This August I Will...
themedalist
Posts: 3,218 Member
And it's August!
There's one more full month of summer. What would you like to accomplish this August? What's on your to-do list? What healthy habit would you like to create this month or continue working on from July?
If it's helpful, you might frame your goal along these lines:
1. My goal for this month (This August I will...")
2. The small actions I’ll be taking to accomplish this goal
3. The trigger or cue to remember to do my habit
4. How often will you do your new habit (daily is best if possible)
5. What reward will you immediately give yourself for doing your habit?
6. What help do you need from us?
7. What does success look like to you at the end of August?
If you are new to our group, welcome! Let us know what your goal is and how we can help. If you're stumped by what to work on this month, our list of previous challenges can help.
OK, let's roll up our sleeves and get to work! The smallest change you make this August can have an out-sized impact on your life and health if you keep doing it.
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Replies
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I think most of us when going through a rough patch look for things that bring us happiness. Since eating copious amounts of ice cream is off the table, I'm going to focus on becoming a better guitarist. Specifically, I need to better understand music theory. I have no background in this whatsoever, and I see subtle ways that this impacts my playing. I visited a friend of mine earlier this week and he just built the most incredible home recording studio. I now have a standing invitation from him to record whatever songs I'd like in his studio! No more pressing the record button on my iPhone. A real recording studio! Given the opportunity, I want to improve my skills by better understanding music theory. I have been very impressed with the progress @77tes and @MadisonMolly2017 have made with their creative pursuits!
1. This August I will complete the Udemy Song Science online course that I started awhile ago but never finished.
2. The small actions I’ll be taking to accomplish this goal: 4 times a week I will use my evening guitar practice sessions to work my way through the class.
3. The trigger or cue to remember to do my habit: Don't need it as playing the guitar is already a well entrenched evening habit.
4. How often will you do your new habit (daily is best if possible): 4 times a week
5. What reward will you immediately give yourself for doing your habit?: A nightly "Good job, Denise"
6. What help do you need from us?: Any music theory resources that you like are appreciated!
7. What does success look like to you at the end of August? I will have completed the course and have good notes to refer back to!5 -
@themedalist , I love your August goal, and am so proud of you for pushing yourself to improve on your instrument. My sister is a musician and knows a good amount of music theory (although piano and voice are her instruments). I’ll ask her about music theory resources.
Your efforts to push yourself to improve your guitar playing have inspired me to push myself a bit more on my yoga practice. I’m coming up to finishing a year of daily yoga practice on September 2, but I often do one of the easiest videos like day 1 and 2 or my chair yoga video. So here is my August goal
1. This August I will challenge myself with harder yoga routines.
2. The small actions I’ll be taking to accomplish this goalchoose more challenging videos
3. The trigger or cue to remember to do my habit. Don’t really need a cue, my daughter now asks if she should set up the Roku for me after dinner
4. How often will you do your new habit Daily
5. What reward will you immediately give yourself for doing your habit? I’ll brag about it to my family and here
6. What help do you need from us?your encouragement
7. What does success look like to you at the end of August?I’ll be practicing my yoga at a higher level
I’m going to go look up new routines
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Yoga is a great one! I would like to do more yoga! I would like to learn how to play the guitar as well. Very nice.
1. My goal for this month (This August I will...")I would love to use my phone less
2. The small actions I’ll be taking to accomplish this goal.I will take 2, one hour increments away from my phone, eventually increase the amount to dedicated times of the day
3. The trigger or cue to remember to do my habitplan times of the day, maybe shut down my phone.
4. How often will you do your new habit (daily is best if possible)daily
5. What reward will you immediately give yourself for doing your habit?my reward will be getting other things done to distract myself
6. What help do you need from us?encouragement.
7. What does success look like to you at the end of August?.a very happy person that has completed her goal, and has successfully completed other goals.5 -
@themedalist, what a blessing for you friend to offer you the use of his real recording studio! That is a great goal to finish the Udemy Song Science course that you have started. Will that course also help you understand music theory?
@77tes, that is an awesome goal for you to challenge yourself with even harder yoga routines than you are doing now.
@Wildchildx1289, using you phone less each day according to your plan will certainly give you more time to do what you need/ want to do each day. That is a fantastic goal!
1. My goal for this month:
This August's I will: I will track my progress (again) of getting to sleep earlier, success will be lights out by 11:00 PM. I will use 🕚 for lights out by 11 P.M, after 11P.M. ❌.
(In July I had started working on making my goal 11 P.M. more often, instead of the previous month's goal of midnight being the acceptable goal time.)
2. The small actions I’ll be taking to accomplish this goal: Plan ahead if necessary to begin earlier to tidy up whatever I'm doing so that I won't be tempted to continue on.
3. The trigger or cue to remember to do my habit: Since I know what time it is, I have to choose wisely to go to sleep.
4. How often will you do your new habit (daily is best if possible): daily, but allow one night a week(end) only if something special is going on so it won't trigger failure feelings.
5. What reward will you immediately give yourself for doing your habit?: If early enough I'll read a little.
6. What help do you need from us? Your encouragement.
7. What does success look like to you at the end of August? Feeling more alert and less tired during the day.
August 1: 🕚
🤠🌺
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@texasgardnr good luck! I have a hard time falling asleep nowadays, and what helps me is an good bed time routine. A hour before hand, I take a shower, brush my teeth, get into bed and read. When I miss my routine I usually have a hard falling asleep.4
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Hi Everyone! Your “I Wills” sound amazing & are inspiring!
Thank you @themedalist! Many a day, my art is what lifts me up. Definitely helps me lose weight as there’s always something to practice, learn, share - or Marie Kondo - in my art studio!!
This month: it’s tough to decide. I have many balls ⚽️ 🏀 🏈 ⚾️ in the air!
Exercise:
⚽️ Shifting from walking more to HIIT on Ex Bike
🏀 Wt workouts at Gym - Lower Body
🏈 Wt workouts at Gym - Upper Body
⚾️ stretching/band work (PT) at home- UB & LB
🏓 core exercises at home daily
Food:
🍎 shopping for food at home (2 stores weekly)
🥬 preparing yogurt parfaits, wash & prep salads, wash & cut raw veg, wash & cut stir fry veg
🍤 Cook meat & freeze at least 1/2 after 2 meals
🌮 Find a recipe to cook & freeze at least 1/2 after 2 meals
Sleep
Art faces, figures, pigment studies, collage
Plan trip
Deskwork
Schedule Dr appt, check on follow-up
So my I Will? hmmmmmmm.
It seems as though SLEEP would help me with all of these.
By 10:15⏰
👄 Brush teeth
👘 PJ’s
🎒 Prep things for next AM
💊 Get our next day’s pills
Dim lights
By 10:30🛌
💊 Take 10:30 meds
💦 refill bottles,
🛌 In bed by 10:30
By 11 🚫📲
No Phone (except to turn on relaxation audio)
By 11:30 🚫💡
No light
Think of feeling “twice as relaxed” taking a few deep breaths.
Before 7 AM or longer
☀️ Use sleep mask 💤 😷 in AM until time to wake up (min 7 hours)
I will likely adjust some of these times as the month goes on.4 -
@MadisonMolly2017, love, love, love your colorful post. That alone will be a great motivation throughout the month. I really liked the clever way you used the icons 🧐😁 .
@Wildchildx1289, you have a great bedtime routine! Well done 👍.
1. My goal for this month:
This August's I will: I will track my progress (again) of getting to sleep earlier, success for this month will be lights out by 11:00 PM. I will use 🕚 for lights out by 11 P.M, after 11P.M. ❌.
August 1: 🕚
August 2: 🕚
🤠🌺2 -
1. My goal for this month -This August I will work on my last night unhealthy snacking
2. The small actions I’ll be taking to accomplish this goal is to keep healthy snacks around.
3. The trigger or cue to remember to do my habit is having my before bed cup of chamomile tea.
4. How often will you do your new habit - most evenings
5. What reward will you immediately give yourself for doing your habit?-restful sleep lower calorie intake.
6. What help do you need from us?- support
7. What does success look like to you at the end of August?-feeling less sluggish3 -
2 hours, one hour increments, success. I am trying out 4 hours, 2 hour increments, without my phone. I cant believe how addicting my phone habit is, especially when I am bored, which I am not really bored just lazy and don't want to clean my house. How can I keep a clean house with 2 little ones anyways? Haha 😁 feels good though.3
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- This August I will walk every day at 930am(ish) for at least ten minutes and will reward myself with an iced coffee from the cafe (which I bring back to the office to add my low-cal/non-dairy creamer).
- This August I will also track every day, all that I eat, even when I know it was a crazy day.
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- This August I will walk every day at 930am(ish) for at least ten minutes and will reward myself with an iced coffee from the cafe (which I bring back to the office to add my low-cal/non-dairy creamer).
- This August I will also track every day, all that I eat, even when I know it was a crazy day.
@Lowriter This sounds very do-able!2 -
Wildchildx1289 wrote: »2 hours, one hour increments, success. I am trying out 4 hours, 2 hour increments, without my phone. I cant believe how addicting my phone habit is, especially when I am bored, which I am not really bored just lazy and don't want to clean my house. How can I keep a clean house with 2 little ones anyways? Haha 😁 feels good though.
@Wildchildx1289
Great job!
I wonder if a reward would help, ie, For every 15 mins (or 5 or 10) I clean house, I get to draw, read, during the kids’ naps
OR earn pts for manicure...massage... on the weekend?
If they are too old to nap, have them help!
And school begins soon! August was always the hardest month!
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1. My goal for this month -This August I will work on my last night unhealthy snacking
2. The small actions I’ll be taking to accomplish this goal is to keep healthy snacks around.
3. The trigger or cue to remember to do my habit is having my before bed cup of chamomile tea.
4. How often will you do your new habit - most evenings
5. What reward will you immediately give yourself for doing your habit?-restful sleep lower calorie intake.
6. What help do you need from us?- support
7. What does success look like to you at the end of August?-feeling less sluggish
@pennysob
This sounds wonderful.
One thing that helped me. I’d Really want a snack & sometimes even feel hungry.
But when I didn’t eat, I’d find I wSnt even hungry 10-11 hrs later when I woke up.
So when I’d get those signals to eat, I’d talk to myself, “Hey, knock it off. You weren’t even hungry in the morning!” I find keeping the lights low helps too. Ie “Hey body, we’re winding down now.”4 -
texasgardnr wrote: »@MadisonMolly2017, love, love, love your colorful post. That alone will be a great motivation throughout the month. I really liked the clever way you used the icons 🧐😁 .
@Wildchildx1289, you have a great bedtime routine! Well done 👍.
1. My goal for this month:
This August's I will: I will track my progress (again) of getting to sleep earlier, success for this month will be lights out by 11:00 PM. I will use 🕚 for lights out by 11 P.M, after 11P.M. ❌.
August 1: 🕚
August 2: 🕚
🤠🌺
Thank you @texasgardnr - I just wish they’d helped me be more successful LOLOL4 -
So my I Will? hmmmmmmm.
It seems as though SLEEP would help me with all of theses.
By 10:15⏰
👄 Brush teeth
👘 PJ’s
🎒 Prep things for next AM
💊 Get our next day’s pills
Dim lights
By 10:30🛌
💊 Take 10:30 meds
💦 refill bottles,
🛌 In bed by 10:30
By 11 🚫📲
No Phone (except to turn on relaxation audio)
By 11:30 🚫💡
No light
Think of feeling “twice as relaxed” taking a few deep breaths.
Before 7 AM or longer
☀️ Use sleep mask 💤 😷 in AM until time to wake up (min 7 hours)
I will likely adjust some of these times as the month goes on.
Took me a few days to get this together.
Tracking now.
M Aug 5
💊 10:30
Prepare 11pm
🛌11pm
💡11pm
📺12:15 pm
📲1 pm
💤 1 pm
Mask yes
☀️8:15
7 hrs: YES❣️3 -
These are some great goals for August! I’m proud of us..we’re stepping up our yoga intensity, prioritizing sleep, getting more steps in, and disconnecting from our phones. Fantastic!
@pennysob, your goal of working on the late night snacking really resonated with me. I had that same issue several years ago, but through snack swapping and then eliminating snacks altogether I’m now free from the urge to snack at night.. I still watch it carefully. Sometimes my husband will get desserty stuff and watch a movie and occasionally I’ll join in. But I never, ever do that two nights in a row. Two nights in a row all but assures a third night and then pesto...a bad habit re-emerges.
@Wildchildx1289, great goal for August! I forgot my phone at home one day last week and it was very nice. If I needed to know the time I looked at my wrist watch (albeit a Fitbit). No texts or social media posts to check out. Just quiet and lovely.
Guess what I discovered on my guitar’s fretboard? The major scale!
I’m really enjoy my online music theory for guitars. I’ve switched to a different Udemy course on music theory, one that I think I’ll get even more out of. Tomorrow night’s lesson is on the fundamentals of chord construction. Really looking forward to that. 5 -
]So my I Will? hmmmmmmm.
It seems as though SLEEP would help me with all of theses.
By 10:15⏰
👄 Brush teeth
👘 PJ’s
🎒 Prep things for next AM
💊 Get our next day’s pills
Dim lights
By 10:30🛌
💊 Take 10:30 meds
💦 refill bottles,
🛌 In bed by 10:30
By 11 🚫📲
No Phone (except to turn on relaxation audio)
By 11:30 🚫💡
No light
Think of feeling “twice as relaxed” taking a few deep breaths.
Before 7 AM or longer
☀️ Use sleep mask 💤 😷 in AM until time to wake up (min 7 hours)
I will likely adjust some of these times as the month goes on.
Took me a few days to get this together.
Tracking now.
M Aug 5 T Aug 6
💊 10:30 10:30
Prepare 11pm
🛌11pm 12
💡11pm 12
📺12:15 pm none
📲1 pm 12:25
💤 1 pm
Mask yes
☀️8:15
7 hrs: YES❣️
3 -
It seems as though SLEEP would help me with all of theses.
By 10:15⏰
👄 Brush teeth 👘 PJ’s 🎒 Prep things for next AM 💊 Get our next day’s pills
Dim lights
By 10:30🛌
💊 Take 10:30 meds 💦 refill bottles,
🛌 In bed by 10:30
By 11 🚫📲 No Phone (except to turn on relaxation audio)
By 11:30 🚫💡 No light Think of feeling “twice as relaxed” taking a few deep breaths.
Before 7 AM or longer
☀️ Use sleep mask 💤 😷 in AM until time to wake up (min 7 hours)
I will likely adjust some of these times as the month goes on.
Took me a few days to get this together.
Tracking now.
M Aug 5 T Aug 6
Take pills 💊 10:30 10:30
Dim lights & Prepare 11pm 11pm
In bed 🛌11pm 12
Lights off 💡11pm 12
📺12:15 pm none
📲1 pm 12:25 (1:00)
💤 1 pm 1 pm
AM Mask yes no (place in more convenient place)
☀️8:15. 6:45 (cat woke me up & hubby wanted to get up)
7 hrs: YES❣️ no (sleepy)4 -
August - more challenging yoga routine
1 - Day 1 30days for beginners ( hadn’t started challenge yet)
2 - Yoga Fix 30 Day 1 Flow. tough, but doable
3 - Yoga Fix 30 Day 2 Core.
My core must be weak - lots of hard balancing and falling over
4 - Yoga Fix 30 Day 3 Lower body detox and digestion.
Really hard - inflicted serious muscle soreness and made me feel queasy.
5 - Yoga Fix 30 Day 4 Arms and shoulders - not as hard as the day before.
6 - Yoga Fix 30 Day 5 Core - not as bad as day 2
7 - Yoga Fix Day 6 Total Body Flow. Okay👌
I haven’t been bragging so much so far - more complaining.🤣 These routines are much harder than what I’ve been doing, and it was feeling impossible the first few days. I was also worried that by making my routines too hard, I might undermine my well-established habit of daily yoga. However, the last couple days have been feeling like I can do this - so Yippee! 🤩2 -
MadisonMolly2017 wrote: »It seems as though SLEEP would help me with all of theses.
By 10:15⏰
👄 Brush teeth 👘 PJ’s 🎒 Prep things for next AM 💊 Get our next day’s pills
Dim lights
By 10:30🛌
💊 Take 10:30 meds 💦 refill bottles,
🛌 In bed by 10:30
By 11 🚫📲 No Phone (except to turn on relaxation audio)
By 11:30 🚫💡 No light Think of feeling “twice as relaxed” taking a few deep breaths.
Before 7 AM or longer
☀️ Use sleep mask 💤 😷 in AM until time to wake up (min 7 hours)
I will likely adjust some of these times as the month goes on.
Took me a few days to get this together.
Tracking now.
M Aug 5 T Aug 6 W Aug 7
Take pills 💊 10:30 10:30 “”
Dim lights & Prepare 11pm 11pm 10:30
In bed 🛌11pm 12 11:40
Lights off 💡11pm 12 11:40
📺12:15 pm none 11:40
📲1 pm 12:25 (1:00) 12:35
💤 1 pm 1 pm 12:35
AM Mask yes no (place in more convenient place)
☀️8:15. 6:45 (cat woke me up & hubby wanted to get up)
7 hrs: YES❣️ no (sleepy)
4 -
IIt seems as though SLEEP would help me with all of theses.
M Aug 5 T Aug 6 W Aug 7 Th Aug 8
Take pills 💊 10:30 10:30 “”
Dim lights & Prepare 11pm 11pm 10:30
In bed 🛌11pm 12 11:40
Lights off 💡11pm 12 11:40
📺12:15 pm none 11:40
📲1 pm 12:25 (1:00) 12:35 (1:15)
💤 1 pm 1 pm 1:15
AM Mask yes no yes
(place in more convenient place)✅
☀️8:15. 6:45 (cat woke me up & hubby wanted to get up) 8:15 (cat)
7 hrs: YES❣️ no (sleepy) YES❣️1 -
You all have chosen great goals for August! Each one of you is inspiring in one way or another.
@themedalist Your music theory goal inspired me to look up photography classes on Udemy and I haven't yet decided if I will choose one of them or use the free info I can get at websites. I do know that will be one area of focus for me this month. Creativity in one form or another is a requirement for living a fuller life!
@77tes I am always impressed with your forward motion. Once you reach a goal, you don't sit back and think "that's good enough", but you push onward to make yourself even better. And your dedication to daily exercise in addition to Yoga no longer surprises me, but it does make me want to do better, be better myself.
@MadisonMolly2017 Your systematic method of accomplishing goals is remarkable and has been proven to work. Big focus and small but steady forward progress is the proof.
I could list each and every one of you in this group and tell you how you've inspired me. You don't give up. The fact that you're here month after month posting your goals and progress and encouraging others is much appreciated. Together we stand stronger than when trying to go it alone. Thank you!
Now I need to decide on my August goal...What!? Tomorrow's the 10th already!!!
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It's been a difficult summer. I should be thrilled with it but I'm really struggling to keep things in perspective. I'm an introvert and have had a total of about 5 days alone in my home since June 20. I don't just WANT to be alone in my room with my journal or my plans, or to be sitting by my sewing machine dreaming great dreams, or out communing in nature by myself almost daily, I NEED it in order to function as a loving human being. I have 2 more days with children and then they will go back to school and I can move on to the next phase of summer, what's left of it. I've cried two days in a row because I am just overwhelmed. I love my grandkids more than life itself but I'm ready for some normal days ahead. It's all about mindset, I know, and my mind is not setting in the right place. I'll be fine but I could use a few prayers for patience because I'm all out of it.
My August goal goes back to what I believe was my first ever goal in this group (not 100% sure).
Goal: I will go to my studio every morning and spend time there. It may be one minute or it may be 1 hour. Either way I will go center myself and plan my day so I can focus on what is important. I need to get my life in order, I need to make health a priority even if I don't feel like it and the only person holding me back is me.
Every day.
I will find focus.
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@nebslp, I’m sorry that you are feeling overwhelmed. I totally understand your struggle! I love my family, but sometimes I feel in the middle of a tug-of-war and could use a few hours of peace and quiet. You do indeed NEED some alone time. Do this, and make it a priority.3
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@nebslp
I know that many of my friends with grandchildren feel exactly the same way.
I love your morning studio goal. Feeling the peace & centeredness.
I’m sorry you’ve been crying. Hopefully a new arrangement can be made next summer that is more balanced for you.
Huge hugs!
Maddie2 -
It seems as though SLEEP would help me with all of theses.
M Aug 5 T Aug 6 W Aug 7 Th Aug 8
Take pills 💊 10:30 10:30 10:30 10:30
Dim lights & Prepare 11pm 11pm 10:30 9:30
In bed 🛌11pm 12 11:40 12
Lights off 💡11pm 12 11:40 1:00
📺12:15 pm none 11:40 12:30
📲1 pm 12:25 (1:00) 12:35 (1:15) 1:30
💤 1 pm 1 pm 1:15 1:30
AM Mask yes no yes yes
(place in more convenient place)✅
☀️8:15. 6:45 (cat woke me up & hubby wanted to get up) 8:15 (cat) 5:30 cat then back to sleep 6:30 woke up 7:30 then 8:15.
The meditation audios put me instantly to sleep. **Must not wait an hour next time** took a 30 min nap. Almost to 7 hrs.
7 hrs: YES❣️ no (sleepy) YES❣️no
2 -
Thanks for the kind thoughts and words. Today with the kids went much better than Wednesday, maybe because I took an Advil PM last night and actually slept well for 7 hours.
Morning Studio time to center myself and prepare for the day:
Aug 9: 5 minutes3 -
]It seems as though SLEEP would help me with all of theses.
M Aug 5 T Aug 6 W Aug 7 Th Aug 8
Take pills 💊 10:30 10:30 10:30 10:30 10:30
Dim lights & Prepare 11pm 11pm 10:30 9:30
10:30
In bed 🛌11pm 12 11:40 12 2:20😳
Lights off 💡11pm 12 11:40 1:00 2:55
📺12:15 pm none 11:40 12:30 none
📲1 pm 12:25 (1:00) 12:35 (1:15) 1:30 2:55 (got hooked on some phone games-very unlike me) I’m wide awake.
💤 1 pm 1 pm 1:15 1:30
AM Mask yes no yes yes
(place in more convenient place)✅
☀️8:15. 6:45 (cat woke me up & hubby wanted to get up) 8:15 (cat) 5:30 cat then back to sleep 6:30 woke up 7:30 then 8:15.
The meditation audios put me instantly to sleep. **Must not wait an hour next time** took a 30 min nap. Almost to 7 hrs.
7 hrs: YES❣️ no (sleepy) YES❣️no
2 -
]It seems as though SLEEP would help me with all of theses.
M Aug 5 T Aug 6 W Aug 7 Th Aug 8 Aug 9
Take pills 💊 10:30 10:30 10:30 10:30 10:30
Dim lights & Prepare 11pm 11pm 10:30 9:30
10:30
In bed 🛌11pm 12 11:40 12 2:20😳
Lights off 💡11pm 12 11:40 1:00 2:55
📺12:15 pm none 11:40 12:30 none
📲1 pm 12:25 (1:00) 12:35 (1:15) 1:30 2:55 (got hooked on some phone games-very unlike me) I’m wide awake. Exercised & ate dinner too late, I think...
💤 1 pm 1 pm 1:15 1:30 3:30 😳 some itchiness & odd symptoms kept me awake
AM Mask yes no yes yes YES
(place in more convenient place)✅
☀️8:15. 6:45 (cat woke me up & hubby wanted to get up) 8:15 (cat) 5:30 cat then back to sleep 6:30 woke up 7:30 then 8:15.
The meditation audios put me instantly to sleep. **Must not wait an hour next time** took a 30 min nap. Almost to 7 hrs.
Aug 9: woke up 5:30, used mask repeatedly until 8:30, then for another half hour to nap 9-9:30. Blood pressure was elevated (usually it’s low) & I had ocular migraine. Very fatigued. I will get my sleep under control. I can see it’s preventing me from having more energy to do things I need to do & want to do.
7 hrs: YES❣️ no (sleepy) YES❣️no
Aug 9 nope (about to take snap to get sleep to 7 hours.)
3 -
@MadisonMolly2017 I’m sorry you had a bad night. Sure makes a difference the next day, doesn’t it?! And I hope your headache is gone and blood pressure down. I was going to ask what snap was when I realized you must mean naps🤔🤣. A short 30 minute nap or even a 15 minute total body relaxation session in the early afternoon can do wonders sometimes unless it messes with your night schedule. Maybe tonight will be a better one🤞2
