Author: Shawn

I am a practitioner of the martial arts and student of the Buddhist faith. I have been a Type 1 Diabetic since I was 4 years old and have been fighting the uphill battle it includes ever since. I enjoy fitness and health and looking for new ways to improve both, as well as examining the many questions of life. Although I have no formal medical training, I have amassed a wealth of knowledge regarding health, Diabetes, martial arts as well as Buddhism and philosophy. My goal is to share this information with the world, and perhaps provide some sarcastic humour along the way. Welcome!

The Conqueror Challenges: A Subjective And Objective Review

Alright, so as I’ve often written, I usually don’t make a potion to endorsing specific products or brands. My blog isn’t the place for that sort of thing but on occasion, I’ll get into something or use something that I just can’t help writing about and spreading the news, as it were. One of these cases is The Conqueror Challenges.

I had been seeing these marathon medals advertised on Facebook for months, and it looked pretty solid, so I decided to check it out. I even had people on my pretty limited friends’ list who liked the pages and supported the Conqueror Challenges, so I thought, “Why not try it?” It’s basically the way of the new world, right? Almost ANYTHING can be done virtually, now.

I’m always the first one to be a bit leery about the prospect of trying anything online. The internet is a sketchy place at the best of times, with peoples’ identities and the authenticity of whatever one might be dealing with while taking advantage of things online. With my usual amount of caution and doubt, I dipped my toes in and I have to say that I’m reasonably pleased with the results. Here’s what I found…

First, you start by installing The Conqueror Challenges app. The app is free to download and honestly doesn’t ask for much of anything in terms of information. Then, you pick your challenge. This is where it gets interesting, because you can choose from challenges as short as 30-some kilometres, all the way up to 4,000 kilometres. You can do anything that calculates distance, cycling, running, walking and even swimming.

The only thing I don’t like, is picking out a challenge brings you to The Conqueror Challenges website for sign-up. Then you purchase an entry fee (which is typical for any marathon one participates in, I’ll point out) and they email you a “sign up code.” Once you get the code and enter it into the app, you’re good to go. You can set your own timeframe and arrange for reminders and alarms to keep you on track. I started a 42-kilometre one and set it for 8 weeks because I had no clue how long it would tale me, or how available I would be to work on it. I finished it in two days.

Next, I signed up for one called the “English Channel,” and finished it in one day. Then I slowed my roll and decided to wait and see if they’d actually ship me the medals I earned. It took a while, and good ol’ COVID-19 got its sticky fingers in the pot and caused delays, but I got the medal from my second challenge first, of all things. It’s solid metal, got a nice heft to it and they look pretty sharp. See the photo below…

I used the reverse function on my camera. The medal doesn’t ACTUALLY read like that…

I got my “Marathon to Athens” medal the following week and my “Mount Everest” medal is currently on route. These marathons were 42, 34 and 62 kilometres, respectively. I’ve been motivated enough that I signed up for a 500-kilometre challenge called “St. Francis Way.” I only have 10% of this challenge completed, which is why I cycled like a douche and burned myself out, yesterday by punching out 51 kilometres in one sitting. But i wanted something challenging that would take more than one outing or two, and that would push the envelope a bit. That, and my wife and I agree that the medal is pretty.

There you have it, slime subjective and objective thoughts on The Conqueror Challenges. Some highlights I neglected to mention is that the organization that runs the challenges will allegedly plant a tree for every 20% of a challenge you complete, so it helps in a positive way. AND you can sync your fitness apps with the Conqueror Challenges app, which means I can measure my distance using Runkeeper and it’ll add the mileage automatically to my marathon challenge. All in all, I highly recommend this app, if you want the challenge of a marathon without the stress of running alongside others. Plus, you get to set your own timeline and get some trees planted. I believe that’s what’s referred to as a win-win… ☯️

The Conqueror Challenges: A Subjective And Objective Review

Alright, so as I’ve often written, I usually don’t make a potion to endorsing specific products or brands. My blog isn’t the place for that sort of thing but on occasion, I’ll get into something or use something that I just can’t help writing about and spreading the news, as it were. One of these cases is The Conqueror Challenges.

I had been seeing these marathon medals advertised on Facebook for months, and it looked pretty solid, so I decided to check it out. I even had people on my pretty limited friends’ list who liked the pages and supported the Conqueror Challenges, so I thought, “Why not try it?” It’s basically the way of the new world, right? Almost ANYTHING can be done virtually, now.

I’m always the first one to be a bit leery about the prospect of trying anything online. The internet is a sketchy place at the best of times, with peoples’ identities and the authenticity of whatever one might be dealing with while taking advantage of things online. With my usual amount of caution and doubt, I dipped my toes in and I have to say that I’m reasonably pleased with the results. Here’s what I found…

First, you start by installing The Conqueror Challenges app. The app is free to download and honestly doesn’t ask for much of anything in terms of information. Then, you pick your challenge. This is where it gets interesting, because you can choose from challenges as short as 30-some kilometres, all the way up to 4,000 kilometres. You can do anything that calculates distance, cycling, running, walking and even swimming.

The only thing I don’t like, is picking out a challenge brings you to The Conqueror Challenges website for sign-up. Then you purchase an entry fee (which is typical for any marathon one participates in, I’ll point out) and they email you a “sign up code.” Once you get the code and enter it into the app, you’re good to go. You can set your own timeframe and arrange for reminders and alarms to keep you on track. I started a 42-kilometre one and set it for 8 weeks because I had no clue how long it would tale me, or how available I would be to work on it. I finished it in two days.

Next, I signed up for one called the “English Channel,” and finished it in one day. Then I slowed my roll and decided to wait and see if they’d actually ship me the medals I earned. It took a while, and good ol’ COVID-19 got its sticky fingers in the pot and caused delays, but I got the medal from my second challenge first, of all things. It’s solid metal, got a nice heft to it and they look pretty sharp. See the photo below…

I used the reverse function on my camera. The medal doesn’t ACTUALLY read like that…

I got my “Marathon to Athens” medal the following week and my “Mount Everest” medal is currently on route. These marathons were 42, 34 and 62 kilometres, respectively. I’ve been motivated enough that I signed up for a 500-kilometre challenge called “St. Francis Way.” I only have 10% of this challenge completed, which is why I cycled like a douche and burned myself out, yesterday by punching out 51 kilometres in one sitting. But i wanted something challenging that would take more than one outing or two, and that would push the envelope a bit. That, and my wife and I agree that the medal is pretty.

There you have it, slime subjective and objective thoughts on The Conqueror Challenges. Some highlights I neglected to mention is that the organization that runs the challenges will allegedly plant a tree for every 20% of a challenge you complete, so it helps in a positive way. AND you can sync your fitness apps with the Conqueror Challenges app, which means I can measure my distance using Runkeeper and it’ll add the mileage automatically to my marathon challenge. All in all, I highly recommend this app, if you want the challenge of a marathon without the stress of running alongside others. Plus, you get to set your own timeline and get some trees planted. I believe that’s what’s referred to as a win-win… ☯️

No Pain, No Blog Post…

I’m way later than usual on posting my daily blog. Since my wife was off today, I decided to be as smart-ass and see how far I could get on the bike before my legs gave out. I recently wrote a post about how you shouldn’t work out hungry, although there can be some exceptions. Since my blood sugars were normal and I wasn’t hungry, I though it would be a good idea to get some fluids in and head out, since it would be a sustained bout of cardio.

I’s like to say it was a smart decision. I recently signed up for the Conqueror Challenges, an app that allows you to sign up for virtual marathons for a small fee and complete them on your own timeline. I was a little sceptical of it at the beginning, but I’ve recently earned two completion medals with a third one on the way. I was so motivated, I signed up for a fourth, which requires a total of 502 kilometres, I gave myself a timeline of 8 weeks, and the past week was squandered, thanks to rain and inclement weather (and renovating Nathan’s room).

I was all smiles, when I started out…

Since I had to make up some Lowry time, I set out with the goal of reaching 60 kilometres, This would be the first time this summer that I go beyond 20 kilometres, and the first time using my new iPhone 12 to track it through Runkeeper. I made my way over to Winnipeg Street then cut south on Arcola, all the way to the Regina Bypass. The Bypass was built in recent years and circumvents the main portion of the city. It makes for a significant route.

I managed to enjoy some of the walking trails on my way south

I was pretty lucky, There was essentially no wind except for a light breeze, so I enjoyed the benefit of an unhindered ride. About halfway at the 30 kilometre mark, I checked my pump and noted that I was at 4.8 mmol/L and dropping, so I took ten minutes to scarf a granola bar and a half dozen jellybeans. Another 10 kilometres and I had to pause my pump, which I should have done to start with. Or at the very least, I should have used a temporary basal.

So flat and straight…. And I’m so tired…

By the time I made my way around the Bypass and was able to rejoin civilization, I got my first battery warning on the phone. This was a bit of a problem, since I had at least another 15 kilometres to go before I’d reach home. I was listening to music on an iPod and locked my phone screen, to ensure I could save as much battery power as possible. My muscles were lactic as fuck, and it started to feel like my whole body was dragging. It’s warm but not overly hot today, but I was exposed to the open sun.

My time sucks!

I managed to make it home without the phone dying, so I got the total mileage tracked. If you look at the photo above, the total time is pretty damn disappointing, when compared to last year. With only 15 minutes left to the hour, I should have been getting close to the 60-kilometres mark. But by the time I pulled into my driveway, my legs had little feeling left in them and I was only at 5.0 mmol/L despite wearing a suspended pump for over an hour.

I managed to hit 10% of my current marathon’s goal. Theoretically, another 9 days of doing what I did today and I could be done. But I have several weeks left, so I may be able to spread it out a little, especially if karate is expected to start back up. As I type this, I’m sitting in the shade of my garage, drinking electrolytes and relaxing. Not the worst way to spend a Sunday morning…☯️

It Ain’t All About The Caffeine…

Those who know me personally have read title and are thinking, “Who is this person? And what have they done with Shawn?” It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of coffee and caffeinated beverages. I never used to be. I first drank a cup of coffee all these way back in 1997 while attending college. It was a particularly harsh day and one of my classmates suggested that I grab a cup of coffee. Until that point, caffeine had never touched my system (minus whatever trace amounts may have been incidentally ingested, passively). That afternoon, I felt like I could have climbed Everest in record time. My love/hate relationship with caffeine was born!

But the big secret behind coffee and caffeine (I’ll simply say “caffeine” from this point on, as to include energy drinks), is that it’s a stimulant that alters brain chemistry so that you feel less tired. And eventually, that’ll only get you so far. Especially if you’re running the gamut through a day where you’re especially tired. And considering there’s a finite amount of caffeine you can ingest before you cause damage to yourself, So what are some alternatives to help you stave off fatigue and get you through your day? Here are a few ideas…

1. Break Your Routine: If you’ve read any of my previous posts, you’re likely surprised by this. But as much as I like structure and routines, breaking those same routines can help get you out of a slump, when you’re tired. I can’t seem to find my source, but I read a research study that showed that monotony can be as exhausting as lack of sleep. If you feel yourself starting to get groggy through your day, switch things up and come back to what you were doing later;
2. Drink Plenty of Water: I know, I know… water isn’t caffeine but considering your body is mostly made up of it and dehydration will leave you feeling increasingly tired, it MIGHT be a good idea to consistently gulp some down throughout your day. you know, BETWEEN cups of coffee and energy drinks;
3. Take a Walk And Get Some Fresh Air: People take this one for granted but in reality, if you don’t subscribe to yoga, meditation or deep breathing exercises, a walk is the next best thing. Not to mention that that whole daylight thing helps to balance out the circadian rhythm and gets that old Vitamin D thing involved;
4. Exercise, Damn You: I think I mention that increased exercise and fitness is a benefit in almost every post. It stands to reason that regular exercise will help increase blood flow, improve blood sugar levels and will stave off fatigue. Speaking of blood sugars…;
5. Monitor and Control Your Blood Sugars: As a Diabetic, nothing quite takes the wound out of your sails like fighting your way back from an extreme blood sugar drop; and last but not least
6. Take A Nap: No need to remind everyone that I’m a HUGE fan of naps. And Japan has already proven that naps during the work day help with fatigue increase productivity and some companies even provide dedicated break rooms for napping, now. I had a supervisor who used to close her door during every launch hour to “meditate” for 30 minutes. Although napping at work can be problematic at the best of times, if you have the opportunity, you should grab a quick snooze. Sometimes, a person genuinely just needs a quick snooze.

There you have it. bear in mind that fatigue, sleepiness and exhaustion should be temporary. If you find that you can’t keep yourself awake, even during critical times, maybe talk to a doctor. There are a number fo conditions that could cause it. But if you’re just having an off day and coffee doesn’t quite seem to be kicking in, switch up your routine, go take a walk, have a workout or grab a nap. Hmm,… a nap sounds like a great idea! Excuse me… ☯️

Walk Away And Keep Your Hands To Yourself…

De-escalation. It’s a word one rarely thinks of, when faced with a potential threat against one’s safety and well-being. For the most part, our survival instinct (fight or flight, if you will), will kick in and unless you’re some kind of macho jerk with a point to prove, you’ll do whatever is necessary to bring conflict to an end.

All that being said and without getting into the details of whatever self-defence laws your local jurisdiction may carry, every person has an inherent right to protect and defend themselves. And in most cases, others. But the ability to de-escalate a situation is one of the most effective resources in a properly trained martial artist’s toolbox; one that is usually and widely overlooked. There are tons of quotes and passages from martial arts’ reading that explain how the best victories are from the battles you didn’t have to fight and I would be inclined to agree.

As children, our parents were always very quick to tell us to “just walk away” and to “keep your hands to yourself,” when faced with confrontation. Speaking from experience, that rarely EVER worked during my childhood. Surprisingly, it works a bit better as an adult and it may be because adults are sometimes prone to actually consider another person’s words as opposed to being a kid hopped up on hormones and lack of sense. I say sometimes because I’ve definitely encountered adults who basically act like children. But I digress…

A colleague of mine recently clued me in to a YouTube channel that discusses and covers de-escalation and examines confrontations and what may have caused them. The channel is called Active Self Protection and it’s pretty good. I have to agree with my colleague, once you start watching some of the videos, it can get pretty addicting, especially from a martial arts perspective. It provides the opportunity of examining the question “what if,” without having to get into the actual situation.

The point is, a big part of learning martial arts the proper way is understanding that physical force isn’t always the way. I would personally push it one step further and point out that getting into a fight should ALWAYS be the last resort but I’m realistic enough to know one does not always have the choice. If someone attacks you, you can find yourself on the defensive trying to ward them off and likely answering their attack before you reasonably have time to try any “verbal judo.”

Throughout my personal and professional life, I’ve lost count of the number of times that I’ve managed to avoid a physical confrontation, simply by using my words to de-escalate the situation. Remember that there’s no shame in preferring not to fight. And it’s always amazing to look at a given situation after the fact and realize that it could have been avoided if the parties involved had tried to talk it out, rather than beat the snot out of each other. Build that verbal judo. It can be a life-saver. Food for thought… ☯️

Save Your Words, Unless You Don’t Care…

I heard a great line on a television show that said, “If you don’t know who that ONE crazy person on the bus is, it’s probably you.” Great line and quite accurate. But I’m not here to talk about being crazy (that would be the kettle calling the pot black), I’m here to vent about opinions. Although it may sound a bit crude, opinions are often a lot like having bad gas. Everyone occasionally has it; very few people welcome or want it. And more often than not, those who have an opinion don’t take the time to read the room to see if an opinion would be welcomed. It can make for some awkward situations.

It might seem moot to lend an opinion on opinions. Especially since I write a blog, which is essentially a daily dose of just that. But opinions can be important. They become important in cases where one feels that the person they’re lending it to may be headed down a path that one considers inappropriate or dangerous. I say when one “feels,” as just because I may think your path is inappropriate, it doesn’t mean it is. Subjectivity is a bitch.

Where the quote in the opening paragraph comes into play, is when a friend or colleague seem to be consistently getting into hot water but yet always fail to recognize they may be the common denominator in those issues. More often than not, one may try to be helpful by providing an opinion in order to help stem those issues and alleviate problems. But it usually falls on deaf ears. When one is consistently causing issues within their own lives and fail to recognize they may have been the cause, an opinion very rarely has an impact on them.

Again, perhaps the belief that the person in question is the cause of their own suffering is subjective. Everyone sees things through a different lens, not always to the benefit of those around them. And even though you may care about the person you’re providing your opinion to, there’s an important aspect you need to remember in order to reduce your own suffering: you can’t care about your opinion.

You’re probably thinking, “Of course I care about my opinion! I’m entitled to it, it’s mine and I believe in what I’m saying…”. Although that may be true, hear me out for a moment. I’m sure everyone has had an instance in their lives where they’ve tried their best to have someone listen to the voice of reason, only to have them put their foot in their mouths anyway. How strong was that impulse to say “I told you so?” If you said anything other than irresistible, I don’t believe you. But if lending your opinion and having it ignored bothers you, that increases YOUR suffering. And you certainly don’t want to do that.

The thing of it is, if you’re in a position to provide your opinion and your certain it won’t be badly received (hopefully you know your friends and family well enough to KNOW if your opinion is welcomed or not), all you can do is provide it. It’s up to them to do the rest, which includes accepting the opinion but also whether or not they choose to act on it. If you allow yourself to be detached from the outcome, it allows you to avoid that impulse to say “I told you so” and will likely prevent an unnecessary emotional response on your part. I’m definitely not saying you shouldn’t CARE…. By definition, if you’re giving your opinion, it likely means you care. But once the opinion is given, what the recipient does with it is entirely up to them. Food for thought… ☯️

The Little Things Add Up…

There’s plenty of reading out there that speaks to the fact that your day will play out based on how you start it. For example, if you wake up, walk to the washroom and proceed to throw up, the safe bet is you’ll likely have a rough day. Your stomach may be sore and cramped, you’ll have little to no appetite and you’ll feel like crap, thereby affecting your overall day. This is just one physical example, but the concept is the same for the emotional or mood-related side of things.

Sometimes it’s as simple as having a morning routine. Wake up, stretch, use the washroom and get coffee going. It’s a structured way to ensure that your body awakes and is receptive to the fact that sleep time is over and the day is beginning. But doing a couple of little things at the start of a day can go a long way towards ensuring that the day will have a more positive energy.

One good example is saying good morning. As the decades have passed and people have fallen a bit deeper into the digital frontier, taking a simple moment to say good morning to the people around has taken the wayside. I can guarantee that a good number of people make a point of posting on social media, first thing in the morning. So why not take the moment to actually do that in person? This is one of the first things I do when I get to work, every morning. I stop by every member of staff’s office and simply stick my head in for a quick “Good morning.” Sometimes it evokes a brief conversation about how things are going, sometimes it simply results in a smile and my greeting is returned. But the result is ALWAYS positive.

It may seem like a little thing but as we all know, little things eventually add up. A dripping tap will eventually fill the sink, if left long enough. By the same token, a little touch of positive energy in your day will lead to another and another, until your sink is overflowing with positive energy. And the funny thing about positive energy is that it will influence you. Kind of like being in a horrible mood when that catchy song comes on. You may have been in a funk but then you realize that you’re crooning along with the song and moving your head, while the folks in the car next to you giggle and point at you… But that’s a story for another time. Stay positive, friends! ☯️

You Can’t Walk A Mile In My Shoes, They’re Too Worn Out…

Most people who know me would agree that I can have a stubborn streak. And while dealing with someone stubborn can be tedious and even exhausting at times, there’s a lot to be said for stubbornness. I consider it to be one of the deterring factors that’s kept me alive for as long as I have been. If I were never this stubborn, I never would have overcome Diabetes complications as was child. I never would have reached the level of martial arts training that I have. And I definitely wouldn’t have made my way through basic training and enjoyed a reasonable foray into law enforcement over the past decade and a half.

But there were a lot of nay-sayers along the way. People who didn’t believe that any of those things could be accomplished and that I shouldn’t have been attempting them. In some cases, a lot of cases, I wish those people could be here to SEE what’s been accomplished. But such pride-filled fantasies are not only unnecessary, they accomplish nothing. But it’s always difficult when you have people who seem to want nothing more than to watch you fail. And I’ve seen this happen a lot.

The most classic scenario involves being at the gym. You walk in, change and start working up a sweat. Public gyms have a lot of positives and negatives, as I’ve often written about. But at one point, you look up and see a heavy-set person on a treadmill or elliptical machine. You can see that they’re soaked with sweat, breathing heavily and are doing their damndest to push through the inevitable fatigue that comes with moving a vessel that large. But they’re doing it. And then the inevitable happens: a couple of snooty bitches (male or female) will come by and “subtly” say something about the person on the treadmill. Maybe something to the tune of, “Wow, you can tell that they sure don’t belong here..” or “Why would they let someone like THAT in here? I didn’t come here to see someone fat in my gym.”

I wish I were making those sentences up. But these are ones I’ve personally heard while USING a public gym. It ties into my whole concept about how some people just want to watch the world burn. Folks, obesity and excess weight is no joke. But setting aside the whole concept of body-positivity and loving yourself as you are, excesses weight can have serious health repercussions and shortens your life in a plethora of ways. So, it would make sense that a person in that position would WANT to work towards getting into shape. And last time I checked, wasn’t the POINT of a gym to GET in shape? By that logic, it stands to reason that everyone in the locale isn’t going to look like a bad scene out of Baywatch.

That’s only one example of such a scenario and it’s a classic one. One I dealt with was actually from my parents. Yes, you read that right; the first people I had to deal with being negative about a choice I made was my mother and father. During my childhood, complications resulting from insulin resistance didn’t provide much of a positive outlook on the possibility of living to see my teens. When I took my health into my own hands and decided to join the martial arts, I was told that I was too weak, too frail, to join karate. They’d hit me and hurt me, and I’d never make it through a class without my blood sugars bottoming out. Ultimately, my parents and family at large were of the opinion that it would be contributing to my early death to join karate.

As a result, I wound up doing what a number of people have done through the centuries, in my situation. I joined in secret and did it anyway. The result was not only improved health, reduced insulin sensitivity and a lifestyle I never would have been exposed to otherwise but I went on to excel and teach others. Not too shabby, for someone who was told they could never do it. And that’s something that unfortunately happens far too much. This example involved my family, but I’ve faced this sort of negativity from friends and associates through the decades, as well.

Folks, one of the worst things you can do in this life, is knock down someone who‘a trying to climb. Everyone has a story, everyone has a journey and it’s far better and easier to help lift these folks up than try and knock them down. Imagine if I’d actually listened to my nay-sayers (parents notwithstanding) and stepped aside from martial arts? Maybe I wouldn’t be here today. Or if I was, maybe I’d be in much worse health and unable to enjoy life to the level that I do. I was lucky enough to have people who pushed me and encouraged me. So when you see someone working towards something amazing, be one of those people. ☯️

Don’t Let This Post Keep You Up…

I love my sleep. When I can get it. When I can’t, it becomes my worst enemy; ever elusive, avoiding all attempts at capture and making for a rough ride the following day. I’m going to start by getting the Diabetes aspect out of the way by pointing out that blood sugar levels can affect the quality of your sleep and amount and quality of sleep you get can affect your blood sugars levels. Seriously. It’s an annoying yin yang effect. We good? Because I totally intend on focusing on the sleep aspect and not so much the Diabetes aspect, for a change.

I think we’ve all been there. You spend the majority of your day in a slump, yawning and wishing that your office had a nap pod in the break room. But that’s seldom the reality, and you tough it out until you can get home. You struggle your way through supper, spend some time with the family before finally reaching the day’s finish line and crawl into your haven of slumber. Then, because life doesn’t care about one’s plans, your eyes crash open with the sound of broken glass and stay that way despite your best efforts. No matter how tired you feel, sleep has eluded you and doesn’t seem inclined to come back. What can you do?

I’d love to say I have some all-encompassing solution to these types of problems, but I really don’t. All the articles I’ve read, even from my favourite medical sources, talk about insomnia, which is an actual condition as opposed to simply having a sleepless night. But there are some gems that I’ve gleamed from a few different places that everyone should generally accept as common sense. The first and most prominent one is to cut caffeine intake shortly before supper. Unless your intention is to actually stay awake, you should not consume tea, coffee or caffeinated beverages beyond 4 p.m.

Good sleep habits can help, which include but are not limited to maintaining a routine for bedtime so your body recognizes that it’s “that time,” avoiding smart devices or screens for a period of time before bed and not eating heavy meals for many hours prior to dropping your head on the pillow. Hutu assuming that you’ve done all of that and find yourself glaring at the sheep you were tying to count as they laugh at your inability to close your eyes, what should your next step be? There are a few things that you can try, presuming that your sleeplessness isn’t medically-related…

First of all, don’t try to force your sleep. The harder you try and “force” yourself to sleep, the more awake you’ll become. If you see that you’re awake and simply can’t fall under, make your peace with that and physically get out of bed. Go read in another room until you get tired and can fall asleep. Look out the window at the stars. Try to avoid backlit screens or televisions as these won’t help and will just wake you further. Once you start feeling sleepy, simply make your way back to your bedroom and crash.

Breathing exercises and a white noise machine are usually helpful for me. Given my propensity for meditation, there are a number fo breathing exercises I know that can help lower heart rate, clam my body and make my body receptive to the sleep process. However, this doesn’t always work. White noise machines are a godsend and aren’t very expensive. I use an app on my phone called “Noisli,” which includes variations of white, pink and brown noise as well as a variety of soothing sounds such as rain, thunder, railroad tracks and such. The best part is being able to combine sounds, set timers and even some mild ambient glowing colours to help send you off to Layla land.

I once wrote a full post on the use and effects of white noise and why it actually works. But after almost a thousand posts, I can’t recall what it was entitled and can’t seem to find it. WebMD has some pretty good articles if you search “white noise” in their search bar. But if you haven’t tried to use white noise to help you sleep, take my word and try it. That shit works wonders! Barring those things, make sure your blood sugars are level and that there isn’t anything weighing on your mind. If someone external is stressing you out, it can be more difficult to overcome. After all, stress is stress, despite the fact you should do what you can to reduce it.

Sleep is important. You need it for all sorts of reasons and even though having one sleepless night isn’t the end of the world, you should speak with your doctor if you start to notice you have more restless or sleepless nights than restful ones. Although I’m not an advocate of it, personally, don’t ignore or fight pain. If something in your body hurts, you have a headache, heartburn or stomach pains, take something over-the-counter to help mitigate that pain to help you sleep. Last but not least and as is the case with most things in life, regular exercise and proper diet will go a long way towards helping to stem problems. Diet can help with stomach and heartburn issues that can keep you up at night and regular exercise will improvise blood flow and help tire you out by the end of the day. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna go grab a nap…☯️