February: Kindness and Generosity
March: Order and Purpose
April: Strength and Flexibility
May: Relationships
June: Adventure and Fun
July: Community and Environment
August: Knowledge and Interests
September: Sleep and Tranquility
October: Simplicity and Moderation
November: Gratitude and Positivity
December: Spirituality and Resolution
This month's goal is pretty ironic because lately I've gotten the worst sleep of my entire LIFE! Pregnancy plays the cruel joke of making you extremely tired (hmmm, I guess it takes a lot of energy to create a human from scratch), yet between the frequent bathroom trips in the middle of the night, the "don't sleep on your back or stomach" rule, a kicking baby, an abnormally high body temperature, and a general feeling of discomfort and achiness...let's just say a peaceful night's sleep is near impossible. To top it off, I've developed a cold over the past week, which has left me feeling pretty miserable at night (and you guessed it, no Nyquil)!
I have always loved sleep. I love taking naps, I love sleeping late, and if I could get 10 hours of sleep each night, I would gladly take it. This might also explain why I have black curtains in my bedroom and invested in a memory foam mattress and pricey soft sheets...ahhhh! Making sleep a goal was a no-brainer because it is something that definitely makes me happier and healthier; however, when I wrote these goals I had no plans of being pregnant this year. Successfully incorporating more sleep into my life is not only a lot trickier now, but it is also important for the baby. The other part of this goal is tranquility, and by that I mean more stillness and relaxation each day. This summer I had so much time to sleep in, read books, and concentrate on taking care of myself, but now I am busy with work and my life has gotten chaotic again. So here are some changes I plan to make this month:
- Let's start with the obvious: go to bed earlier.
- Relax with a hot bath, candles, and bath salts at night : ).
- Read before bed instead of watching TV. If I do watch TV, make it something light-hearted or calming (What? Dateline murder investigations at 11 pm aren't a good idea?).
- No stressful housework on weekdays. I was reading in a magazine today that women who work full-time and do household chores during the week have heightened levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. Even though it drives me crazy to have dirty dishes in the sink or piles of laundry to do, maybe I need to try ignoring it and save chores for the weekend.
- Exercise a little every day. I started that Prenatal Yoga class for the first time last night, and it was WONDERFUL. It wasnt too intense, and I felt limber and relaxed when I left.
- Write down to do lists or worrisome thoughts before bed so I don't stay up dwelling on them.
- Pamper myself. A massage or pedicure goes a long way, especially when you're 6-9 months pregnant. I think I can splurge a little this month if it means being more relaxed.
I'm actually pretty excited to get started on this month's goal! Now if I could just find a cure for a snoring husband...
