We all know sleep is important. It’s a time where our bodies and minds can relax and restore. Sleep is the magic ingredient that will make us more alert and efficient at work. But in all honesty, I have often struggled getting the right amount of sleep.
As an Events Professional, I know all too well the feeling of staring at the ceiling late at night wondering if you sent that contract, if you contacted that supplier or if you scheduled that last-minute meeting with the team. So, at 2am you scramble for your phone to write an email to yourself with tasks you must not forget to do. In the run-up to an event, it feels as though there are not enough hours in the day making it seemingly impossible to put your devices away.
In this age especially, some of us have blurred the lines between our office and our home and we find it hard to switch off. When we get back to the full strength of live events, we as professionals will be zipping up and down the country and flying around the world going on-site visits or staying in hotels away from home which means we need to be able to slow down and perhaps using our senses may be the way:
Smell: Maybe a familiar candle, a sleep spray, or a hand cream full of calming scents such as lavender, vanilla or jasmine can help ease in a sense of relaxation.
Touch: Have a set of sleepwear that is soft to touch that can cradle you to sleep.
Taste: A soothing herbal tea that you sip in the evenings may help to calm the nerves.
Sound: Is there a calming playlist you can create to help lull you to sleep? Do you have an audio book you can listen to? I personally like listening to a book that I have already read/heard before, so I don’t feel the need to hang onto every word. There are also apps with stories read by celebrities designed to lull you to sleep.
Sight: Visualisation exercises can help distract your thought processes and stop your mind whirring. A book can take you to a faraway land helping you escape. Alternatively, a mindfulness app can fill your mind with images of a peaceful meadow or a beautiful beach.
These are just a few techniques that have helped me. But remember, at the end of the day, to let go. We are all talented professionals with incredible tenacity. We need to remember as we drift off to sleep that we have shown up and given the best of ourselves and tomorrow is another day.
AUTHOR
Anika Ved, Events Professional
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