Posted By: jbaloun / |
Some people function perfectly well with limited sleep. Thomas Edison claimed sleep was a waste of time. Napoleon, Margaret Thatcher & Bill Clinton are some famous members of the four-hour club. However, like many entrepreneurs, staffing management professionals like you often have a thousand things on their minds in the evening: thoughts of running teams and companies; making payroll; growing your staffing company; managing new ideas.
Unless you’re one of the lucky few who can thrive on four hours a night (and how many of us are?!), you need to be able to shut down and get six or more hours of good sleep. Below is some advice that can help you feel rested and obtain a healthy slumber, a necessary ingredient for effective leadership.
Hint #1: Exercise more.
There is nothing like a good workout to boost your energy throughout the day and bring on the appropriate fatigue at night. If you can’t sleep in the small hours of the morning try getting up and exercising. It should give you more energy, and will make you more apt to get to sleep earlier that night. Not to mention giving you that positive health boost.
Hint #2: Drink less alcohol
Alcohol can make you drowsy, yes, but can also disrupt sleep patterns and leave you feeling groggy and worn out the following day. Try to limit drinking to the weekends, and the difference in your sleep will be noticeable.
Hint #3: Prep the bedroom
Your bedroom should be a place of rest and relaxation. Make it as dark and quiet as possible. Whatever you do, don’t bring in your laptop to work in bed! Try to separate the bedroom from the boardroom.
Hint #4: Create the “Tomorrow List”
Another way to separate your place of work with your place of rest is to create the “Tomorrow List.” Before you leave work in the evening make a list of the things you need to do the next day. Leave it on your desk; it will be there for you tomorrow morning. That way you don’t need to be thinking about staffing management solutions throughout the evening while at home.
Hint #5: Keep a “Grateful List”
If you are sleepless and restless throughout the night, keep a list of the things you are grateful for in your life bedside your bed. Focusing on the positives can appease some of your worries and allow you a more contented rest.
Hint #6: Focus on your breathing
No more of this counting sheep nonsense! Focusing on the air moving in and out of your system and the rise and fall of your chest is a valuable relaxation technique that can help you drift off into sleep.
Hint #7: Get some Vitamin D
A new study suggests a correlation between daytime sleepiness and Vitamin D intake. You can take vitamin supplements or, better yet, get some sun and feel more awake (a perfect way to do this is to exercise outside hitting two birds with one stone).
Hint #8: Keep track of your hours
Stop working such long hours. On the face of it you may think you are increasing productivity, but studies show that working over forty hours per week can actually decrease efficiency. Overwork can burn out both you and your staff, making everyone stressed and irritable. It is not unreasonable to leave work at five-thirty! In fact, it’s advised.
Staffing management can provide a heavy workload and lots of stress. You need to find ways to deal with it productively. Attempt to separate your personal life from your working life. Make your home a comfortable and peaceful environment. And try to remember these tips for more effective rest. You may be able to tackle your days ahead with aplomb, or perhaps just obtain a few more hours of beauty sleep!