Friday 19th March is ‘World Sleep Day’. Given that sleeping problems are so common I thought I would write something on the subject.

Sleep, despite being one of the most natural things in the world that you do, sleep can be one of those really tricksy things, prone to being affected by so many different factors. What you eat, what you drink, what is going on in your life, your past experiences, your hormones, pain, your age, medications you may be taking, your environment and of course your physical, emotional and energy health too, all play a part.

A Complex Problem
Sleep is so vital to all our bodily functions, including mentally and emotionally. Sleep deprivation is a well-known device of torturers so it is easy to see how quickly not sleeping well can become a significant problem.

One of the biggest challenges to sorting out sleep is that there are so many different underlying causes. This means that the remedies required are very varied too. Your best friend, of a similar age, may describe sleeping problems that sound identical to yours. They may share a wonderful ‘cure’ that has transformed their sleep with certainty that it will help you too. When you enthusiastically try that same solution, you find that it doesn’t do anything to improve your own nocturnal tossing and turning at all. It can be such a frustrating and disappointing thing!
 

Just a few weeks ago I had thought that a little light had at last begun to appear at the end of the tunnel that was 2020. In a short space of time there has been a big about turn and whilst we still have the light of the vaccine ahead of us it is feeling like we have quite a trek to get through in the meantime. It can be hard to stay positive when life has been throwing challenge after challenge at us so I have put together these sixteen ideas for looking after yourself . I hope you find them useful and I'd love to hear about any other ideas you have. 

With the news of the third lockdown in England I am closing the doors to my physical practice once again but rest assured that I am still here for online sessions and classes and will do all I can to continue to be of service. In the meantime why not choose one or two of these to help you get started in taking better care of you.
 

The home straight of 2020?

As we march through December and into the Christmas home straight, (a time of year that is frequently hectic and stressful even without a pandemic to cope with), we are facing a very peculiar set of circumstances.

This year there will almost certainly be fewer social engagements, something that might be a very welcome thing for some but feel like a big loss for others. Despite the extra pandemic regulations taking some seasonal decisions out of our hands, we may still have to navigate the sometimes difficult negotiations of who we spend Christmas with, perhaps with even more complications than usual. Again, this could be welcome or further add to the stress, depending on your particular situations or how you like to spend this time of year. Whilst our calendars may be feeling less of a strain there will almost certainly be other pressures that we are facing in terms of concerns about health, finances or further isolation or separation from our loved ones.

A Tumultuous Year

It would be rather stating the obvious to say that much of this year has been challenging. When I flew home from my trip to California in the middle of February the rumbles of a pandemic were only just starting. I, like a lot of people I think, thought it would probably all just blow over or turn out to be a minor inconvenience at worst. I don’t think many of us had any idea how this year would progress and the sort of, yes I am going to use that word, ‘unprecedented’ changes we would all face. Nearly ten months on, we are beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel but we are most certainly not out of the woods yet.
 
So, as we contemplate the remaining few weeks of 2020, a most tumultuous of years, it will be helpful for most of us to take a little time to consider what self-care provisions we could put in place. As humans, how well we look after ourselves tends to be a fluctuating thing. It is common that we do less well with self-care at the times when we most need it. You will likely have some idea of the kinds of stresses you typically face at Christmas time and you may be all too aware of the particular challenges facing you and your family this year. Below I have set out some suggestions for ten things that might help you navigate the holiday season with greater ease. Not all of these will be relevant so perhaps choose one or two that you think would be most beneficial to you.
 

Closing the Physical Doors Again

Sadly the doors to The Old School House, in Shaftesbury, and The Therapy Centre, in Salisbury, will be closing once again. I very much hope that this time it will be just for a few weeks. Sadly my work falls into one of the categories included in businesses that have to to close to assist in the lockdown effort. 

The lockdown starts from midnight on Thursday 5th November so there are still a few appointments available until then. You can book yourself in using my online booking system here. As far as I am aware this will be a very time limited thing so you can also book appointments from December 2nd. There will only be a limited number of appointments available between reopening and Christmas, so please do get yourself booked in soon so you don't miss out.


What else is available?
My Monday evening weekly Self-Reiki Share, (for anyone with any level of Reiki Attunement), and my Thursday evening weekly Meditation classes will continue at 7.30pm, as they have been. The Reiki share costs £8 per session and the meditation class costs £6.

Online Supportive Counselling Sessions also continue to be available. I will be prioritising in-person sessions for the first week of November, until I close, but online sessions can be booked after that. You can book appointments via my online booking system or contact me directly and I'm always happy to book you in. 

During November I am offering a free 20-minute self-care MOT. This is designed to help you identify areas where you could make small tweaks to improve how you are looking after yourself. There's no obligation to do any other work with me and these sessions, on the phone or via Zoom, are a great way to get the focus back on you. I will be adding these sessions to my online booking system shortly but in the meantime This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to get yourself booked in.

Don't Suffer Alone
This year has been so outside of anything that we are generally used to experiencing. Although we have all been finding our way through this same storm we are definitely not all in the same boat. If you're finding something tough, you're finding it tough. Just because other people may be worse off than you it doesn't mean that your situation is any less important. If you need some help finding a better balance please don't be afraid to get in touch.

Karen


© Dr Karen Janes
1st November 2020