One
of a Kind News
"Sleep
Deprivation and Tolerations" April 15, 2001
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Table of Contents
1.
Welcome Notes
2. Article – Sleep Deprivation and Tolerations
3. Words of Wisdom
4. Resources
=
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
1. Welcome Notes
Dear
Friends,
We,
in the Northwest, are experiencing a beautiful, sunny Easter
day. I hope all of you are enjoying this special day in your own
unique ways.
In
the last issue I wrote about tolerations and how they keep us
from being present in the moment. I heard back from one reader
who took this to heart. She listed her tolerations and actually
knocked off a couple – good for you J! How about the rest of
you? Have you become more aware of your tolerations and
perhaps eliminated some? I would love to hear about it.
=
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
2. Sleep Deprivation and Tolerations
I
have been eliminating tolerations for a while now and have
zapped a number of them. Feeling pretty good (cocky actually),
I boasted to my coach expecting a congratulations. Instead I got
"It's time to add more tolerations to your list." Dig deeper
was
the message I got. Well that was not what I wanted to hear! It
stimulated my thinking about what tolerations I might have in
my life that am not aware of. I put that question out to the
universe one night as I was going to bed (I often do this and it's
amazing how the answers always come). Here's one example of
what showed up.
I
am a sensitive sleeper. Anxieties, life changes and upsets tend
to affect my sleep. It's something that I have struggled with on
and off throughout my life.
Lately
I've been struggling with it again. This time though, I've
been at a loss as to what was causing it. I love my current life,
my new coaching practice and, all in all, everything is going
well. So what's the problem? While sharing this with my
doctor, he asked if there is something going on at night that could
be interrupting my sleep. He gave an example. In his own life,
his furnace makes noise when it comes on and this disturbs him.
"Well,
I have two dogs who sleep with me," I answered. "Could
they be waking you up?" he asked. "I don't think so, but I
haven't really thought about it," I said. This question served
to
raise my awareness.
That
night I went to bed early, exhausted from my previous
night's lack of sleep. Here's what happened:
6:00
pm – I throw some toys on the bed and crawl under the
covers. I'm determined to catch up on some much needed sleep.
"Aw, bed feels so good," I say to myself. 'Me Too' and
'Nugget' start playing with the toys. "Hmmm, that's annoying,"
I
think. "I wonder how often I do this?" So, much to their
dismay, I take the toys away.
6:15
pm - Without the toys, they start playing with each other,
bouncing all over my bed and sometimes on top of me. "Well,
that's cute, but certainly not sleep inducing" I think. I set
boundaries of no play and get them settled down.
6:30
pm - I notice that 'Me Too' is sleeping so close to me that
I'm lying on the edge of the bed. "She's probably cold," I
think.
I move her over and cover her up. "There - now I can relax and
go to sleep," I tell myself.
6:50
pm - Just as I am drifting off to sleep, two of my smoke
alarms start beeping alternately. "Oh yes! That's something I
need to get taken care of," I remember. (this has been an on-
going toleration for several months. I've been putting off doing
something about it because the alarms are on a high ceiling and I
can't reach them) I resolve to handle this the next day.
7:15
pm – The smoke alarms quit beeping and I think "Ah,
silence – now I can go to sleep".
7:25
pm - Me Too jumps off the bed, followed by Nugget. (Me
Too likes to have a snack during the night and Nugget likes to
follow Me Too. "Ok they'll be back soon," I think. Then I
start
worrying about the mischief Nugget might get into. He's known
for making salad out of my plants and other disdainful things
(He's only 6 months old). I decide it's probably wise to get up
and fetch them back to bed.
7:55
pm – We are all back in bed. Me Too and Nugget are settled
down for the night. I start drifting off to sleep again (it's now
two hours after first going to bed).
8:00
pm - The phone rings. I forgot to turn it off. "It might be
something important," I think. "Oh forget it," I tell
myself. "If
it's important, they'll call back." (my sleep is my number one
priority at the moment). I release that worry and relax into sleep
at last.
11:00
pm - Me Too jumps off the bed and I'm awake again.
Fortunately this time Nugget was too lazy to follow, so I go back
to sleep.
11:10
pm - Me Too is back and needs me to lift her onto the bed
(I have one of those new mattresses that are so thick and high off
the ground that Me Too's little legs won't carry her that high).
2:00
am – Repeat performance of the previous episode, only this
time I'm unable to go back to sleep. I've had six hours of
interrupted sleep and I'm exhausted.
This
chain of events has been going on for so long that I had
become de-sensitized to it. I had become unaware. I have
several tolerations to add to my list:
1.
Smoke alarms beeping intermittently throughout the night.
2. Toys on the bed – my own fault.
3. Me Too and Nugget getting up and down during the night.
4. The phone ringing.
5. Me Too needing warmth.
6. Worrying about the mischief Nugget might get into.
We
are very adaptive creatures. We put up with a lot and just
assume it's part of life. At some level though, these tolerations
are zapping our energy.
What
are you putting up with in your life? What are you putting
up with that you're not even aware of? What tolerations have
you adapted to?
If
something is not going well in your life, you might want to
look at what you're tolerating. Ask/consult with others to see
what they think you may be putting up with. Look at the things
you need more or less of. For me, it was needing more sleep.
Look at things with beginner's eyes – new eyes. Look at what
things in your life could be done more efficiently – is there a
better way to do something? What are the things that drain your
energy, especially things you may not be aware of? Find those
tolerations and eliminate them fully so they don't come back to
bite you later. Have a goal to become a Toleration Free Zone.
At
the time of this writing, I have eliminated FOUR out of SIX
of my tolerations:
1.
Called a handyman and had my smoke alarms fixed
2. Quit putting toys on the bed
3. Turned off the phone when I go to bed early
4. Prepared a comfy, warm spot for Me Too on the other side of
the bed
I'm
working on the other two and expect to have them resolved
shortly. These are small annoyances that were causing a big
problem. How many more little tolerations are draining energy
in my life? I'm sure the universe will let me know.
=
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
3. Words of Wisdom
"Happiness
may be more a product of what you subtract from
your life than what you add"
--Sharon Demarte
This
quote was shared with me by a wonderful coach and
colleague - Blaise Mitsutama, thank you Blaise.
"A
coach is someone who tells you what you don't want to hear,
and has you see what you don't want to see, so you can be who
you have always known you could be"
--Tom Landry (famed Dallas Cowboys football
coach who led the team to many Superbowl wins.
=
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
4. Resources
The
Clean Sweep Program
This
is a simple, yet powerful tool, designed by Coach
University and it's founder, Thomas J. Leonard. I use it for
myself and with all of my clients to help eliminate tolerations
and free up time, space, money, and energy in order to live a
higher quality of life. I highly recommend it!
The
Clean Sweep Program is a 100-point assessment test
dedicated to your quality of life. You will have more natural
energy when you are satisfied with your environment, health and
emotional being, money and relationships. The Clean Sweep
Program consists of 100 items which, when completed, will give
you the vitality and strength you desire. This item is shareware
and sells for $25.00
Go to http://www.coachu.com and click on Bookstore and
Resources Center, then on Electronic Document, then on The
Clean Sweep Program.
=
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Until we meet again, remember to:
Count
your garden by the flowers,
Never by the leaves that fall.
Count your days by golden hours,
Don't remember clouds at all.
Count your nights by stars, not shadows.
Count your years with smiles, not tears.
Count your blessings, not your troubles.
Count your age by friends, not years.
--Author Unknown
Blessings
to you and yours,
Sharon
=
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Sharon Demarte is a Quality of Life Coach. She coaches
individuals by telephone and internet, helping her clients close
the gap between where they are and where they want to be. Her
clients come from all walks of life. She works best with people
who have a strong desire, a willingness to take action, and are
motivated to increase the quality of their lives – sometimes even
in difficult situations.
One
of her specialties is working with Caregivers. She works
with caregivers to help them avoid caregiver burnout and
maintain their own health, well-being and quality of life while
caring for another. She also loves to work with people who are
Too Young To Retire – they are the age of customary retirement,
but choose to go on to yet another career.
If
you are a person who wants more out of life and would like to
explore the possibilities of partnering with Sharon as your coach,
please contact her in whatever way is comfortable for you. By
email: demartes@nventure.com; by fax (confidential): 253-568-
0453; by telephone: 206-938-1867.
=
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Copyright © 2000, 2001 all rights reserved. Permission is
granted to reproduce, copy or distribute One of a Kind News so
long as this copyright notice and full information about
contacting the author is attached. The author of this newsletter
is: Sharon L. Demarte, M.A.
Subscribe to One of a Kind News E-zine
A weekly newsletter for the person who wants more out of life
Unsubscribe
|
![[logo--Phoenix rising to Sun]](../images/phoenix.gif)
