{"id":2255,"date":"2023-04-24T10:34:50","date_gmt":"2023-04-24T10:34:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/anitasanz.com\/?p=2255"},"modified":"2024-09-03T00:04:54","modified_gmt":"2024-09-03T00:04:54","slug":"dont-hit-the-snooze-button","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/anitasanz.com\/wp-dev\/dont-hit-the-snooze-button\/","title":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t Hit the SNOOZE Button!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
The Submarine Expert<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

My husband tells this awesome story:<\/strong> Something\u2019s gone wrong on a nuclear submarine and they call in \u201cthe expert\u201d 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 \u201ctap\u201d on one small piece of the engine.  Suddenly, everything is working again.  He says, \u201cThat\u2019ll be $100,000.\u201d  The submarine captain is indignant and says \u201cHow can one little tap of your hammer be worth $100,000?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The expert replies, \u201cIt\u2019s not.  The hammer tap is worth $1.00.  It costs you $99,999 for my knowing where to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Hammer Tap for Your Day<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Life is complicated.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are more problems than solutions on some days, and tons of stress to go around. But there is one simple thing<\/strong> you can do that, like that little hammer tap, will make all the difference in how your day goes. The secret? (Don\u2019t get all indignant!) Don\u2019t hit the snooze button.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I know you need your sleep!<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m 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\u2026 and you give your mind too many opportunities while you are in this \u201ctwilight zone\u201d of trying to sleep\/trying to wake to convince yourself that you don\u2019t REALLY need to get up right now.  You don\u2019t REALLY need to make it to class on time\u2026or at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You don\u2019t REALLY need to get all those things done you wanted to do this morning\u2026 what you REALLY need is just 9 more minutes of crappy semi-sleep.  Or 18.  Or 45.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hit the floor, not the button<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

You have to actually do 3 things to get your day started off right\u2026yeah, I know I said it would be 1, but now it\u2019s 3. I said life was complicated! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1.  You have to pick a realistic wake-up<\/strong> time.<\/strong>  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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2.  You have to disable your SNOOZE button<\/strong>, or get an alarm clock that doesn\u2019t 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<\/em> self-control, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And\u2026<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

3.  When your alarm goes off, your feet need<\/strong> to hit the floor and you start moving.<\/strong>  In slow motion.  Like a zombie with no brains\u2026 maybe like a zombie looking for brains, I don\u2019t 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\u2019t lay back down on top of it! Sit yourself down on your exercise bike and start pedaling. (My personal favorite!) It doesn\u2019t matter, as long as you<\/strong> are moving and your brain<\/strong> isn\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whatever You Do\u2026Don\u2019t Think!<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

What you don\u2019t want to do is allow yourself to start thinking and talking to yourself. You\u2019ll start with \u201cOh man, it\u2019s too early, I\u2019m exhausted, I need more sleep, I\u2019ll just hit the snooze button once. I don\u2019t REALLY have to get up this early \u2026 what was I thinking yesterday, anyway? I swear I\u2019ll get up earlier tomorrow!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A better way to wake up\u2026<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Sleep experts say that if you\u2019re getting enough sleep, you don\u2019t even need an alarm clock\u2026you will wake up on your own. I don\u2019t know that I\u2019ve 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\u2019s like to wake up to the sun rising, so that you\u2019re already partially awake before the alarm goes off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are like the one I have: sun clock<\/a>. 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\u2019ll wake up more gradually, so when you hear your alarm, you can \u201chit the ground running\u201d and get going with your day!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019ll be $99,999, please.  \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Dr<\/em>.\u00a0Anita Sanz<\/em>, PhD, Psychologist<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n