I have an odd working life. My professional job is in the criminal justice system, and means that I am almost constantly on call to go out to police stations at all times of the day and night.
I was called on Sunday afternoon and eventually ended up being asked to get to the Station for 00.15 on Monday morning. My body and mind were pleading for sleep; I knew I needed not only to stay awake but to be able to drive through country roads for about half an hour and then be sensible enough to give legal advice and communicate with all the parties concerned. The Police work shifts but I just have to turn up when they are ready, so in these circumstances I am asking myself to think, work and interact when I would normally be fast asleep.
The matter went as well as could be expected and I arrived home at 2.45am. I am never able to go straight to sleep; after all, when I used to get home at 7pm I didn’t get into bed for another four hours or so! I usually have a cup of tea and a little snack and make sure my notes are on the side of my bed in case of phone calls about the case during the night.
So I ended up with about three hours’ sleep, a very fuzzy head and that annoying busy mind that so often results from extreme tiredness.
Now, I know that this is bad for you. And if you know me, it’s likely you have heard me talk about how tired we all are these days and how most of us don’t get enough sleep. But this is my reality right now and I have to try and look after myself as well as I can within these circumstances.
So what do I do? Well, first of all, I cancel everything that isn’t essential. I had two appointments on Monday and I resolved to keep them but rest in between. I need to eat as well as I can, take time out, perhaps to watch telly which isn’t something I usually spend much time on, exercise only gently (I ditched my exercise class plans and went on a short dog walk instead) and avoid anything that requires much creative thought or precision, wherever I can. Although I completed my case papers, I let go of ideas to work on my current book or website copy.
And although my instinct is always to try and escape my fuzzy head on these days, I know that meditation helps. I spend extra time in stillness, allowing myself to take full advantage of my Mind Calm practice, and as a result I feel better. Although I was still tired, meditation helped me to let go of residual stress so that I wasn’t adding tension and resistance to the tiredness. I had accepted that I wouldn’t feel full of zing on Monday but the steps I took ensured it wasn’t so bad.
Does your work, or your family life, keep you up at night? How do you cope?
