Napping

I’m a total pro at taking naps. Anywhere. Anytime. I can fall asleep and wake up recharged. In fact, it’s necessary for me to get through long days. Many people report that they aren’t nappers. Today, I want to let you in on my secret nap sauce. This is what has worked for me. As you read this, remember, learning to nap is a skill, it may take time to develop.

Set a timer. Keep it under 20 minutes. My standard issue time is usually 12-15 minutes. When we get 30 minutes or longer, we’re risky that potential groggy need to keep napping feeling, we want to avoid that so we wake up ready for action. When you set your timer, have a task to do immediately upon waking. This will get you moving right away. Maybe it’s dive right back into emails or start working out. Whatever it is, have something planned and ready.

You want to be flexible with your napping environment. Don’t take it in your bed, you won’t want to get up. I like a couch or chair or even the floor. Some people prefer to cover their eyes to help black everything out. A t-shirt can work great for this. For sounds, I like to put headphones in and listen to some sort of white noise. My go to is usually a babbling brook sound track. I use an app that has sounds to help you fall asleep. 

I’m a fan of napping and take one on most days. It can help you recharge and refocus. If you’ve always tried to nap and it never happens, keep trying. You can lay there, eyes closed, and take 10 minutes to shut down and try to relax. If that’s hard for you, think of it as developing a skill. Eventually, you’ll be able to fall asleep.

Justin MIner 

@portsmouthcoach