorrow’s schedule

Write top priorities for tomorrow in a planner or notebook.[8] When you get to work, you’ll already know what to do.

13. Give some gratitude

Write down at least one thing you’re thankful for each day. Making gratitude a part of your routine can help you lead a healthy and happy life. Here’re 60 things to be thankful for if you want more ideas.

You can try to mark down your mood everyday and you may find yourself having plenty to be happy about. Mood apps like Mr. Mood is nice to help you keep track of your emotions.

Ending the day on a positive note sets you up for a restful slumber.

Right before going to sleep…

14. Take care of hygiene rituals

Besides brushing your teeth and washing your face, take a warm bath, or hot shower, before bed.

The optimal body temperature for sleep should be between 60 and 67 degrees.[9] As soon as you step out of the bath or shower, your body temperature drops rapidly to re-regulate with the temperature of the room. That quick change physiologically can cause sleepiness.

15. Practice bedtime yoga

Bedtime yoga activates your parasympathetic nervous system, which triggers relaxation. Here’re 3 simple bedtime yoga poses you can try tonight:

16. Go to sleep at the same time every night

As an adult, you’re recommended to sleep for 6 to 10 hours every day.[10] If you have to wake up at 7am the next day, it’s better to go to sleep around 11pm.

Find a time that is suitable for you and stick to that sleeping time. You can set an alarm one hour before going to bed to remind you to start your bedtime ritual.

How to stick to a night routine (the easy way)

When I just started my night routine, I started off with a positive mindset, and thought that it would be easy to stick to my new night routine.

I was wrong.

On the first few nights, I experienced multiple issues while attempting to stick to my routine. These included avoiding caffeine after 4pm because I liked drinking coke, stepping away from the screens as I was still reading some articles online, and going to bed on time.

But I was determined to get on track with my night routine because I wanted to sleep better and wake up more energetic and productive the next day. By the fourth day, I was making genuine progress. I stopped consuming coke and started to drink more water instead. I reflected on my day and kept track of my progress on what I had followed and missed in the routine. I started to go to bed on time and could sleep a lot better.

By the end of the week, I had successfully overcome many problems I had when I started out, and was able to continue to stick to my night routine.

Sticking to a night routine was really a ‘mind game’. In other words, our minds are so full of daily stuff that we find it hard to wind down at the end of a day – especially at a specific time. But with effort, this could be overcome, and a new, healthy routine put in place.

It can be hard to stick to a new routine but here are three things that you can do to make the adoption process easier:

1. Have a clear plan

Think about what you want to include in your night routine, and then write it down.

Make it as clear and simple as possible, so you’ll have the best chance of following it. And the best part? Once you’ve followed your night routine long enough, you’ll no longer need to refer to your plan – as it will have become a habit.

2. Create reminders and alarms

When you first start to implement your night routine, it would be foolish to rely 100% on your mind and willpower. Instead, use digital alarms to remind you of things like when to go to bed.

You can also be creative with this. If you like to have a herbal tea before retiring to bed, then set up another alarm to prompt you to make the tea 30 minutes before bedtime. And as with point No. 1 above, after a month or so, you probably won’t need the alarms, as your night routine will have become a positive habit.

3. Start small, make it so easy that you can’t say no

If you set too big a goal, you’ll be lining yourself up for failure. It’s far better to choose smaller, easier to complete goals that will give you a sense of achievement.

Look at your current night routine (or lack of one), and then start building a picture in your mind – or on paper – of how you would like your night routine to be. Then start planning on how to introduce these changes into your life.

If it makes it easier for you, implement your desired changes over a few days or weeks. For example, the first change to your night routine could be started straight away – by having a glass of water just before you go to bed. Other changes you could phase into your routine. However, try to make sure your night routine is fully in place within 30 days.

It could be easy to fall back to doing the bad habits, so I recommend you to try my Control Alternate Delete Method to take back control of your life. This is the secret method I used to break 3 bad habits in less than 2 months!

Before reading this article, night routines may have seemed alien to you. However, I’m confident that you can now see the tangible benefits of them. And once you begin implementing your own night routine, you’ll see the benefits start to materialize in your own life.

Featured photo credit: Vecteezy via vecteezy.com

Reference

[1]^The Strength of She: The Importance of a Nighttime Routine[2]^Business Insider: What your nightly routine should look like, according to science[3]^Pick the Brain, Grow Yourself: The Best Night Routine for a Productive Day[4]^Little Might: Nightly Routines and how to sleep hack your way to a productive morning[5]^Mark’s Daily Apple: Primal Starter: Is Your Night Routine Encouraging Fat Storage?[6]^Cosmopolitan: Six minutes of reading before bed will help you sleep, dream and live better[7]^Zapier: 12 Morning and Evening Routines That Will Set Up Each Day for Success[8]^The Muse: 5 Bedtime Routines That Will Make Your Mornings So Much Easier[9]^Pick the Brain, Grow Yourself: The Best Night Routine for a Productive Day[10]^National Sleep Foundation: Recommends New Sleep Times

The post The Ultimate Night Routine Guide: How to Sleep Better and Wake Up Smarter appeared first on Lifehack.

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wefoundloveunderthelight · 3 years

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Void of Extinction by GleefullyCaptainSwan

Chapter 2/9

Read on AO3: | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2

Or on FF

Chapter 2: Mother

“Good morning James, it is time to get up.”

James woke to the sunlight beaming on his face, stretching his arms to the sky as he groaned. He sat up in bed, wiping his face with the palm of his hand to wake himself from sleep. He slid his legs to the side, feeling his toes touch the light carpet beneath the bed. Shaking his head, he stood from the bed. “Status report.”

“It is currently 9am, pollution level 68%, you have no appointments today.”

“Bloody hell.” He groaned. “What happened to my 7am alarm?”

“You cancelled that alarm, James. Your alarm was set for 9am to begin work at 10am.”

“I cancelled it…” He stood in the middle of his room. “When did I cancel the bloody alarm?”

“I show you cancelled the alarm at 1:30am and set a new alarm for 9am.”

“What the bloody…” He didn’t remember doing anything at 1:30 am. As far as he knew he had been sleeping. He sat down on the chair next to him, running a hand through his hair. He closed his eyes, trying to remember anything happening during the evening that would have caused him to reset his alarm. The longer he thought about it, the more his head hurt. He didn’t need a migraine this morning, he was already late for work now.

He dressed quickly, exiting his apartment to head to the diner.

He was certain that Granny was going to fire him for being this late. When he stepped into the diner she shook her head and pointed to the kitchen.

“You need to get that alarm of yours fixed.”

“Yes Ma’am. I’m going to call a repairman straight away.”

“Get to work.”

The rest of his shift went as usual, James stayed two hours after his shift to assist Granny with the late evening rush, feeling guilty about being late once again. Once the diner had died down, he gathered his coat and was headed to the door. A man sitting in a corner booth caught his attention. It wasn’t that he recognized the man, not entirely, but he seemed familiar.

Something about him gave him a sense of Déjà vu. The headache blinded him as he tried to access the information, the man took notice of him as he grabbed ahold of the nearest bench, trying to steady himself.

“Oi, you look like you could use some help.”

“I’m fine.” He tried to brush him off, pushing the door to the diner open and stepping into the busy street. The man followed him, which annoyed James. “I said I’m fine.”

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost, Mate.”

He glanced at the man, narrowing his eyes, there was something about him. “I’m…” The headache blinded him again and he staggered to the edge of the diner, walking back toward his car, and reaching in his pocket for his inhibitor.

“I wouldn’t take that.” The man warned behind him.

“Who are you?” He asked angrily, tripping backwards against his car.

“I’m Will, we spoke the other day. I just want to talk to you about Emma.”

James fell to his knees as it felt like pins and needles were attacking his body, he pulled the inhibitor toward his arm and the man reached down and grabbed at the injector. “Get away from me, what are you doing?”

“Killian, don’t inject that.”

The name shook him, pictures flashed in his brain, the blonde-haired woman from his dreams staring at him with emerald, green eyes, the name falling from her lips like it somehow belonged to him. Killian. He was losing his mind. He pressed the injector to his arm and pushed, a loud hiss emitting as the cool liquid entered his veins. He fell back against the car, exhaling with a groan.

“Dammit mate, I’m trying to help you.”

“You stay away from me before I call the cops.”

“Bloody hell…look, the more you inject that stuff, the more you forget. They messed with your brain, made you all foggy and shite.” James stared at the man as if he had just grown two heads. “You keep getting headaches right? Things don’t add up, and when you think about them, you get a headache.”

“You’re bloody crazy.” He stood up, grabbing the door to his car and yanking it open. “Stay the hell away from me.”

“Will Scarlet.” He shouted before James shut the door.

“Will what?”

“My name, Will Scarlet. Write it down or something.” He turned and left the alley, running in the opposite direction of the diner.

James shook his head, looking at his reflection in the rear-view mirror. Write it down.

He didn’t need to write it down, did he? The man was a lunatic. But…he knew about the headaches; how did he know about them? How did he know that things were out of place?

He looked around the floor of his vintage car, trying to find anything to write with. People thought he was crazy for hanging onto a relic from the 1900’s. It cost him a fortune to repair it. And somehow he knew how to fix everything on his Chevy Chevelle, but anytime he tried to remember how he knew, the headaches came.

He found a marker lying under the mat of the passenger side, grabbing it, he tried to find something to write on. With the absence of paper, he ripped the sleeve of his shirt up and scribbled against his flesh in black ink.

Will Scarlet

~*~

“It’s not like him to be gone for this long without contacting me. Even if he were working on something, he would have mentioned it.”

“Could the resistance have removed him from the playing field?” Mayor Mills asked from her place at her desk.

“Was he working on a case that had to do with the resistance?” David questioned.

David’s new partner, Killian Jones had been missing for weeks now, no message, no contact, just gone. Killian had been quiet about his most recent case; he knew it had something to do with a contact who had reached out to him, and Killian was following a lead, but he wasn’t ready to share information yet. He hadn’t known the man long, he was aware that he was mostly a private person, but he would never just take off without talking to the Captain first.

“Officer Jones case was confidential. We need to find him but keep it quiet. Killian could have found something that could destroy the Resistance, we have to get to him before they do.” She turned to the holo screen in front of her.

David glanced at the screen in front of the Mayor. “Resistance riders made it past the walls?” He inquired nervously.

“Yes, last night we had a breach on the west side. Officer Locksley apprehended two of them. But the rest got away.”

“What were they after?”

“Trying to take down the security net near the harbor. I suspect they have a group in the foglands.”

“What are the plans to take that out?”

“No plans. We’ll let Hive do that for us.”

David exhaled, a look of shock on his face. “You want to work with the Hive?”

“Of course not.” She snorted. “But, when you have an infestation, it’s easier to let the predators take each other out. It’s the natural order of things.”

“I don’t trust the Hive any more than I trust the Resistance.”

“Officer Nolan, The Hive operate outside the walls, they remove the danger before it breaches our city. And if something were to sneak its way inside, to infest our people with lies and misinformation, we have the Gold Collective to remove it, for the good of Storybrooke.”

“That’s another group I don’t trust, how is it for the good of Storybrooke to let them make pod people!” He exclaimed.

“The Void are able to become trustful members of our society again, the Gold Collective has done a great service to our community. And as far as the Hive are concerned, as long as they continue to operate outside our walls, I welcome their removal of our shared problem.”

“So how are either of them any different than the Resistance?”

The Mayor stood. “The idea of the Resistance threatens to destroy everything we hold dear. If even a single one of them is left standing, everyone we know and love, our values, our safety, are in danger. They will bring the plague to Storybrooke, they cannot be trusted, and they must be destroyed.”

David nodded, taking his leave as he returned to the lower levels of the station. He knew that Regina was right, the Resistance stood to destroy everything they had worked so hard to build after the plague hit. He knew that locking people out, building the walls, was not something that the town initially embraced. He too felt guilty when they seemed to doom so many on the other side of the wall. But they had to protect their town.

When the Gold Collective first appeared, run by a man with no past yet unlimited money, taking people off the streets and experimenting on them, the Mayor went after them with the full force of the Storybrooke PD. Then the Hive came. They had kept the Hive from breaching the station walls, drove them back behind the walls and ended their yearlong power grab.

But then a strange thing started happening, townsfolk who had disappeared, those who had been experimented on during the war, returned, with no memory of who they were. Loved ones who no longer recognized their family or friends.

The Mayor came out publicly, condemning the Collective for their interference with her citizens, and then six months later, quietly began accepting the practice. David didn’t know what had changed, only that Regina seemed to think that whatever Gold and his collective was doing, was protecting them. The people who had disappeared were a danger to society, conspirators who agreed with the Resistance, they needed to be stopped before their reckless behavior allowed the plague to spread inside the walls of Storybrooke.

And so, they stopped searching for the agents of the collective, when someone showed up without their memories, the town simply helped to get them acclimated to their work. People turned a blind eye to the reason they went missing, accepting them as new members of their society.

At the same time, the Hive stopped advancing on the town, disappearing into the shadows on the other side of the town’s walls.

Only the Resistance fought back, the war outside the walls between the two factions was escalating. At night they could see the fires burning beyond the mountains. The smoke had become so heavy that they could no longer see the horizon over the water. The area became known as the foglands. The heavily guarded wasteland that the Resistance currently controlled.

Many nights they would send raids to the walls, trying to take down the security net that connected the walls. The resistance would not stop until it fell. And if the walls fell, the plague would take them all.

He had not heard of a single soul surviving the plague. No cure had been found. Without the walls, they would all die. The Resistance had to be stopped.

His com unit beeped, alerting him that he had reached his destination. Stepping out of the electric vehicle he walked the stairs to his home. Opening the door, he smelled the fragrant aroma of chicken baking in the back of the house. He could hear his wife’s voice in the background, the alluring melody of the song she was humming making his heart smile with joy.

When he turned the corner, Mary Margaret had her back to him, swaying back and forth to the music she was singing softly to. He crept up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and burying his face in her neck. “Mmm it smells wonderful in here.”

She melted into him, humming lightly. “You’re late, darling.”

“I’m sorry, I had a meeting with Regina.”

“And what did the Mayor want with my husband.” She sang softly.

“The usual, how to destroy the Resistance.” He chuckled and then paused. “But she’s more concerned about Officer Killian at the moment.”

She turned in his arms, a grave look on her face. “Is he still missing? Hasn’t it been weeks, David.”

“I know. Regina thinks the Resistance might have gotten to him.” He sighed. “I hope she’s wrong. I’m worried about him, it’s not like him to just go silent.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know yet. I’ve been to his apartment, the diner on 5th, the Chinese place he goes to, no one has seen him in weeks.” He sat down at the table. “Regina told me to keep digging, she thinks he’s important, whatever he was working on before he disappeared might be what we need to take down the Resistance once and for all.”

She embraced him, pulling him against her chest. “I know if anyone can find him, you will.”

He looked up and smiled at her as she bent down to press her lips to his. “I love you.”

“I love you too, my Prince Charming.” She broke the contact, turning back to her dinner. “Oh, by the way, I have to go out tonight. I forgot to buy the ham for dinner tomorrow.”

“You should have told me; I could have picked it up for you. If you want, I can call the service, I know you don’t trust the LRU’s but they provide quick service.”

She snorted, “Never, why would anyone trust something called a Life Replacement Unit? Even the name blatantly calls out that they mean to replace us. It’s no bother for me to go to the store. It’s how they did it years ago, and besides I enjoy getting out of the house.”

“Well, I have some work to catch up on so I’ll try and get it done before you get back, maybe we can spend the evening watching the holo.”

She turned back toward him and smiled. “I would love that.”

~*~

James parked his Chevelle in the assigned spot at the back of the building, watching as the platform descended into the ground, sending the car to rest beneath the apartment.

He looked up at the building, noticing the way the fog had rolled in from the harbor and hugged the side of the building. He glanced ominously toward the horizon; the smoke looked darker than it had in days. No one was talking about what was happening outside the walls, in the depths of the waters that banked against the town.

“Hey.”

He jumped and turned toward a dark-haired woman. “It’s bad form to sneak up on a man, lass.”

“Sorry about that.” She giggled. “I was wondering if you could spare a lightstick?”

Killian shook his head. “I don’t use those. Bad for your health.” He shrugged and stepped away from the woman.

“Where are you off to in such a hurry?” She chased after him.

“Look, I already told you, I don’t do the stuff. Neither should you, lass.” Before he could enter the building the woman grabbed him by the arm. He turned toward her quickly as she glared at him. “Listen you siren, while I appreciate a beautiful woman such as yourself getting all handsy with me, I’m not in the mood tonight.”

“I just want to talk.”

“I’m not in the mood for that either.” He growled. “So, if you don’t mind, I’ll be leaving now.”

With a quick move, she tightened her grip on his arm, pushing his sleeve further up his forearm, staring at the black ink on his arm. “How do you know Will Scarlet?” Every sensor in his brain went off at once.

“Who the hell are you?” He demanded. “If you know that lunatic, I want nothing to do with you. He’s crazy as a loon and so are you.” He reached for the door to his building before he felt a pain in the back of his neck and the world around him faded to black.

He heard noises around him as the ache in his neck seemed to radiate through his body. He wasn’t sure how long he had been out, but he knew he wasn’t near his apartment anymore. He could hear the sound of seagulls off in the distance and the slosh of water all around him. He opened his eyes but could only see darkness and the fabric placed over his head clung to him. Whoever had taken him didn’t want him to see where he was going or how he got there.

He tried to sit up when his leg hit something hard next to him, sending a clatter of noise off to his right as something smashed to the ground.

“I think our guest has woken up.” Someone grumbled.

“We’re almost there.” He heard another voice.

“She wants to talk to him as soon as we arrive.” He heard the woman’s voice from the apartment.

“This is a stupid idea.” The first voice whispered. “Bringing him here is going to get us all killed.”

“We don’t even know if he’s on our side.”

“Stop talking.” The woman’s voice rang out again. “I’m going to go help dock the boat.”

James sat for what felt like a lifetime as he waited for the voices to come back, instead he listened to the strange sound of the engine, the whirl of a generator somewhere deep below him. He fell forward as the boat hit against something solid.

“Land ho.” A voice boomed to his left.

Arms suddenly were grabbing him, dragging him to his feet. “Who are you, just let me go, I promise I won’t tell anyone.” He begged.

“You ain’t in no danger ‘ere.” The man squawked. “Just don’t be no trouble.”

James tripped over the stairs and the woman’s voice shrilled behind him. “Would you idiots be careful; mother will be really angry if you injure our prize.”

“Sorry Ma’am.” The voice to his right said apologetically with a loud sneeze.

“Maybe if he learned to walk, sister, we wouldn’t have no trouble.” The voice to his left grumbled angrily.

Once he stepped down again, he could tell he was standing on planks that were connected to a dock. The sway of the ground meant he was over water still. “I’ll take him from here.” He felt the woman slide up beside him, grabbing him by the arm. “She just wants to talk to you, that’s all. If you aren’t interested in what she has to say, you can go back to your miserable existence afterwards.”

“Who’s this she?” He asked nervously.

“The Mother of the Resistance, of course.” She said with a laugh and James felt his blood run cold. He was in the foglands; he had been taken by the Resistance.

He heard a metal door squeal open on rusty hinges and he stepped onto solid ground, as soon as it slammed shut, the itchy fabric was pulled from his head, and he tried to adjust his eyes to the dark glowing lights around him.

“Welcome to the foglands.” The woman announced.

“I’m positively glowing with anticipation.” He said smugly and the woman snorted beside him.

“Oh, they said you were a sarcastic one. I wasn’t sure if you retained that in your new existence.”

“Retained what? New existence?” he asked in confusion. “What are you on about?”

“I don’t think you’re ready for all of that yet.” She grinned as they stepped into a large metal room, water swirling around at their feet.

“Do you intend to drown me, leave me for dead?” He asked incredulously, staring around him at the boxed in room.

“No one is leaving anyone for dead.” A loud voice boomed and echoed through the room. At the other end of the box, a woman stepped out of the shadows, the moonlight illuminating her face through a grate in the ceiling.

“And just who the hell are you?”

“Me?” She laughed. “I’m the Mother of the Resistance.” She paused, stepping closer to him. “But you can call me Mary Margaret.”

#void of extinction #stacy's fics #emma swan #killian jones #captain swan fics #captain swan modern au #captain swan au #captain swan

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katef-m · 7 years

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California, month six | that great strong land of love

Apartment twenty, early January 2017. C arrives in a rainstorm, late the first evening, and we brew tea immediately. The new place is a mess: floorboards awash with scattered q-tips and dustballs and broken clothes hangers, strange objects huddled in corners (a china monkey money box, an elephant-shaped watering can, a half eaten bag of cough drops, a dented can of chopped green beans), the rooms heavy with the cloying odour of a four-week full bin. All day I'd cleaned and unpacked. I wiped, dusted, sprayed, filled bag after bag with rubbish, and swept the floors with a plastic orange brush I bought at the Japanese dollar store. When I'd arrived that morning, shoulders burning after carrying my bags up to the second floor, it took all my willpower not to sink into the bottom bunk's bare rubber mattress and sob. Everything was so dirty, and I was adrift in unfamiliarity again. But instead I put on some music, rolled up my sleeves, and got to it. By the time C's at the door, the rooms are a little more habitable, and when I hear her moving about in the living room, putting the kettle on, it already feels like home. Peace and sun, those first few days. Golden hour is ridiculous from the window of our new room. Last semester I could see the Sather Tower and used its hourly peals to structure my day; now I can watch the hills behind campus, the way they reflect the sun at dawn and dusk, the way the small houses at the top wink in the dark. Day trips to the city. Waiting for the bus with 7-Eleven coffee and donuts. Loafing at the top of Bancroft with thermos flasks as the sun dips. It's warm enough to sit outside, though you'll need a scarf. It doesn't feel like any January I know. Getting tangled in freeways on the first few half-marathon training runs. Saturday afternoon at the farmers' market. Everybody outside in warm blue. Herb bundles in bicycle baskets, a girl in dungarees with fruit under her arm, that sort of thing. Fresh bread and sunshine. So far, January in California feels like April in England, and I am very much ok with that.

When Trump's sworn in nobody wants to look. I'm at work, anyway, and I have to make smoothies for a bunch of Trump supporters. The peanut butter scoop shakes in my hand. Later we race down Telegraph towards Oakland to catch the tail end of the inauguration day protest. Police in riot gear wait along Oakland's peripheries as the protestors head towards the city centre, yet all is peaceful: downtown we're met with free pumpkin pie, not tear gas or stun guns. The air isn't charged the way it was on election night, not raw with pain, yet the voices are louder, more defiant. The following morning we make signs from cardboard boxes raided from the recycling bins. NASTY WOMEN UNITE. VIVA LA VULVA. GRAB 'EM BY THE PATRIARCHY. The San Francisco bus is full of students: it almost feels like a school trip: there's not much traffic on the bridge: a parade of children forced on a pro-life march drift past the bus windows and we all get angry: and then we're in a one-hundred-thousand strong crowd at Civic Center, a damp fierce knot of umbrellas and battered signs and fists. It's International Women's Day. In the dusky rain we march and sing, and are filled with hope. 'I refuse to call him president,' says the elderly lady sitting next to me at Caffe Strada a few days later. Solace, as ever, is sought in the words of my favourite poets. Thousands of miles away in Australia, Bruce Springsteen speaks out against Trump's Muslim Ban. 'America is a nation of immigrants,' he says, 'and we find this anti-democratic and fundamentally un-American'. And then there's Langston Hughes:

Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed -- Let it be that great strong land of love

Alternative coping mechanisms are also available: homemade cocktails (White Russians and hibiscus gin), playing every song that ever existed, dancing on chairs into the wee hours. Federer winning the Australian Open, his eighteenth slam at the age of thirty-five. Saturday evening at the marina with friends, sitting on the rocks by the water to witness a sunset too beautiful to hold on to. Faces and hair lucent with golden light.

Most of all though, a visit from my mum. Spring semester is relentless. The workload is final-level-Tetris heavy. 'I don't know what I'm writing,' I complain to C one night. 'I'm two letters into a word and I don't know what it's going to be yet.' Classes almost doubled, I take the early morning shifts at work. The alarm's set for that pre-7am no man's land, but as a night owl, sleep is unavoidably sacrificed. I learn to survive on five or six hours, but this hallmark of adulthood won't stay with me long: as soon as school ends and life slows down in June, my nine hour nightly dosage resumes. For now, though, daily life has changed hugely. Yet the change itself occurred unnoticed, giant and silent in the corner of some room I might've walked through once. I no longer have time to burrow deep into the frivolous recesses of my brain; every scene passes by too fast, like trying to take a picture from the window of a speeding train. I think I like it this way, though. It's true: the busier you are, the more you do, and the more you do, the more you want to do. Mum arrives the night of the Milo Y riots. As I open belated Christmas presents in her Airbnb apartment we hear the rumble of helicopters over Telegraph. My social media feeds erupt with footage of fires and bangs. 'Berkeley's not always like this,' I feel compelled to point out more than once. The streets are scattered with debris and people smoke against makeshift wire fences, eyes bright, bodies still charged. Walking to work the next morning, the physical effects of the riots are clear in the cold eye of dawn. Anti-Trump graffiti embellishes the walls of the bank, a building made 'riot-proof' in the sixties. On campus, trees are singed black at the tips, the Amazon locker room windows smashed in, and the hulking jumble of burned tech equipment sits sooty in the middle of Sproul Plaza like some kind of contemporary art sculpture. Mum's staying in the 'Purple House', a wood-walled ground-floor apartment in Elmwood. I love staying there with her, love the non-student perspective on Berkeley life it provides. We shop in Whole Foods and cook together, finish morning runs with coffee. I show her the campus, the streets, the city across the bay. I introduce her to my friends and my favourite bus routes. She keeps me company on coffee shop study dates and buys me the enormous slice of apple pie I've been eyeing all year. It is a special twelve days.

After days of rain, the sun returns and Mum finally sees the California I've been raving about, the clear blue skies, the dazzle at the ends of streets and hilltops. We spend her final weekend in San Francisco. Resistance posters have appeared in windows both sides of the bay, and in the Mission District, Four Barrel's coffee cups come stamped with the words 'Resist Fear, Assist Love' in rainbow ink. Catch the bus to Haight-Ashbury. Get coffee at Stanza, or Flywheel, which sits at edge of the neighbourhood where Golden Gate Park looms dark. The Goodwill store is messy, and 80% junk, but if you hunt hard you'll find things at a tenth of the price of other Haight thrift stores. There's a real good bookstore somewhere along the street: you'll find it. Buena Vista is all steps, but catch another bus a little south, as the roads start to climb. It'll only take you halfway up; when you alight, follow Twin Peaks Boulevard as it snakes uphill, and eventually you'll reach the carpark and viewpoint at the top. Most people drive up to Twin Peaks but it's better to watch the view unfold gradually, angles and gradients shifting, until the rusted tips of the Golden Gate Bridge poke out above buildings and cloud to your left, and the entire city arranges itself around you, better than any virtual map could. You'll finally understand the confusing geography of San Francisco, how the multiple grid systems shuffle against each other, the dance of streets and hills. You'll note the physical relief of the landscape, from the smooth natural contours of the earth to the tall stubbed cluster of the financial district. The white buildings shine pristine in afternoon light, so that the entire city looks celestial. And all of it held by the water beyond. From the peaks of the city, move to its edges: ride the Muni all the way through Sunset out to Ocean Beach, and watch the sun sink softly into the water. Everybody will stand motionless on the sand to watch, as if it's a drive-in movie. Colours will drift about and alter the look of the water, sand, and air. Deep sky blue, viridian, turquoise, champagne pink, peach, apricot, tiffany, pale indigo. To heighten the liminal magic, you have the beach's routine haze and majestic scale: the height of the waves, the sand's expanse, how the scene looks both stretched out and zoomed in, like so much of the American landscape.

* * * Songs: month six Fluorescent Adolescent / Arctic Monkeys Get Lucky / Daft Punk Wild World / Cat Stevens Christmas in February / Lou Reed Pacific Theme / Broken Social Scene Stolen Dance / Milky Chance Mother & Child Reunion / Paul Simon * * *

California so far:

California, month one | in and out of the game

California, month two | the dust settles

California, month three | your lows will have their complement of highs California, month four | throw comfort out

#USA #Travels #California #berkeley

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timothyakoonce · 7 years

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Entrepreneurs: Self-Care in a World Without Structure

[NOTE: This is the fifth in a series of posts exploring the topic of entrepreneurship. While my focus has and will continue to be on Facebook ads, I have plenty to share about what I’ve learned while building my business.]

As I brainstormed ideas for topics to cover on the subject of entrepreneurship, many focused on the technical requirements of setting up a business. Software. CRM. Websites. Payment gateways.

But these subjects skip over an important topic for entrepreneurs: Self-care.

It’s no surprise, really. As entrepreneurs, we regularly skip over care for ourselves. But I’ve learned during the past five-plus years that my own health — physical and mental — needs to be a priority now, more than ever.

This can be a very lonely life. It’s ripe for self-doubt and depression.

I, by no means, have this thing figured out. It’s a constant battle. What I’m sharing today isn’t a detailed fix.

My intention is to highlight the pitfalls you’re likely to fall into as an entrepreneur, and some of the things that I do to overcome them.

This is a Different World Now

My life now is nothing like it once was. There was a time when my alarm went off at a specific time every weekday. I knew I had to shower, eat, and dress by a certain time to fight traffic and get to work by another specific time.

I answered to a “boss.”

While we complain about working for “the man,” there’s something comforting about that structure. There are set expectations provided by someone else. Now, your business obligations are self-driven.

As an entrepreneur, you don’t necessarily need to do anything. You can skip work today. You can skip showering. You can wear what you slept in. You can go weeks without shaving. (I’ve done all of these things.)

You create your own deadlines. Missed it? You decide whether that matters.

This new world is both liberating and paralyzing at the same time. It’s the ultimate responsibility. You determine every next step, not your boss.

First, we need to acknowledge this new world. Accept its benefits and challenges. See how our own strengths and weaknesses impact how we adapt.

While I will tell you that I don’t like having a boss, I’m also not the best at planning and organization. So it’s a constant struggle that I need to fight.

This new world of freedom has made several things much more important than the days of structure, roles, teams, and bosses. Here are a few things I’ve learned — even if I haven’t perfected them.

1. Create a Routine

It’s been a struggle for me from Day 1, but a routine is absolutely critical. Create a habit — one that is difficult to break.

There are two categories of routine items that go here: 1) Independent and 2) Dependent.

The independent items of my routine are the most difficult to keep. Things like “Run for two miles” could not happen, and no one else around me would notice or care.

It’s important to create dependent routine items or things that others will depend on. I have a weekly team meeting on Mondays. I host scheduled training sessions, free webinars, and weekly webinars for my private community. I allow people to book one-on-one sessions with me.

These are all obligations that are etched in stone on my calendar. I wouldn’t ever neglect them.

I like to bucket my days accordingly:

1) Monday: Weekly team meeting and free webinars once per month 2) Tuesday: Training program webinars 3) Wednesday: Power Hitters Club – Elite weekly webinar 4) Thursday: One-on-one sessions and write a blog post 5) Friday: Interviews, lunch with my wife, and publish a blog post

Notice how there’s very little overlap between days? I could do one-on-ones on multiple days (I once did). I could do my monthly webinars on days other than Mondays. I could do interviews on any day of the week.

Instead, each day has its own purpose. For me, that provides important clarity.

There was a time when I tried to create a very detailed routine. My calendar would be filled with blocks of time for the smallest of tasks. I’d block off time for answering emails, closing tickets in ZenDesk, replying to blog comments, reading and researching, and a whole lot more.

But I quickly failed with that approach. Something more important would come up, and I’d need to skip a 30-minute block. And once skipping blocks became more common, the notifications became noise and I ignored them altogether.

These days, I’m a little looser with my routine. I wake up at “about” 7am every weekday. I have a 15-minute check-in call with John Robinson at 8am. I walk our son JJ to school at 8:20am. I eat lunch at about noon.

After that, I work around the dependent items with the other things I want to do. I don’t HAVE to go for a run at 10am. My schedule is too fluid to force that. If something comes up, the next thing you know is that I skip running altogether.

So now, I keep it much simpler. I might have a long list of things I’d like to do. But in reality, there are two (independent) things I really need to do during a given day. I fit what I can in around everything else.

As a result, I don’t have a routine in the way that you may expect. I don’t wake up with my entire day laid out for me. I have realized over the years that this simply isn’t realistic.

By building my day around a small set of dependent and fixed items, there is more room to adjust and less possibility that I’ll feel I “failed” by being unable to stick to my schedule.

2. Set Aside Times for Calls and Interviews

This is part of a routine, but it’s so important that I’m creating a separate item for it.

If you aren’t careful and respectful of your own time, you won’t accomplish anything you plan to accomplish on a day-to-day basis. You will feel rushed and frustrated.

As my business became more and more successful — and as I’ve become more well known — people have demanded more of my time. Developers wanting to tell me about their products. People wanting to partner. Podcasters wanting to interview me.

While these things could rule my schedule, I don’t do them more now than I did four years ago. In fact, I may do them less.

If you want to set up a call with me, I have three slots open on Monday and two on Friday. If I’m not free or those times don’t work for you, too bad.

Oh, sure, I do make exceptions. But this basic structure is really important for keeping me sane. And it is also connected to number 3…

3. Say “No” — A LOT

There is no more liberating word than “No.”

There was a time when I said “yes” to just about everything. You want me to write a blog post for you? You want my quote for a round-up? You want to set up a call to tell me about your product or “pick my brain”? You want me to make an exception and schedule a one-on-one outside of times I normally would?

I said yes time and time again. And it created more stress.

Not every new opportunity is a good one. I don’t believe I’m exaggerating by estimating that I say “no” to 99% of opportunities.

And some of these opportunities have lots of upside. But they always add more work, more time, and more stress. So remember this, and prioritize accordingly.

I rarely agree to public speaking gigs. I almost never engage in partnerships. I try hard to make product and brand changes rare while staying fresh.

These are conscious decisions, and you should not feel guilty for saying “no.” Embrace the opportunity to choose your path, even if it means continuing down the one you’re on.

4. Stay Active

Get your ass out of your chair. DO SOMETHING!

This is probably the one thing that routinely falls off of the priority list. Something more important always comes up. Don’t let it happen!

Last year, I set a goal for myself to run 366 miles (or a mile per day). I eventually ran 400 miles. This was possible thanks to a colorful chart that I filled in every time I ran.

This is no small achievement for me. I’ve never been a runner before. In fact, there was a time when I created a Facebook group for people who would never run a marathon. This year, I’ll run 500 miles.

You don’t have to turn yourself into a runner. But freaking do something. I also use an app called Sworkit that allows me to do quick 10 and 15 minute workouts for strength and cardio. There are many apps like it to choose from.

At the bare minimum, find a way to get your butt out of your chair. I have an adjustable desk that can be for sitting or standing. I sit sometimes, and I stand sometimes.

Above is my office, with a standing desk and treadmill to the side. On the far wall behind my microphone is this year’s running chart. Good reminders to stay active!

Remember that your health is an investment in your business. Your business will not succeed if you are sick or lethargic.

5. Get Outside

The day can get away from you fast. The next thing you know, it’s 10pm and you’re still wearing what you woke up in.

When you’re on your own clock, there’s always an excuse. It’s too cold. It’s raining. There’s a 10 MPH breeze.

I’d like to say that people in San Diego have no excuse. However, that’s not fair. I guarantee I’d make up an excuse not to get outside if I lived there.

Staying locked up inside is a path to depression. There’s something therapeutic about the outdoors. The birds, the fresh air, the activity around you.

By sitting inside all day, you dull your senses. There are no surprises. What you see and feel is a boring, never-changing constant.

Go outside, and your senses come alive. New sounds, smells, and sights. It activates your mind.

As I mentioned earlier, I walk my son to school every morning. When it’s nice out (an excuse, I know!), I’ll run or go for another walk during the day. I’ve found that these are the times when my brain is most active with ideas.

It’s good for your health, but getting outside is also good for brainstorming business ideas.

6. Have an Outlet

Find a passion, preferably one that gets you out of the house.

My passion is coaching baseball. A year and a half ago, I started a travel team called the Spiders for my middle son.

Coaching a travel team is no small task. It’s not just two months of the year, showing up to a practice and game once per week. This thing is a year-long commitment.

We practice all year long, usually multiple days per week (depending on the time of year). We play in 13 or so tournaments in addition to league games. I’m constantly planning or participating in a practice or game.

But it’s way more than that. I started the team, so I am in charge of managing the roster, fees, uniforms and everything in between. I get some help (especially my wife for the financial stuff), but this is essentially an unpaid job.

I love every minute of it. Most importantly, it allows me to dedicate significant physical and mental energy towards something that isn’t related to my business. It’s a great way to get away from the rigors of entrepreneurial stresses.

Find something. It could be helping out at your kid’s school or volunteering for your favorite cause. But it’s healthy to get your mind on something else.

7. Find a Mentor

This was so important for me in the early going.

It’s easy to get lost in your own thoughts. We obsess over the smallest things. We lack direction and feedback. It’s overwhelming, lonely, and depressing.

Starting very early on in my journey, I had weekly calls with John Robinson, who is family and a successful entrepreneur. He was the guide I needed to walk me through not only business decisions but the emotional roller coaster. We now talk almost every day.

John wasn’t the only one. There were many others in the early days who were generous with their time and helped guide me through each step. Eventually, I felt as though I was pushed out of the nest and figured out that I could fly.

Finding a mentor isn’t an easy task. You can’t force someone to be your mentor. And mentoring needs to be something that someone is passionate about doing.

Not everyone wants to be a mentor. Not everyone would be a good mentor. But it’s good to have some sort of sounding board to guide you through.

8. Stay (Physical World) Social

I suck at this. I know it sounds ridiculous as someone who works in social media, but I am not a social guy.

When I walk into a room full of strangers, I find a secluded chair in the corner. I don’t like it. Meeting new people is not fun for me. It’s even a little scary.

So I won’t tell you that I’ve succeeded at this one. But I know how important it is.

Don’t underestimate what working for yourself can do to your social life. You no longer have cubicle friends. The community is gone.

I’m not looking for sympathy, but I lack physical friends. I have online friends and acquaintances, but I almost never do anything social in the physical world.

This is partly attributed to my focus on family. In my free time, I’m spending time with them or coaching baseball. But I absolutely should create room for friendships. I simply haven’t made it a priority.

9. Value Sleep, Rest, and Reflection

I’ve found that entrepreneurs like to publicly boast about how little sleep they get. I’ve never understood that. If you want to produce efficiently for your business, you need to be well-rested. You aren’t Superman.

I do everything I can to get at least eight hours of sleep every night. Sometimes more. I’m not always successful, but it is a priority.

Remember that as an entrepreneur, you have more freedom than other people. You create your own hours. If you aren’t well-rested, set aside time for it. Take a 30-minute nap. You will be a better producer as a result.

I’ve experimented with meditation, but it’s not something that has become part of my routine. But the main thing is making sure to set aside time to simply breathe and relax, no matter how you do it.

10. Punch Guilt in the Neck

As entrepreneurs, we are our own worst enemy. We beat ourselves up at every opportunity. Our output wasn’t good enough. Revenue isn’t good enough. The product you launched isn’t good enough.

We make ourselves feel guilty for sleeping. For getting away from the computer. For taking a break from work. For enjoying our lives.

Just stop. Punch guilt in the neck.

Forgive yourself for making mistakes. Forgive yourself for not reaching a goal. Forgive yourself for skipping a task today.

There’s a balance, of course. You still need to hold yourself accountable (you have no boss, after all). But stop making yourself feel bad for the smallest things.

Somedays, I do very little work. It’s important that I allow myself to enjoy that time. Otherwise, I spend the entire time feeling guilty and miserable. That free time then becomes counterproductive in every way.

11. Celebrate Small Wins

You’re doing something amazing. While everyone else is working for someone, you are creating a business. There will be plenty of ups and downs and stuff in between. But don’t forget to enjoy those little wins.

If you are never satisfied, you’ll always be miserable.

This doesn’t mean that you reach that goal and then say, ��Screw it, I’m done here!” It means that you reflect on and appreciate the little things you accomplish on a daily basis.

You finished a blog post you feel good about? Great job! Today was a great revenue day? Congratulate yourself! Someone thanked you for helping them? Cheers to you!

You dictate how you feel about yourself and your business. Don’t overlook the little things. What you’re doing is incredible — very few people would ever dare take the risks you’re taking. Celebrate each and every success and appreciate what you’re accomplishing!

12. Don’t Dwell on Small Losses

You have bad months. A product doesn’t sell well. Software isn’t dependable. Staff leave. Customers complain.

These things happen. Don’t dwell on the small losses. When you dwell on failure, you create an environment where you fear making mistakes. And mistakes are how we learn.

It’s time for a baseball analogy (I am a baseball coach, after all!). The best baseball players aren’t that way because they’ve always gotten hits and won games. They’ve experienced loss. They’ve experienced adversity. These things made them better prepared, and they learned from it.

When you experience failure, look at it as a chance to learn something. Don’t ignore it like nothing happened, or it will happen again. But don’t put your head down, kick dirt, throw your helmet, and sulk back to the dugout.

Those who sulk don’t learn. You need thoughtful reflection. Those who reflect think about what happened and think about whether the result was avoidable. If it was, they find a way to prevent it from happening again.

Sometimes, the negative result was difficult or impossible to avoid. Sometimes, our process was right and we strike out.

13. Find an Emotional Release

We entrepreneurs are a ticking time bomb if we don’t take care of ourselves. We can be overcome with our own thoughts and obsessions.

Find a release. This could mean keeping a journal. Or having a friend or spouse whom you talk to regularly about what you have going on. Or it could be reading a book or watching a movie.

We all get that emotional release in different ways. Find your way.

14. Be Present for Loved Ones

Don’t let your business overcome you. Especially if you work from home, it’s very difficult to separate work from non-work hours. Don’t fall into this trap.

Turn off phone notifications. Put your device away. Spend time with your spouse, significant other, or kids — but be present. Avoid being distracted by your device or what’s going on with your business.

This is a conscious decision. Mentally put aside your business and enjoy time with the people who matter. Otherwise, while you may be physically present, that time is wasted.

While I prioritize time with my family, I am guilty of wasting it as well. I still look at my phone too often. I still nod my head and act like I’m listening when I’m thinking about something else.

Acknowledge it. Apologize for it. Do your best to correct it. They deserve better.

I do my best to separate work and non-work time. I’m not always successful — it’s a battle — but I realize how important it is.

15. Get Help (If Needed)

The independence you have as an entrepreneur is exhausting. It is. It’s also so rewarding when you allow it to be.

However, we can’t overlook the different stresses and struggles that are unique to entrepreneurs. The isolation is an easy path to depression and destruction.

Do your best to maintain your physical and mental health. Be self-aware so that you know when it’s time to get help.

That could mean speaking with your spouse or significant other about these challenges. It’s very easy to bottle up and keep these things from my wife. I actively force myself to be more open.

It could be talking with a mentor. Or joining masterminds. Clubs, communities, or support groups of entrepreneurs who are going through something similar.

Professional counseling should always be an option. Because of the unique lives we live, there are times when we need a little extra help. Seek it without shame.

Your Turn

I don’t have this thing figured out yet, but I am grateful for all of the support and lessons learned along the way.

Anything else you’d add to this list? Let me know in the comments below!

Free Webinar for Entrepreneurs

I will be hosting a free webinar for entrepreneurs on MONDAYm, February 6, 2017. It will focus on lessons I learned while starting my business. You can learn more about the details of the webinar here, or simply register below…

DATE: Monday, February 6, 2017 TIME: 3pm EST (New York)

The post Entrepreneurs: Self-Care in a World Without Structure appeared first on Jon Loomer Digital.

from Jon Loomer Digital http://www.jonloomer.com/2017/02/02/entrepreneurs-self-care/

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marketingplaybook · 7 years

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Entrepreneurs: Self-Care in a World Without Structure

As I brainstormed ideas for topics to cover on the subject of entrepreneurship, many focused on the technical requirements of setting up a business. Software. CRM. Websites. Payment gateways.

But these subjects skip over an important topic for entrepreneurs: Self-care.

This can be a very lonely life. It’s ripe for self-doubt and depression.

I, by no means, have this thing figured out. It’s a constant battle. What I’m sharing today isn’t a detailed fix.

My intention is to highlight the pitfalls you’re likely to fall into as an entrepreneur, and some of the things that I do to overcome them.

This is a Different World Now

I answered to a “boss.”

You create your own deadlines. Missed it? You decide whether that matters.

This new world is both liberating and paralyzing at the same time. It’s the ultimate responsibility. You determine every next step, not your boss.

First, we need to acknowledge this new world. Accept its benefits and challenges. See how our own strengths and weaknesses impact how we adapt.

While I will tell you that I don’t like having a boss, I’m also not the best at planning and organization. So it’s a constant struggle that I need to fight.

1. Create a Routine

It’s been a struggle for me from Day 1, but a routine is absolutely critical. Create a habit — one that is difficult to break.

There are two categories of routine items that go here: 1) Independent and 2) Dependent.

The independent items of my routine are the most difficult to keep. Things like “Run for two miles” could not happen, and no one else around me would notice or care.

These are all obligations that are etched in stone on my calendar. I wouldn’t ever neglect them.

I like to bucket my days accordingly:

Instead, each day has its own purpose. For me, that provides important clarity.

As a result, I don’t have a routine in the way that you may expect. I don’t wake up with my entire day laid out for me. I have realized over the years that this simply isn’t realistic.

By building my day around a small set of dependent and fixed items, there is more room to adjust and less possibility that I’ll feel I “failed” by being unable to stick to my schedule.

2. Set Aside Times for Calls and Interviews

This is part of a routine, but it’s so important that I’m creating a separate item for it.

If you aren’t careful and respectful of your own time, you won’t accomplish anything you plan to accomplish on a day-to-day basis. You will feel rushed and frustrated.

While these things could rule my schedule, I don’t do them more now than I did four years ago. In fact, I may do them less.

If you want to set up a call with me, I have three slots open on Monday and two on Friday. If I’m not free or those times don’t work for you, too bad.

Oh, sure, I do make exceptions. But this basic structure is really important for keeping me sane. And it is also connected to number 3…

3. Say “No” — A LOT

There is no more liberating word than “No.”

I said yes time and time again. And it created more stress.

Not every new opportunity is a good one. I don’t believe I’m exaggerating by estimating that I say “no” to 99% of opportunities.

And some of these opportunities have lots of upside. But they always add more work, more time, and more stress. So remember this, and prioritize accordingly.

I rarely agree to public speaking gigs. I almost never engage in partnerships. I try hard to make product and brand changes rare while staying fresh.

These are conscious decisions, and you should not feel guilty for saying “no.” Embrace the opportunity to choose your path, even if it means continuing down the one you’re on.

4. Stay Active

Get your ass out of your chair. DO SOMETHING!

This is probably the one thing that routinely falls off of the priority list. Something more important always comes up. Don’t let it happen!

Last year, I set a goal for myself to run 366 miles (or a mile per day). I eventually ran 400 miles. This was possible thanks to a colorful chart that I filled in every time I ran.

At the bare minimum, find a way to get your butt out of your chair. I have an adjustable desk that can be for sitting or standing. I sit sometimes, and I stand sometimes.

Above is my office, with a standing desk and treadmill to the side. On the far wall behind my microphone is this year’s running chart. Good reminders to stay active!

Remember that your health is an investment in your business. Your business will not succeed if you are sick or lethargic.

5. Get Outside

The day can get away from you fast. The next thing you know, it’s 10pm and you’re still wearing what you woke up in.

When you’re on your own clock, there’s always an excuse. It’s too cold. It’s raining. There’s a 10 MPH breeze.

I’d like to say that people in San Diego have no excuse. However, that’s not fair. I guarantee I’d make up an excuse not to get outside if I lived there.

Staying locked up inside is a path to depression. There’s something therapeutic about the outdoors. The birds, the fresh air, the activity around you.

By sitting inside all day, you dull your senses. There are no surprises. What you see and feel is a boring, never-changing constant.

Go outside, and your senses come alive. New sounds, smells, and sights. It activates your mind.

It’s good for your health, but getting outside is also good for brainstorming business ideas.

6. Have an Outlet

Find a passion, preferably one that gets you out of the house.

My passion is coaching baseball. A year and a half ago, I started a travel team called the Spiders for my middle son.

Coaching a travel team is no small task. It’s not just two months of the year, showing up to a practice and game once per week. This thing is a year-long commitment.

Find something. It could be helping out at your kid’s school or volunteering for your favorite cause. But it’s healthy to get your mind on something else.

7. Find a Mentor

This was so important for me in the early going.

It’s easy to get lost in your own thoughts. We obsess over the smallest things. We lack direction and feedback. It’s overwhelming, lonely, and depressing.

Finding a mentor isn’t an easy task. You can’t force someone to be your mentor. And mentoring needs to be something that someone is passionate about doing.

Not everyone wants to be a mentor. Not everyone would be a good mentor. But it’s good to have some sort of sounding board to guide you through.

8. Stay (Physical World) Social

I suck at this. I know it sounds ridiculous as someone who works in social media, but I am not a social guy.

When I walk into a room full of strangers, I find a secluded chair in the corner. I don’t like it. Meeting new people is not fun for me. It’s even a little scary.

So I won’t tell you that I’ve succeeded at this one. But I know how important it is.

Don’t underestimate what working for yourself can do to your social life. You no longer have cubicle friends. The community is gone.

I’m not looking for sympathy, but I lack physical friends. I have online friends and acquaintances, but I almost never do anything social in the physical world.

9. Value Sleep, Rest, and Reflection

I do everything I can to get at least eight hours of sleep every night. Sometimes more. I’m not always successful, but it is a priority.

10. Punch Guilt in the Neck

As entrepreneurs, we are our own worst enemy. We beat ourselves up at every opportunity. Our output wasn’t good enough. Revenue isn’t good enough. The product you launched isn’t good enough.

We make ourselves feel guilty for sleeping. For getting away from the computer. For taking a break from work. For enjoying our lives.

Just stop. Punch guilt in the neck.

Forgive yourself for making mistakes. Forgive yourself for not reaching a goal. Forgive yourself for skipping a task today.

There’s a balance, of course. You still need to hold yourself accountable (you have no boss, after all). But stop making yourself feel bad for the smallest things.

11. Celebrate Small Wins

If you are never satisfied, you’ll always be miserable.

This doesn’t mean that you reach that goal and then say, “Screw it, I’m done here!” It means that you reflect on and appreciate the little things you accomplish on a daily basis.

You finished a blog post you feel good about? Great job! Today was a great revenue day? Congratulate yourself! Someone thanked you for helping them? Cheers to you!

12. Don’t Dwell on Small Losses

You have bad months. A product doesn’t sell well. Software isn’t dependable. Staff leave. Customers complain.

These things happen. Don’t dwell on the small losses. When you dwell on failure, you create an environment where you fear making mistakes. And mistakes are how we learn.

Sometimes, the negative result was difficult or impossible to avoid. Sometimes, our process was right and we strike out.

13. Find an Emotional Release

We entrepreneurs are a ticking time bomb if we don’t take care of ourselves. We can be overcome with our own thoughts and obsessions.

Find a release. This could mean keeping a journal. Or having a friend or spouse whom you talk to regularly about what you have going on. Or it could be reading a book or watching a movie.

We all get that emotional release in different ways. Find your way.

14. Be Present for Loved Ones

Don’t let your business overcome you. Especially if you work from home, it’s very difficult to separate work from non-work hours. Don’t fall into this trap.

This is a conscious decision. Mentally put aside your business and enjoy time with the people who matter. Otherwise, while you may be physically present, that time is wasted.

Acknowledge it. Apologize for it. Do your best to correct it. They deserve better.

I do my best to separate work and non-work time. I’m not always successful — it’s a battle — but I realize how important it is.

15. Get Help (If Needed)

The independence you have as an entrepreneur is exhausting. It is. It’s also so rewarding when you allow it to be.

However, we can’t overlook the different stresses and struggles that are unique to entrepreneurs. The isolation is an easy path to depression and destruction.

Do your best to maintain your physical and mental health. Be self-aware so that you know when it’s time to get help.

That could mean speaking with your spouse or significant other about these challenges. It’s very easy to bottle up and keep these things from my wife. I actively force myself to be more open.

It could be talking with a mentor. Or joining masterminds. Clubs, communities, or support groups of entrepreneurs who are going through something similar.

Professional counseling should always be an option. Because of the unique lives we live, there are times when we need a little extra help. Seek it without shame.

Your Turn

I don’t have this thing figured out yet, but I am grateful for all of the support and lessons learned along the way.

Anything else you’d add to this list? Let me know in the comments below!

Free Webinar for Entrepreneurs

DATE: Monday, February 6, 2017 TIME: 3pm EST (New York)

The post Entrepreneurs: Self-Care in a World Without Structure appeared first on Jon Loomer Digital.

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trendingnewsb · 7 years

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Poor Sleep Quality Comes from All the Things You Do Since Morning

When I was twenty-something, I didn’t really care much about my sleep quality because I could recover very quickly even if I had a bad night’s sleep. Since my first son was born, it became a totally different story. Partly because I’m older now, partly because I’ve had many more responsibilities. I could no longer work as productively as I could before if I didn’t sleep well the previous night.

To make sure I sleep well at night, I started to pay attention to everything I did throughout the day. And unlike what most people advise us, it’s not just a good bedtime routine that helps, it’s about everything we do – from the moment we wake up in the morning to going to bed at night.

Morning (7am – 12pm)

Wake up at the Same Time Every Day to Build Patterns

That means even weekends and days off. Why? Because our bodies are intelligently rhythmic and thrives on consistency. By waking up at the same time, we regulate the circadian rhythm that co-ordinates hormones and metabolism connected to sleep and wakefulness. Our bodies prepare to wake up around 1-2 hours before doing so, so making sure we wake up at a consistent time will be much easier and less stressful on these important rhythms.

Making sure you wake up (and actually get up) at the same time every day will help you get a better night’s sleep later on as you build a gradual, strong desire for sleep during your waking hours. Try consistently for 1 to 2 weeks to allow your body to create the perfect rhythm.

Eat Breakfast First Thing to Calm Your Brain

Fuelling yourself for the start of your day is common wisdom but did you know that it can also positively affect your sleep cycle? It’s all down to our evolution.

Dr. Nerina Ramlakhan believes eating first thing in the morning actually calms parts of the brain that are linked to our caveman behaviour of preserving energy and avoiding predators [1]. In other words, by eating first thing, we’re reassuring the brain that there is a good supply of food causing it to remain in a relaxed state ready for sleep, which in our modern day case, is at the end of the day.

Step Away from the Snooze Button. It Confuses Your Brain

As mentioned above, our sleep patterns need to be consistent and nothing ruins that more than hitting the snooze button.

In fact, using an alarm altogether may be doing more harm than good. This is because our bodies start to reboot around an hour before we naturally need to wake up. It’s in this phase that adrenaline and cortisol is released allowing us to get into a gradual lighter sleep and prepare for waking. An alarm can jolt our bodies awake too early causing that groggy feeling we often get that takes ages to shake off.

The snooze button is an illusion. While we think we’re getting a few extra minutes of much-needed sleep, it’s really very bad quality sleep. If you do need to use an alarm, set it for the very last time you need to get up with no leeway for snoozing.

Afternoon (12pm – 6:00 pm)

Avoid Napping for More Than 20 Minutes. Otherwise You’ll Enter Deep Sleep

Napping can be a good way to recharge as long as it’s not for more than 20 minutes. This is because longer naps cause us to start entering a deep sleep which can be harder to wake up from. This is why we can sometimes rise from a nap feeling groggy. Set a timer for 20 minutes so you don’t go over. This way you’ll feel much more refreshed when you wake up.

If you do need to nap, try to avoid laying your head down later in the day. This is more likely to make it much more difficult to fall asleep at your usual bedtime and will disrupt your sleeping patterns.

Protein-Rich and Complex Carbohydrate Foods Make You Less Likely to Nap

Our diet has a massive effect on our sleep quality but we often don’t consider this when grabbing lunch or snacking throughout the day.

Protein-rich and complex carbohydrates foods (e.g. wholewheat pasta) take longer time to be digested and make our blood sugar level increase gradually instead of suddenly compared to simple carbohydrates foods (e.g. cookies). This makes us less likely to become so sleepy after lunch and take a nap which can easily affect our sleep cycle and find it harder to sleep at night.

Get Exposure to Natural Outside Light. It Synchronises Our Master Clock

The light we absorb during the day plays quite a big part in our sleep cycles. It synchronises what’s called our master clock which, amongst many things, allows our bodies to enter our sleep cycles efficiently. It’s part of the important circadian rhythm that regulates the body’s daily cycle.

Aim to get bright outdoor light exposure for 30-60 minutes a day especially around midday.

No Midday Coffee. It Takes Longer to Wear off Than You Thought

We might feel we need a pick-me-up half way through the day (although this won’t be necessary once your sleeping patterns are well established) and we can instantly reach for the coffee granules.

But reaching for that midday cup of coffee can create problems later on. Caffeine has a half-life of 3 to 5 hours meaning it takes this long for just 50% of the caffeine to wear off. The rest can still stay in our bodies for longer. You can see how drinking caffeine even in the middle of the day will cause havoc for sleeping later on. Save your coffee-drinking to mornings only.

Don’t Eat Too Little or Too Much. It Makes You Overeat/Undereat at Night

The amount of food we eat at mealtimes is also conducive to how well we sleep at night. Regulating our eating is crucial if we want a good night’s sleep. Eating too little during the day will more likely cause overeating in the evening close to bedtime. Our bodies don’t have enough time to digest the food meaning a night of tossing and turning.

Alternatively, if we eat too much for lunch, it’ll be hard to resist taking a nap, which can affect our desire for sleep at night.

Evening (6:00pm – 12:00am)

Do Exercise If You Want. It Doesn’t Affect Your Sleep

While exercise during the day can help towards feeling invigorated, we often think going for a run or anything rigorous in the evening will have us bouncing off the walls when it comes to getting to sleep. After all, our body temperatures and heart rates rise with exercise not to mention adrenaline.

However, this has actually found to have no effect on our ability to sleep even right before bedtime. Exercising at any time of the day will actually help induce sleep naturally so don’t be afraid to go for that evening run.

Go to Bed at the Same Time Each Night. You’ll Be More Successful

Like waking up at the same time, going to sleep at the same time makes for a more efficient sleep cycle. Scientists have even found students who go to bed at a consistent hour each night were more successful and healthy while those with irregular bed times less so [2].

Develop Your Own Bedtime Ritual as Your Brain Loves Consistency

Creating bedtime rituals will help your mind unwind and prepare itself for sleep. Reading and meditating are two great ways to calm the mind before hitting the pillow and in turn creates a perfect entrance into deep, good-quality sleep. Try to stick with these rituals as much as you can since your brain loves consistency.

Keep Your Alarm Clock out of Sight (but Within Reach) to Avoid Pressure

Lying in bed and checking the clock can be a massive sleep-killer. If we can’t sleep it can cause anxiety not to mention the artificial light beaming from the LED halting the natural melatonin production needed to send us off to dreamland. Try turning your alarm clock around or if you use your phone, keep it well away from your bed.

No Gadgets 30 Minutes Before Bed. The Blue Light Will Keep You Awake

The blue light from smartphones and tablets reek havoc on our brains when it comes to trying to fall asleep. They suppress melatonin and wakes our brain up because it’s busy absorbing information when we check emails or social media.

It’s important to, not only stop checking our phones around 30 minutes before we go to bed, but to also keep it out of reach. Late night texts, emails and messages can wake us up or our constant urge to check Facebook or Twitter in the middle of the night keeps our brains active so move it away.

Avoid Hidden Caffeine Sources Like Chocolate and Ice Cream

Avoiding caffeine before bed is an obvious one, but it might surprise you that a lot of foods secretly contain more of this stimulant than you think.

Chocolate, energy drinks, flavoured waters, ice cream and even some pain relievers contain enough caffeine to keep you awake. Make sure you check nutrition labels on the foods you eat around bedtime to make sure they don’t interfere with your shut eye.

Reference

[1]^Independent: Don’t Sleep Longer – Sleep Smarter[2]^Daily Mail: Why you MUST go to bed at the same time every night: People with a strict bedtime are more successful, study reveals

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