Wake Up!

Groggy

Ever have one of those days when no matter what you do, you can't seem to wake up? I used to have days like this everyday when I worked nights at Wal-Mart and went to college. There were days I would have to pinch myself in class to stay awake. Then I would go to the library to try to get some work done before picking up the boys and I would inevitably fall asleep. Luckily, I'm a light sleeper or I would have slept right through dinner time.

One time I fell asleep waiting for my boys in the car line. The line moved, I didn't. They went around me. Finally, some kind soul walked up to my car and tapped on my window. I abruptly woke up, wiped the spittle from the corner of my mouth and started my car. I haven't been able to look that person in the face since.

It's terrible. I HATE feeling groggy and "out of it." It's like swimming underwater, my muscles are heavy, my brain is mush and I can't talk let alone respond intelligently when people need me. Worse, I get grouchy. Feeling groggy makes me feel as if I'm not in control of my body and that makes me irritable.

It got to the point I was actually used to feeling like a walking zombie when I worked and went to school. Since graduation and quitting Wally world (my affectionate name for Wal-Mart) I don't have too many of these days anymore, so the times I do feel this way are more poignant.

Working on the computer makes me tired. It's true. You wouldn't think just sitting there, staring at the monitor and typing would make a person tired, but it does. Have you ever taken a plane ride or gone for a long car ride? It's the same concept. Sitting for long periods of time makes a person tired. It's no wonder people who have a "desk" job are out of shape and tired all the time, being stationary is exhausting.

Being groggy definitely throws my schedule off. For instance, I get NOTHING done. A wasted day. Life is too short to waste days. I try to make up for it, but the work that I produce is slip-shod at best.

What's worse? Not getting the work done or doing such a lousy job that you have to go back later and redo it?

I practically lived on Vivarin when I was in college. A quick fix that usually got me through the day, but BOY did I crash when I got home. It got so bad I had to take 20 minute naps just to think straight. I don't recommend the Vivarin route. The caffeine in those pills caused my heart to race and it even threw it out of rhythm a couple of times (my heart tends to quiver when I overexert myself too quickly). The only thing that will take care of grogginess is sleep.

"But that's not possible," you say.

If people are too busy to sleep, then people are too busy. Slow down. Give your body a break. Go to bed early, or if possible, sleep late (I know, I know. WHEN do people ever have time to sleep late, but doesn't it sound divine?)

Remember this: if a person doesn't take care of their body, then how does a person hope to have the energy to GET things done?

Excuse me - I'm going to take a nap.