Sisyphus was a Sissy
-Or How to Live Your Best Life on Just 24 Hours a Day- Part 2
Think: What I’m thinking about.
If you are not familiar with Greek mythology, Sisyphus is one of the tragic characters doomed by his hubris. Being doomed by one’s hubris happened as frequently in Greek mythology as it does in modernity. He was the king of Ephyra who twice cheated death. But, when death eventually claimed him (as it must do to us all) he was fated to push a massive boulder uphill-only to have it roll back down as he neared the summit.
Maybe it’s wrong to call him a sissy, but Sisyphus only had one hill and one boulder. In our lives, we have multiple hills to race between, each with several various-sized boulders, and we must try to keep them all moving.
This is how I like to think of the idea of Lines of Effort that we talked about last week. Each of our six lines of effort can be represented by a hill, and on each hill several boulders demand attention. Some demand more than others. Some are heavier. Some roll back downhill more quickly. Some are boulders that we actually want to spend time pushing. But, failing to address each boulder as needed will, at some point, incur consequences
The trick lies in establishing the most effective rhythm for addressing our boulders.
Now, before anyone (especially anyone who lives with me) starts sharpening the pitchfork tines, I don’t mean to liken anyone’s spouse or parent or friend to a boulder that must be pushed uphill. My point is that all relationships require effort and involvement. We need to determine how much involvement is necessary to maintain or grow the relationship.
It can be easy to allow certain stones to gather moss at the bottom of the hill while we focus exclusively on those we deem most pressing. And it is tragically often the case that our hubris dooms us to believe that all boulders will wait patiently for us. Boulders left unattended tend to either grow in size or turn into rolling stones headed in the opposite direction.
I’m not saying that specific boulders won’t have to be prioritized for periods of time to the exclusion of others. Sometimes we have to establish priorities and apply single-minded effort to achieve success at challenging tasks, but I am saying that it should be intentional and limited to the duration necessary to get the rock to the point that will require less effort.
Failing to make time for each hill will have consequences. Some may become quickly apparent, and others may take years to become evident, but the piper will be paid.
This week I want to start by discussing the oft-neglected rock of sleep. I’m not a sleep doctor, but I have spent a bit of time talking to one.
According to the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, most adults should be getting a minimum of 7 hours of sleep.
Yes, there are a few genetic mutants with Short Sleeper Syndrome who thrive on as little as four hours per night, but I am not one of them and chances are, you aren’t either.
I long lived by the motto, “I can sleep when I’m dead”. Then I realized that being dead can come a lot quicker for those who don’t prioritize sleep. “Some of the most serious potential problems associated with chronic sleep deprivation are high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, heart failure, or stroke. Other potential problems include obesity, depression, reduced immune system function, and lower sex drive.”
Plus, sleep is when we get stronger and smarter. Muscles damaged from exercise repair and grow stronger, and information taken in during the day is processed and cataloged.
These are some things you probably already know, but they nonetheless bear repeating to help maximize your sleep.
Limit naps to 30 minutes or less and take them before 3 pm.
Don’t get hopped up on caffeine and nicotine before bed.
Avoid alcohol before bed. ( I have trouble with this one, but it makes a difference)
Get regular daily exercise (another rock on the Body hill) can improve sleep quality.
Avoid eating before bed, especially any foods that cause indigestion.
Get plenty of sunlight.
Develop a nighttime routine that includes relaxation and a consistent bedtime.
Shut off the TV and cell phone and read a book before bed.
Create a cool, quiet, comfortable sleep environment.
I have been wearing an Oura ring for the past year to track my sleep data, and have learned a lot from it. I am not sponsored by Oura, though, I would love to be.
The first five people to click on the photo below and purchase an Oura ring before the 31st of October can get 50 bucks off of their purchase.
But no matter how you track your sleep, track it. How much you are getting, the quality, and how you feel the next day. We will spend nearly 1/3 of our lives sleeping we may as well get the most from it.
Read: Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
“Sleep is one of the most important but least understood aspects of our life, wellness, and longevity. Until very recently, science had no answer to the question of why we sleep, or what good it served, or why we suffer such devastating health consequences when we don't sleep. Compared to the other basic drives in life - eating, drinking, and reproducing - the purpose of sleep remained elusive…”
Write:
I’m not sure if I mention the fact that I am writing a book, but I am. I may have also mentioned that it is hard. The hardest part is simply making time to write. I signed the book contract on 1 April 2022, April Fool’s Day (which had me a little worried). I was given one year to turn in my completed manuscript. While I’ve been banging out pages, I haven’t made progress at the rate I had hoped. So, I decided I needed to make a change and apply more pressure to the book boulder. Because I am more productive in the morning than in the evening, the best option was to repurpose the time I was spending watching TV before bed and move that to the morning. To keep my sleep boulder in check I still aim for seven hours (plus thirty minutes of reading). This has me heading upstairs at around 8:30 and rising at 4:00 am. Do I want to get up at 4:00 am for the rest of my life? No, but it gives me time to meditate, journal, read, feed the dog, and write before I run or go to the gym. I get to see the sunrise, and I beat the school busses. It’s a schedule I’m willing to maintain as long as it allows me to keep the rocks moving.
Repeat- Words of inspiration from the people who said it best:
“I love sleep. My life has the tendency to fall apart when I’m awake, you know?” — Ernest Hemingway
Sleep is the best meditation. — Dalai Lama
Without enough sleep, we all become tall two-year-olds. — JoJo Jensen
A well-spent day brings happy sleep. — Leonardo da Vinci
A ruffled mind makes a restless pillow. — Charlotte Bronte
It is a common experience that a problem difficult at night is resolved in the morning after the committee of sleep has worked on it. — John Steinbeck
Each night, when I go to sleep, I die. And the next morning, when I wake up, I’m reborn. — Gandhi
Sleep is the golden chain that ties health and our bodies together. — Thomas Dekker
If you enjoyed this, please share it with a friend. I’d love to hear your thoughts, comments, or questions.
I'm glad I'm not the only one that struggles with the sleep boulder. I can't avoid waking up early for precisely the same reasons (and I write much better before the sun comes up), but my wife likes to stay up watching TV...the result is a struggle to get the 6.5-7 hours I need to be at my best.