Mirrors: Windows to see ourselves
How do you know what you look like, though? As part of the human condition, your eyes can only look outwards, and you can’t turn them inwards to look at yourself. If you want to see who you are, you look in a mirror.
Mirrors are magical windows to see ourselves. Each mirror is slightly flawed, yielding a different picture. If you take a cheap door mirror, for example, and mount it on the wall with a slight bump in the center behind it, you have a fat mirror. If you put the bumps on each end, it will be a thin mirror. A cloudy old mirror will make you look dark and gloomy, and a thick, new mirror will have a clear reflection.
How Addiction Affects Sleep
The quality of your sleep is affected by everything. From your habits and the food you eat, to the medications you take and drinks you ingest. So, it’s no surprise that if a person has developed an addiction—to an over-the-counter drug, alcohol, or other type of substance—that addiction could affect their sleep quality, too.
Sleep disorders and addiction have a bidirectional relationship: Each individual issue—alcohol dependence, insomnia, etc.—relate to and effect the other issue. The nature of this intricate relationship requires a person seek treatment for both issues to find a healthy, sustainable resolution.
Keep reading to discover how various forms of addiction affect sleep. This guide also will delve into various types of substance-induced sleep disorders, substances that can cause or lead to sleep disorders, and information concerning how an individual can recover from addiction.
The relationship between sleep and addiction
How do various substance addictions upset the body’s brain chemistry and disrupt the natural sleep rhythm? The answers vary. Each substance type has different characteristics, and affects an addicted person’s sleep in various ways.
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Dovid דוד Glasses Redemption Script:
10
steps to upgrade perspective and to realign
You can see beyond the façade of this world by using the "Dovid דוד glasses". It works like this:
Step 1: The Talmud states in Menachos 29B that this world was created with the letter ה (hay). In order to prepare yourself to put on the דוד (Dovid) glasses, look at the world and become aware that you are actually looking at a letter ה.
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Step 2: Contemplate that each of us is a “world” unto ourselves. Together, we comprise the world as a whole. Therefore, we are also all little הs. The second step is to recognize that each of us is a letter ה.
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Step 3: Know that the letter ה is actually a composite of 2 letters, ד (dales) and י (yud). See the deeper truth, that the ד is just a vessel that receives the letter י into it, in order to make a ה.[1]
Gratitude
The Spiral, Unwanted Realities and Disturbance
Life seldom gives us exactly what we want, or the way we want. This can be difficult for us in many ways, causing a lot of disturbance. The way we expect reality to turn out just doesn’t match the way that it really turns out, and this incongruity produces much suffering.
Expectations are like entry ramps ⇢ into our journey through the spiral of non-acceptance. We experience at least 2 stages on this journey, and usually enter into the spiral through at least 2 ⇢ entry ramps. Sometimes we get stuck. We shift back and forth between different stages. It’s common to employ denial at the same time that we find ourselves in another stage. Sometimes denial is an automatic defense, sometimes it’s an outright refusal, and sometimes it is chosen consciously.
Our disturbance can result from unfulfilled expectations, or from living according to our assumptions. We take things for granted. We just assume that life will continue the way it has done for so long, such as that a loved one will
Facilitating Acceptance, Part II:
The Serenity Prayer
The Serenity Prayer
The serenity prayer is central to 12 step programs, such as Alcoholics Anonymous and the various other “anonymous” groups. Outside the context of 12-step as well, the prayer helps many people to handle daily life issues. With the prayer’s concepts, one learns to “live life on life’s terms” and cope with reality. Instead of using a substance, a process, or a relationship for instant gratification and to escape unwanted realities, the participant learns how to manage reality, either through hard acceptance or by working to change it when possible.
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Facilitating Acceptance, Part III:
Making Growth the Goal
Making Growth the Goal
It’s difficult to accept reality, at
least when that reality doesn’t give us what we want. We find ourselves traveling down the road in one
direction, and we expect it to continue on and take us to our desired
destination, but REALITY takes a different turn. Sometimes we even flat out deny that the
road has changed course. To begin with, we
become angry and frustrated. We stress
about where our actual road is leading, and we feel sad and depressed that the
path is not going our way. In a certain
sense, we continue to travel in the same direction in our fantasy, and miss the
turn off. This equates to real conflict
and dissonance, because our wishful path diverges and strays further away from our
actual path of reality.
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How to Manage a Healthy Work-Life Balance
Hannah Stevens
In today’s world, it is becoming increasingly harder to manage a robust work-life balance. Smartphones allow workers to check work emails everywhere and people frequently take work home to finish. Being committed to success is important but it can often lead to overworking and unhealthy behavior. A skewed work-life balance can lead to anxiety, social isolation, and a lack of quality rest.
While overworking may seem like the best way to get ahead, it can be extremely detrimental in the long term. Consistently overworking can actually lead to a decrease in productivity and leads to a higher chance of burning out. A career should not feel like a burden, but an enjoyable and fulfilling part of life. Being able to set boundaries around work makes it easier to manage stress, get adequate rest and will lead to a longer and more fruitful career.
Make Time for Friends and Family
One of the biggest dangers of an unhealthy work-life balance is social isolation. People who are always too busy working may find themselves turning down friends' invitations to go out to eat, hang out, etc. Your social circles are also a great support group and maintaining these relationships is essential for mental health.
Try to schedule time each week specifically for spending time with friends and family. This will make it easier to set up a proper boundary between your work and outside life. Socializing has been shown to increase confidence and decrease feelings of depression.
Make Time for Yourself
Not only should you carve out time to spend with others, but also make sure you have time for self-care every week. This does not mean time to spend alone working in your bedroom, but focusing on activities to improve mental and physical health.
Getting an adequate amount of exercise each week is a great step toward achieving a healthy work-life balance. Aside from the numerous physical benefits, exercise can improve memory and relieve stress. You’ll be able to go into work every day feeling more energized and productive.
Bedtime Routine
If you often find yourself lying awake at night unable to fall asleep due to stress or distractions, you should establish a bedtime routine. You may think to try to cram in a few more emails before bed is a good idea, but investing in quality sleep will be even better for your productivity.
Try to avoid using your phone or laptop right before bed because the blue light exposure can disrupt your natural sleep cycle. The bedroom is a sanctuary for rest and relaxation so try to limit the work you bring into it. Yoga and meditation before bed is a great way to clear any stress and will relax your body and mind as you prepare to sleep.
It is easy to fall victim to the pressure and stress that can come from overworking, but adjusting your lifestyle doesn’t have to be hard. Maintaining a healthy boundary between work and your personal life will have a lasting positive effect on your career.
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Begin your healing journey today.
Call 917-635-2479 to schedule an appointment