This never happens. It’s 7:30 pm and the house is still. The kitchen is clean, Gideon is asleep, and everything is ready for work tomorrow. I have the place to myself. I had a different blog post ready to write tonight, but instead I’m going to take the time to enjoy the silence.
I learned this past year that taking time for R&R is part of the healing process. I try to give my mind a chance to rest when I can. Getting out and taking a walk or going for a run really helps me clear my head. I think much more clearly when I can turn off my brain for a few minutes. My body holds a lot of tension. When I’m stressed, my entire body tenses up. Sometimes it actually starts to hurt because of how tense I can be. Taking a few minutes to do yoga or even just lay there and focus on my breathing really helps my body relax.
I also learned that sleep is closely related to mental and emotional health. Depression and anxiety can make it really difficult to sleep. However, sufficient sleep can help the body process emotional information. According to the SleepFoundation.org, during sleep the brain evaluates and remembers thoughts and memories. It appears a “lack of sleep is especially harmful to the consolidation of positive emotional content. This can influence mood and emotional reactivity and is tied to mental health disorders and their severity.”
So with all of that being said, there are a couple chapters of a book and a glass of wine calling my name before I get to bed early. After all, it’s good for me.
Love,
Redeemed Mama
“Cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7