
The Submarine Expert
My husband tells this awesome story: Something’s gone wrong on a nuclear submarine and they call in “the expert” to help figure it out and fix it. So he comes aboard and spends about an hour walking up and down the entire submarine, finally bends down and takes out a small hammer and puts one nice, strong “tap” on one small piece of the engine. Suddenly, everything is working again. He says, “That’ll be $100,000.” The submarine captain is indignant and says “How can one little tap of your hammer be worth $100,000?!”
The expert replies, “It’s not. The hammer tap is worth $1.00. It costs you $99,999 for my knowing where to do it.”
A Hammer Tap for Your Day
Life is complicated.
There are more problems than solutions on some days, and tons of stress to go around. But there is one simple thing you can do that, like that little hammer tap, will make all the difference in how your day goes. The secret? (Don’t get all indignant!) Don’t hit the snooze button.
I know you need your sleep!
I’m all about you getting your 7-8 hours of shut-eye every night. But not by hitting a snooze button anywhere from 3-99 times in the morning, trying to wake up. You waste an incredible amount of time trying to wake up this way… and you give your mind too many opportunities while you are in this “twilight zone” of trying to sleep/trying to wake to convince yourself that you don’t REALLY need to get up right now. You don’t REALLY need to make it to class on time…or at all.
You don’t REALLY need to get all those things done you wanted to do this morning… what you REALLY need is just 9 more minutes of crappy semi-sleep. Or 18. Or 45.
Hit the floor, not the button
You have to actually do 3 things to get your day started off right…yeah, I know I said it would be 1, but now it’s 3. I said life was complicated!
1. You have to pick a realistic wake-up time. Not some pie-in-the-sky-you-wish-you-could-get-up-at-that-time time. Figure out what you want to get done tomorrow, or what time you realistically need to get ready for work/school/whatever, and then set the alarm clock for THAT time.
2. You have to disable your SNOOZE button, or get an alarm clock that doesn’t have one, or put your alarm clock across the room or way, way underneath your bed. Or have amazing self-control and just hit the OFF button instead of SNOOZE. I said amazing self-control, right?
And…
3. When your alarm goes off, your feet need to hit the floor and you start moving. In slow motion. Like a zombie with no brains… maybe like a zombie looking for brains, I don’t know. But you gotta get moving. Head to the kitchen for coffee. Walk to the shower, turn it on, and get in. Start making the bed. No, you can’t lay back down on top of it! Sit yourself down on your exercise bike and start pedaling. (My personal favorite!) It doesn’t matter, as long as you are moving and your brain isn’t.
Whatever You Do…Don’t Think!
What you don’t want to do is allow yourself to start thinking and talking to yourself. You’ll start with “Oh man, it’s too early, I’m exhausted, I need more sleep, I’ll just hit the snooze button once. I don’t REALLY have to get up this early … what was I thinking yesterday, anyway? I swear I’ll get up earlier tomorrow!”
A better way to wake up…
Sleep experts say that if you’re getting enough sleep, you don’t even need an alarm clock…you will wake up on your own. I don’t know that I’ve ever personally had the luxury of getting that much sleep! So until that magical day happens, here are 2 effective ways to do it: The more expensive way is to buy a fancy alarm clock that gradually lightens the room 15-45 minutes before a sound alarm goes off, mimicking what it’s like to wake up to the sun rising, so that you’re already partially awake before the alarm goes off.
These are like the one I have: sun clock. The less expensive way involves going down to your local hardware store and getting a lamp timer for about $8, and set it to turn your light on your bedside table about 15 to 45 minutes before your alarm clock is set to go off in the morning. Either way, you’ll wake up more gradually, so when you hear your alarm, you can “hit the ground running” and get going with your day!
That’ll be $99,999, please. 🙂
Dr. Anita Sanz, PhD, Psychologist
Stop freaking out!
Finding the balance is what we are all trying to do… whether we are talking about the balance between work…
Self-Esteem Is YOUR Job
Self-Doubt and Low Self-Esteem Not sure if you’re all that sexy and attractive? Do you constantly need approval from others?…
How To Talk to Your Psychiatrist
Why Can’t My Psychiatrist Be More Like My Therapist? “My psychiatrist doesn’t listen to me!” “I just walked out with…
Working With Your “Healthy Rebel”
Have you ever decided you were going to make a change in how you eat or how active you are…
How To Make Your New Year’s Resolutions Stick!
Not everyone makes New Year’s Resolutions… there are some people who don’t see the new year as a time for…
Do You Smell Smoke?
You probably know what it’s like when the smoke alarm goes off. The sound is so annoying, irritating, and ear-piercingly…
Interdependence
In the progress of personality, first comes a declaration of independence, then a recognition of interdependence. ~Henry Van Dyke So…
Uh Oh…It’s Fall Again
If you suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, then that first cool hint of air, untinged by the humidity of summer,…
Coping With The Loss Of A Pet
Pets for Mental Health Pets add immeasurably to the quality of life…. so much so that I have often advised…
Yes, You DO Need A Vacation!
Vacation Poor America Of all developed countries in the world, Americans are the worst at taking time off from work. Compared…
What Your Mirror Can’t Show You.
Have you looked in a mirror lately? You were probably looking for something: spinach stuck in your teeth from lunch, a stain on…
Why Should I Use a Life Planner?
If you already know how to successfully use a life planner, then I don’t need to tell you how it’s…
A Season of Change
A Magical Time of Transition Have you ever walked out of your front door on an Autumn morning and you…
Your Rights and Responsibilities When You’re Sick
Being Sick Sucks The greatest wealth is health. ~Virgil Whether it’s a bad chest cold, or a serious diagnosis of a cancer tumor,…
- Well Being (56)
- Life Hacks (18)
- The Big Picture (8)
- Health (10)
- Relationships (13)
- Holidays (7)
- Therapy (40)
- Anxiety (9)
- Depression (16)
- On The Couch (15)
- Life Planning (5)