Waking Up When Waking up is Hardest

unsplash-image-sxQz2VfoFBE.jpg

I wish I knew how to wake up.

You know, when you’re supposed to be working hard, focused on a project, but you’re using all of your energy to simply keep your eyes open? Or when you’re on a road trip, and the windows down, loud music and sunflower seeds aren’t enough to keep your eyelids from dropping and your head bobbing.

Those are the moments when I wish I knew how to wake up.

I can wake up fine when my alarm goes off in the mornings. I wake up fine on Saturdays, too - my only real day of the week to sleep in. That’s always the day I seem to wake up the earliest.

I just can’t seem to figure out how to wake myself when I really need to. When its life or death, a project deadline or when someone’s counting on me. Those are the times I’d much rather just shut my eyes, even for a few seconds, without feeling guilty.

But the guilt comes. The thoughts of not needing rest. The ‘you don’t deserve to shut your eyes; you can’t shut your eyes’ thoughts… which is helpful when driving of course.

But sometimes I wonder whether or not shutting the office door and getting 15 minutes of shuteye instead of 15 minutes of trying to stay awake would be better? If resting is okay, even when it’s not always the most convenient thing for your schedule. Maybe the key to waking up is actually letting your eyelids down.

-Cliff

Cliff’s Note: Fifteen minute power naps might be the cure to 2p fatigue.