Develop a healthy relationship with sleep for a better career

The benefits of a healthy sleep routine extend beyond your career

 

Regardless of the industry you’re in, we often hear of people boasting about working long hours and sacrificing sleep for the sake of career achievements. While this could yield some immediate positive results, such habits are difficult to sustain over the long run and could lead to physical & mental fatigue in the workplace, arguably causing one to make poor decisions and potentially costly mistakes. From an overall health & wellness perspective, lack of sleep coupled with negative habits like excess caffeine consumption has been shown to contribute to chronic illnesses (diabetes, heart disease, and obesity), ultimately leaving professionals with lower mental performance and memory challenges.

 

With that being said, sticking to a healthy sleep routine should be a no-brainer, not only for a better career but more importantly, for a balanced personal lifestyle.

 

 

Aim to work only 7-8 hours a day.

 

When you’re in the early stages of your career, learning the ropes of the business, or training on the job, it might be necessary to sacrifice a few hours of sleep each evening in order to pass your exams and earn valuable credentials while meeting job expectations. However, once you have progressed to a senior or mid-career role with some supervisory responsibilities, you should only be working the allotted 7-8 hours each business day for the majority of the year (peak seasons may require overtime for certain industries), leaving you ample time for your personal life and 6-8 hours of quality sleep each night.

 

As a general rule of thumb, professionals across all industries should acknowledge the direct correlation of a positive sleep schedule to their ability to remain productive, focussed, and creative at work. Ample sleep promotes more efficiency and fewer mistakes when handling operational processes, and helps managers lead with more empathy and make better decisions. Any reasonable employer should acknowledge this idea and embrace it in their internal work culture – if you find yourself facing expectations from management to put in additional hours even after years of establishing yourself within the organization, it might be time to consider new opportunities.

 

 

Some basic tips about taking care of yourself in order to perform better at work.

 

Adopting healthy lifestyle habits, including a proper sleep routine, promotes your ability to perform optimally during each 7-8 hour work shift, which in turn allows you to maximize the chances of enjoying your personal/family time, under the likelihood you now feel good about your career accomplishments. If you're finding yourself struggling to get the sleep you need, here are some tips:

• Have some purpose in your life! If you think about what matters to you in terms of your personal life and your professional career, you should be able to pinpoint a few regular activities that require your attention. Ideally, these tasks would reward you with a sense of achievement and purpose, and focussing on them should wear you out enough to want to fall into a peaceful slumber every evening!
• Prioritize sleep when you have important meetings or events the next day – you can have ‘cheat days’ to binge-watch your favourite Netflix shows on occasion, but never compromise a good night’s rest prior to any important work event.
• Regardless of the 6-8 hour time frame in which you get your daily sleep, stick to a consistent schedule. Some professionals peak in productivity/creativity at midnight, others at 5 am in the morning. Some parents devote their evenings to spending quality time with their kids, prior to putting in a couple of hours of work past midnight. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, so as long as you are able to consistently hammer out 6-8 hours of sleep every day, you’re good.
• Never consume alcohol or caffeine before your bedtime because it can disrupt your sleep cycle by making you wake up frequently during the night (and then not being able to fall back asleep).

 

 

The most successful professionals and entrepreneurs work smart (as opposed to working hard).

 

Working smart entails providing yourself with ample time to sleep and therefore sharpening your memory and mental performance. Sleep consolidates memories, which means that you're more likely to remember what you learned during the day if you get enough sleep at night. Sleep also helps with balanced decision-making, creativity, and problem-solving skills.

 

Sleep deprivation can lead to poor decision-making. This is because the brain's ability to process information and make good decisions relies on its ability to be awake, alert, and focused. As such, avoid making any important decisions when you're tired or exhausted (or even just feeling a little sleepy). Instead of doing anything that requires careful thought or attention at this time of day (like making an important phone call), take some time off from work and rest up before returning later in the evening when your mind will be clearer and sharper again!

 

Getting enough sleep can positively impact your career. While it’s easy to ignore the importance of sleep when you're busy with work and daily life, if you want to become a superstar in your office or succeed as a high-powered entrepreneur, it's essential that you make time for rest.

 

If you would like to chat with a Career Consultant about your career path and aspirations, we’re all ears! Contact us at 204-952-6597 or jonathanseah.87@gmail.com