Thank you for sharing these! I may give them a go.
I am a morning person - and even if I was not, I would have to learn to be for I have dogs...- but recently I have been getting up at 430am to write before work. I sustained the schedule of 5am to 7am (something to do with writing) 7am to 530pm / 6pm (work), a bit of a break and then do some learning or reading from 6pm to 8pm / 9pm for a couple of months. But I am now starting to feel exhausted...I do not think it is the 430am start, I think it's work 😁 But needs must. I will try to figure out a more realistic schedule in the next couple of weeks (especially as I have about five courses for work I am doing...).
P.S. It is a different beast altogether, but 'My Year of Rest and Restoration' by Ottessa Moshfegh might be of interest. It is fiction and it is not necessarily about sleep even if the protagonist's aim is to sleep for a year. Throwing it out there ☺️
Hi Siya, thank you for sharing your thoughts and own challenges here. I am so amazed by how you were able to maintain an early morning writing schedule, even only for a while. I think it's really valuable that you tried this schedule and realized that there could be improvement to it, then slowly tweak things around to make it work for you. I'd be very curious to hear about what you find out as you experiment more!
Thank you! I have not made any real changes as of yet but acknowledgement of the problem is the first step, right? :) I will let you know how I get on...
I started listening to the Why We Sleep audiobook because of your Goodreads post! I am definitely a night owl and trying to learn how I can embrace that by developing a healthy and realistic relationship with sleep. I’ll have to add Rest is Resistance to my list!
We are all haunted by the same demons preventing us from reaching our goals. The only way to get around is to persevere regardless. I hope you won’t give up, keep working on it, there will come a day where you will get your breakthrough. Thank you for your recommendation too. I found the quote “the shorter your sleep, the shorter your life.“ very relatable.
I will add these books on my TBR list. I usually think rest and sleep is overrated, but after reading this review, I promise to get enough rest and sleep. Thank you for this beautiful piece.
I feel you! Being an international student we always feel like we need to work extra hard and feel guilty when we rest. It took me a while to unwire my mind from thinking that I must be productive all the time.
Wow! Who knew our sleeping habits were written in our DNA? I've been guilty of not waking up early because it's associated with productivity. I just happen to have more energy at night. No more guilt now. Thanks, Yuezhong. ⭐️
Lots to think about here. Thanks for sharing these two books. I may have to check them out.
In Substack's Office Hours this week, a writer commented that they believed what they wrote would find its way to someone who needed to hear it.
Yesterday I wrote about time. This morning we lost an hour due to daylight savings time. And then - after having not had a chance to read your issues for a while - I paused to read your latest. Insightful. Thank you.
Thank you for stopping by here and sharing your thoughts, Bryce.
"..what they wrote would find its way to someone who needed to hear it" - This is such a beautiful way of phrasing our writing on Substack I am going to reflect on that today.
I'm so glad I read this. I've been thinking similar thoughts for quite a while. I felt pressure to perform from a young age. To prove myself worthy of love, to provide pride for my parents in a situation that drained them, to constantly be a beacon of brilliance and hope. I was very Type-A until I was 20. I attempted to toss my Type-A personality overboard in Mykonos during holiday. It's not that easy to dismiss this part of yourself when others in your life are depending on you to fit in the slots they think you should perform in, at the levels they think will be adequate. The pandemic came at the perfect moment for me. For decades I'd journaled about how I wished I could be alone, have time by myself to hear myself think, to not be as driven by others, but to know what is naturally mine. The first poem I wrote had this line in it I've never forgotten: If I put the whip down, what will keep me going?
In the early part of this century I discovered that when I relaxed more and listened within, there was a whole other directive begging to be heeded. When I lightened up the grip on my reins, another deeper self was guiding me right to what I wanted, but didn't know I wanted.
Thank you for writing about this! I'm signing up on this manifesto.
I appreciate you sharing and opening up about your experience exploring and finding ways to rest. I am so glad to hear that you were able to find what works for you to relax and to let go. Your poem is also beautiful! I appreciate you being here!
Thank you for sharing these! I may give them a go.
I am a morning person - and even if I was not, I would have to learn to be for I have dogs...- but recently I have been getting up at 430am to write before work. I sustained the schedule of 5am to 7am (something to do with writing) 7am to 530pm / 6pm (work), a bit of a break and then do some learning or reading from 6pm to 8pm / 9pm for a couple of months. But I am now starting to feel exhausted...I do not think it is the 430am start, I think it's work 😁 But needs must. I will try to figure out a more realistic schedule in the next couple of weeks (especially as I have about five courses for work I am doing...).
P.S. It is a different beast altogether, but 'My Year of Rest and Restoration' by Ottessa Moshfegh might be of interest. It is fiction and it is not necessarily about sleep even if the protagonist's aim is to sleep for a year. Throwing it out there ☺️
Hi Siya, thank you for sharing your thoughts and own challenges here. I am so amazed by how you were able to maintain an early morning writing schedule, even only for a while. I think it's really valuable that you tried this schedule and realized that there could be improvement to it, then slowly tweak things around to make it work for you. I'd be very curious to hear about what you find out as you experiment more!
Hey,
Of course and you are welcome.
Thank you! I have not made any real changes as of yet but acknowledgement of the problem is the first step, right? :) I will let you know how I get on...
I started listening to the Why We Sleep audiobook because of your Goodreads post! I am definitely a night owl and trying to learn how I can embrace that by developing a healthy and realistic relationship with sleep. I’ll have to add Rest is Resistance to my list!
Awww, I am so glad to hear that! Thank you so much for being here :)
We are all haunted by the same demons preventing us from reaching our goals. The only way to get around is to persevere regardless. I hope you won’t give up, keep working on it, there will come a day where you will get your breakthrough. Thank you for your recommendation too. I found the quote “the shorter your sleep, the shorter your life.“ very relatable.
Thanks, Winston, for your kind words.
I will add these books on my TBR list. I usually think rest and sleep is overrated, but after reading this review, I promise to get enough rest and sleep. Thank you for this beautiful piece.
You're welcome, Christopher :) I am glad to hear that this piece resonated with you.
Sounds like getting picked from my brain about the hustle culture in grad school as an international student T_T
Not being able to rest because I must perform, and all . . .
I feel you! Being an international student we always feel like we need to work extra hard and feel guilty when we rest. It took me a while to unwire my mind from thinking that I must be productive all the time.
Wow! Who knew our sleeping habits were written in our DNA? I've been guilty of not waking up early because it's associated with productivity. I just happen to have more energy at night. No more guilt now. Thanks, Yuezhong. ⭐️
Lots to think about here. Thanks for sharing these two books. I may have to check them out.
In Substack's Office Hours this week, a writer commented that they believed what they wrote would find its way to someone who needed to hear it.
Yesterday I wrote about time. This morning we lost an hour due to daylight savings time. And then - after having not had a chance to read your issues for a while - I paused to read your latest. Insightful. Thank you.
Thank you for stopping by here and sharing your thoughts, Bryce.
"..what they wrote would find its way to someone who needed to hear it" - This is such a beautiful way of phrasing our writing on Substack I am going to reflect on that today.
I drop in with some Tara Brach audio. I scan the body and Ungrip from my senses.
I'm so glad I read this. I've been thinking similar thoughts for quite a while. I felt pressure to perform from a young age. To prove myself worthy of love, to provide pride for my parents in a situation that drained them, to constantly be a beacon of brilliance and hope. I was very Type-A until I was 20. I attempted to toss my Type-A personality overboard in Mykonos during holiday. It's not that easy to dismiss this part of yourself when others in your life are depending on you to fit in the slots they think you should perform in, at the levels they think will be adequate. The pandemic came at the perfect moment for me. For decades I'd journaled about how I wished I could be alone, have time by myself to hear myself think, to not be as driven by others, but to know what is naturally mine. The first poem I wrote had this line in it I've never forgotten: If I put the whip down, what will keep me going?
In the early part of this century I discovered that when I relaxed more and listened within, there was a whole other directive begging to be heeded. When I lightened up the grip on my reins, another deeper self was guiding me right to what I wanted, but didn't know I wanted.
Thank you for writing about this! I'm signing up on this manifesto.
I appreciate you sharing and opening up about your experience exploring and finding ways to rest. I am so glad to hear that you were able to find what works for you to relax and to let go. Your poem is also beautiful! I appreciate you being here!
Yay!