Have you ever considered rest as an essential tool for success? Ever wondered how rest could uplift your mental health and overall well-being? As a hairstylist, I've learned that our bodies send us warnings when we're overworked, and it's high time we start listening. This episode is all about understanding the importance of rest, its impact on our mental health, and how to avoid burnout. With shocking statistics and personal stories, we'll expose the reality of how Americans are resting, or rather, not resting.
But it's not all about the Zzzs! Tune in as we also explore practical tips for boosting energy and wellness. We'll swap coffee with healthier choices, question our water and sugar consumption, and talk about why supplements might just be your new best friend. We'll share some secrets about smart food and cleaning product choices, and even guide you in creating a nighttime routine that guarantees quality sleep. Uncover how simple changes in our routine can significantly impact our productivity and success. It's time we took control of our body, listened to what it truly needs, and made rest a priority.
Have you ever considered rest as an essential tool for success? Ever wondered how rest could uplift your mental health and overall well-being? As a hairstylist, I've learned that our bodies send us warnings when we're overworked, and it's high time we start listening. This episode is all about understanding the importance of rest, its impact on our mental health, and how to avoid burnout. With shocking statistics and personal stories, we'll expose the reality of how Americans are resting, or rather, not resting.
But it's not all about the Zzzs! Tune in as we also explore practical tips for boosting energy and wellness. We'll swap coffee with healthier choices, question our water and sugar consumption, and talk about why supplements might just be your new best friend. We'll share some secrets about smart food and cleaning product choices, and even guide you in creating a nighttime routine that guarantees quality sleep. Uncover how simple changes in our routine can significantly impact our productivity and success. It's time we took control of our body, listened to what it truly needs, and made rest a priority.
Welcome to the smart, wealthy stylist podcast. I'm your host, emily Cardin. Over here, we're dedicated to helping hairstylists manage their finances, stay organized, healthy and manage their time and mental well-being. We focus on staying healthy in all areas of life and maximizing productivity. If you're a hairstylist looking for these things, then this is the podcast for you. Together, we'll avoid burnout and step into being the smartest, wealthiest stylist that we can be.
Speaker 1:
Good morning and welcome back to the smart, wealthy stylist podcast. I'm your host, emily Cardin, and today we're going to talk about why rest is so important. I feel like we all just hustle and grind and we're just trying to reach those goals And, you know, sometimes we forget why rest is just as important as the hustle. So you know we all put in those long hours. And how do you know? you know when your body is screaming and it's saying help me, i'm tired. You know like what are the cues? What do we do with it? How do we truly find rest? Rest is one of the most underrated tools that you can have in your life to find success. Without rest and listening to your body, your body can start to fail you and then you can be overcome with, you know, anxiety and depression and stress and it just becomes this spiral. So I just want to get into this and let you guys know what I do. And also I did a lot of research in. The statistics were just wild to me about how important rest is and how it can affect literally your entire life.
Speaker 1:
Just last week we finished up the $50,000 challenge through Power Fit. Randa hosted a challenge that it's three winners $50,000 split. The first place winner gets $40,000 and it was a six month lifestyle challenge And since January I feel like my life has just changed so drastically because of, you know, the debt journey I've gone down and then just self growth And you know that challenge was always in the back of my mind, pushing me to go further. You know, pushing me to better my life, on and on and on. So during that she she on her Instagram if you're not following her, i totally would, because she has so many amazing things on there but she talks about how important rest is and how you know when you listen to your body, it tells you what it needs. There's so much confusion and noise in the world that I know sometimes it gets really hard to like hear that, but if you truly try to listen to your body, it will tell you what it needs.
Speaker 1:
And you know this, last week I thought, okay, i'm gonna, you know, do my 4am workouts, i'm just gonna push through this. And I was just tired And we've been doing a lot around the house and, you know, kids are out for summer. We've been swimming and my body just felt like it needed a rest And I thought, you know what I'm gonna unplug from my book that I'm writing. I'm going to, you know, unplug from any creative stuff that I'm doing, unless, of course, i want to. I'm going to really take off working out. I'm just going to do, you know, leisurely walks, stretching, nothing that is super intensive, and I went to bed early, i woke up late, it was just so nice. My body absolutely needed that.
Speaker 1:
And, you know, after taking a full week off, today, when I woke up this morning, it's Monday, you know, and Mondays I love Mondays starting off on the right foot, because I feel like if you start off on the right foot on Monday, it sets the tone for the whole week and I'm a routine person, so it helps me whenever I start off on a Monday like ready to go. So this morning I woke up at five or four, am Bright-eyed, bushy, tailed, went out there, got my coffee and then came in here and I'm doing my podcast. So I'm gonna do my workout next and I just feel like I'm excited for the week. I feel rested, i feel recovered, i'm just I'm. I'm really glad that I took the time to Be rested all last week and I took a nap one day and my body just needed it. So when I was doing some research on why rest is important, i was just blown away.
Speaker 1:
So here's some of the statistics that I found. About one-third of adults in the US are not getting enough rest or sleep every day. Nearly 40% of adults report falling asleep during the day when they don't mean to. Typically, seven hours of sleep is optimal for adults ages 18 to 64, and it goes up after that. But only a third of us adults get that much rest, and 50 to 70 million people in the US have sleep disorders. That was absolutely mind-blowing to me. Like 50 to 70 million people have sleep disorders, i Just I can't imagine.
Speaker 1:
I've always been a pretty good sleeper. There's been times in my life, you know, with kids and stuff, where sleep has not come so easy, but I Never felt like. You know, i've never suffered with insomnia. I have clients that do, and I just absolutely hate it for them, and so I asked some of them what some of, how They handle it and what their tools are.
Speaker 1:
I did a lot of research on this and I Think a lot of it has to do with over stimulation During our day. You know our bodies weren't meant to be on our phones all day. Or, you know, do all this work that we're doing and deal with the kids and deal with our personal life and try to keep up on social media and try to be the people on social media. And You know, constantly posting and scrolling, and you know, trying to reach your goals and trying to hit your deadlines at work and trying to, you know, open your salon and trying to build your clientele and post on social media. I mean, like just thinking about it is overwhelming. So What can we do? you know what, what are, what can we do to help with this?
Speaker 1:
Um, 80% of Americans said that they feel overstimulated. So what are some of the signs that you are overstimulated or exhausted? You could feel anxious, um, your resting heart rate is elevated. You can be moody. You feel sick all the time. You fall asleep when you don't mean to. Well, how can you help yourself get more rest at night? Like the very first thing, i feel like sleeping well is really super important And, um, one of the biggest things is unplug.
Speaker 1:
An hour before bed, so put away all of your electronics. Put your phone away, you know. Go plug it in in the other room, like just get off of all electronics. Turn the TV off. If you have the TV on, that's not as bad as like scrolling your phone, um, and then, 10 minutes before bed, go into your dark bedroom, do some stretches and deep breathing, plug your phone in across the room And then think positive thoughts. Imagine a beach or your happy place. Turn off the TV. You can turn on a sound machine, um, and there's a lot of studies about, you know, essential oils and how they can help sleep as well, and the thing with essential oils is making sure you get a super pure oil.
Speaker 1:
So don't just buy them off Walmart. A lot of those are full of synthetic fillers and chemicals. So, um, you know finding a reputable source going to your local health food store or herb person. Um, there's tons of websites online that you can get essential oils, um, but vetivir and lavender are both really great for sleep, and if you just put a couple of drops on the bottom of your feet before bed, that can also help.
Speaker 1:
Um, and then, you know, limiting like if you're used to napping during the day, try to not take a nap and then maybe you'll sleep better at night. Um, and then sacrificing productivity for a season is okay, like allowing yourself to rest and to try to shut your brain down and just say you know, i'm tired, i'm exhausted, i feel sick, like I need this rest. It is okay to just take a minute, you know, just take a step back, get you some rest. This is only for a season, so allow yourself the rest that you need. Um, and if your bed is hurting you or it's not comfortable, or like you get hot at night in your sheets, you know it may be time to invest in new mattress and find some sheets that you love. Um, my very favorite sheets that I have ever found are the Vera Wang deep set sheets. They're just Egyptian cotton. They're kind of expensive, but I usually buy them from Kohl's and I buy one set a year and I usually get them on sale for $119. Um, that is something I plan on purchasing every year and I have a super, super thick mattress and it is the only sheets that do not pop up off the corners of my mattress. So I'm a lifer for the Vera Wang deep set sheets. They're my favorite, um, but they're not hot and they're soft and comfortable. They wash and dry super well. Um, so yeah, having a comfortable mattress and a set of sheets that you don't get hot in really makes a big difference.
Speaker 1:
So say you are sleeping well and you're you don't have problems with insomnia or any of those. You know keep you up at night, type things, or you're getting plenty of rest at least seven hours but you still feel exhausted. Um, i know myself, i have been there. I feel like even I have always slept good. You know, i feel like I've always slept super well. I'm one of those people that can just I could go to bed at eight o'clock and not wake up till eight o'clock the next morning, or even sleep later. I used to be a sleep until noon type person. So, and then when I had kids, obviously you know that disrupt your sleep pattern. But so say you are sleeping well and you still just feel anxious and overstimulated and like just exhausted and sick and tired, and you just can't seem to truly get rested or feel better. What could it be? Well, since the rise in technology, there has been a huge increase in anxiety and depression, and there are so many factors that go into this. But there are so many studies that blame technology and how overstimulated our brains get.
Speaker 1:
Um, so, trying to limit your time on technology And I know that's so cliche and like it seems impossible to just unplug But if you can really try to say, okay, i'm only going to scroll social media, which I have a rule for myself. I only allow myself 30% of my time to scroll social media, which not 30% of my day, but I I do a 70 30 rule. So for every hour that I create content, i allow myself 18 minutes to mindlessly scroll social media. It takes self control, but it's the 70 30 rule. So 70% of my time I spend creating. So however much time I spend creating social media content for my businesses, i allow myself 30% of that time to scroll social media. So, like I said, an hour of creation gives me 18 minutes of mindlessly scrolling. So that doesn't seem like a lot, but it's enough for me and really it helps keep me less distracted and keep me more focused on what I, my messages and what I'm trying to create.
Speaker 1:
You know we're inundated with electronics all day long And our bodies ourselves are electrical conductors. Essentially we absorb all that energy around us in our brains were not designed to handle all of that stimulation. I watched a documentary. I want to say it was called Earthing. I want to say it was called Earthing, but it talks all about how you know our bodies are electrical conductors and like how our, our whole body is an intricate electrical system essentially, and how you know when our bodies were designed. You know even way back when people walked around barefoot, right Well, now we have rubber shoes, like there's there's no chance for our body to have that electrical currents diffused, or you know the buildup of electricity in our bodies to be let out.
Speaker 1:
And so it talked about how important it was to do grounding or earthing, which is where you just take your shoes off and go outside, even for just 10 minutes. You know like, do your morning stretches in the grass with your shoes off or just be cognitive of, okay, i'm going to spend 10 minutes outside without my shoes on. And it talks about. There's so many studies on that. Also, like I encourage you to go and YouTube like earthing and grounding. They have like earthing and grounding sheets and earthing mats that you plug your electronics into to get those additional electric currents out. I know it sounds hokey and kind of like woo, woo, you know whatever, but I really do think it makes a difference. I feel better and more relaxed after I do it And there was a lot of people that were healed from like chronic health issues just from earthing. So a lot of people sleep better at night when they do earthing before they go to sleep. And there are actual like grounding sheets that have like little tiny metal threads in them And it anyway you'll have to look it up. It's really cool. So it's definitely something to look at.
Speaker 1:
And then something else could be. You know, if you're still just feeling super tired throughout the day moving your body, you know, you know a lot of our jobs. You know, if you're a hairstylist like me, you stand in one spot all day long. You're not necessarily it is a labor intensive job, but it's not like you're moving around. We're just standing stagnant in one place. I feel like the blood pools in my ankles at the end of the day.
Speaker 1:
But you know, just, i'm not saying go for a five mile run, i'm just saying get outside, take a walk around the block. You know, start small, something is better than nothing. And sometimes, whenever I'm feeling tired, i have a pretty long driveway. I have an in-home salon studio, so just getting out and walking down the driveway and back up it gives me that boost of energy that I need. You know, instead of drinking another cup of coffee, just take you a little walk and it's amazing what happens. And then, like taking, you know, just a few minutes to stretch my shoulders, bend over, touch my toes, a little bit of stretch and a little walk does way more for me than a cup of coffee does. And then exercise is also proven to help you sleep soundly and reduce cortisol, which is your stress hormone. So even if you can exercise like three times a week, that will definitely make big improvements in your stress levels, your body's hormone levels, your energy levels. Something is better than nothing And something else is, you know, eating clean Food is fuel, and eating clean, nutritious foods will give you so much energy, it'll help you with your health, it'll help reduce inflammation and by limiting sugar.
Speaker 1:
And if you drink like a ton of coffee and you drink it all day long, i would try to just do one to two cups a day. Maybe do one in the morning, one in the afternoon, if you just really love coffee. I love coffee, i'm a huge coffee drinker. It's all about like the experience for me. I love a good medium roast coffee. The warmth, the smell, like just sitting down and enjoying it That's one of my favorite parts of my day. So I enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning and in the afternoon, not necessarily because I need it, but I love it.
Speaker 1:
But if you can try to get in at least 84 ounces of water a day, i promise you like I would bet money that you will feel better, you will feel more energy. Anytime that I'm starting to feel dragged down, midday, a little walk, a slam in a 20 ounce glass of water. It's like a miracle, like I just immediately pep up, i start feeling better, i have more energy and a lot of times that exhausting feeling during the like mid to end day is actually dehydration, and so by rehydrating yourself it'll really boost your energy levels up. It also helps you curb hunger And something I learned from one of my dietitian friends. She was talking about like curbing cravings and stuff. And a lot of times when you feel hungry after you just ate or like you know, you're just really feeling snacky, it's actually your body trying to cue you to say, hey, i'm thirsty. But we mistake it as hunger cues. And so she said, anytime like you start feeling that like snacky, feeling like you really are craving something, or if you feel your belly rumble and you've just ate, slam a 20 ounce glass of water And within 10 minutes it's usually gone. So that definitely has been a game changer for me.
Speaker 1:
And you know, water consumption also helps you remove toxins, hydrates you, helps you rest better, it improves your skin, gives you energy, curbs hunger, like make sure you're drinking enough water. It's something super simple, it's free, you know, just do it. But then the flip side of that, you know, not drinking enough water, drinking too much caffeine, totally has the opposite effects on your energy level. You know you think, oh, i'm just going to drink coffee all day and it'll keep me going. Well, too much caffeine will actually make you crash even harder. It will deplete you of energy and make you feel so much worse. Dehydration leads to feelings of exhaustion And you know too much sugar, fried foods, processed foods they can make you feel sick, sluggish, jittery, just totally awful.
Speaker 1:
And something else that's important is taking supplements, because if you're not eating, you know totally perfect, healthy, balanced meals and all that you're most likely lacking vitamins and minerals that your body needs. So just taking a really good daily multi vitamin and making sure you're getting enough protein. I love the true Vani vegan protein powder. There's only five ingredients. It's chemical free, preservative free, no artificial sweeteners or preservatives, and I really love the flavor of the textures. Good, And I just drink it with unsweetened organic almond milk. And then I love their daily vitamins and supplements. I also take a turmeric and magnesium also from them and they don't make my stomach upset. I really love true Vani's products.
Speaker 1:
She's on Instagram. Her Instagram handle is food babe And I love her stuff because she actually teaches you how to swap out like certain cereals or snacks or you know she's all about like clean eating and clean living And she teaches you how to swap out some products for another, and so I have kind of been trying to do that And even with, like my cleaning products and things, there's so many chemicals and just awful stuff in all the things that we eat and drink and clean our homes with. It's just I'm trying to do better with that. So I would follow food babe on Instagram to get some inspiration, for, you know, protein supplements and clean eating.
Speaker 1:
Something else that can help you feel more energized and get more rest is to create a routine. You know, by establishing a great night routine that can help you sleep better and wake up feeling more rested. I know if you have kids like me, routines can get crazy, but by having a goal and trying to stick with it does work. And when you have a routine, you know what to expect and you're more likely to take it seriously and do what needs to be done. I like to lay my workout clothes out for the morning and I take a shower, do my I love dime skincare products. I do my whole skincare night routine and then getting some soft jammies, and then we usually just hang out on the couch and watch TV together as a family And then at 830, my eight year old son still loves me to lay in bed with him before he goes to sleep, and so I go and lay in there with him for about 10 minutes while he falls asleep, and then I go to bed and I'm usually in bed by nine every night and I go to sleep really fast and then I wake up at four. So that works for me And by having a routine, i know what to expect. I know that my workout clothes are laid out and ready to go, i know that I'm going to get up, i'm going to do my workout, i'm going to, you know, work on my have, my productivity hour, and I just really look forward to that. It's something that I've created for myself that gives me something to look forward to every day And that helps me sleep better at night, knowing what to expect in the morning. I know that might sound kind of silly, but it works for me. So, um.
Speaker 1:
So let's recap all of this And uh in five actionable steps of things that you can do to feel more rested and stress-free throughout your day. Unplug one hour before bed and during the day if you're feeling overstimulated. Really pay attention to that, how social media makes you feel, how playing games or whatever it is that you're doing on your technology devices, pay attention to how it makes you feel. And unplug if you need to or if you're addicted and you need help with that, you can seek professional help, and there's several apps that you can get that will actually limit your time for you, so it'll block you from those apps that are a problem for you.
Speaker 1:
Take a nap if you need it, if you have time in the middle of your day it's the weekend, or whatever take a nap Like. Sometimes those naps in the middle of the day hit hard man and it is like the sweet spot to just wake up from. Like a two hour long nap on a Sunday. Create a bedtime routine. Make your bedtime routine easy, enjoyable. Make your bedroom your happy place. Find the right sheets. Get a different bed if your bed's hurting you, and just really make your bedroom your sanctuary. Look forward to going to bed.
Speaker 1:
Another one is move your body.
Speaker 1:
Moving your body helps you sleep better at night. It helps you reduce stress. It helps increase blood flow. It is one of the most important things that you can do for yourself. And I'm not saying go on a five mile run. Just work 10 minutes of movement into your day, if that's all you can do, and then feed your body the right fuel. Give it some healthy food, give it some clean food, get rid of the crap you know, up your water intake, cut down your caffeine intake. Really take care of yourself, because you only get one body And I know that hustling and building those dreams and you know crushing those goals is super important.
Speaker 1:
But you're not gonna be able to do that long term if you don't give yourself some rest. Listen to your body and trust it. Realize that if you're feeling tired, fuel it or rest it. Figure out what it is that you need and give your body what you need. I hope that this episode is helpful and I will talk to you guys next week. Thank you for listening in today. If you have a burning question or a topic you want me to cover, leave a review and ask the question in the review. This is the best way to get your questions answered. Just remember you are a smart, wealthy stylist and you are capable of anything you set your mind to. I'll catch you later. Don't be a stranger.