I hope you’re well and enjoying the warmer summer weather. Some of my clients have been finding it harder to sleep during the summer. Have you noticed a difference? An American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) survey found that 36% of U.S. adults said they sleep less in the summer, with the highest rates in the West (42%) and Midwest (40%). According to the research, the longer daylight hours and hotter temperatures are partly to blame. We can’t control the daylight so what can we do to get the sleep that is important for our physical and mental well-being?  

If you’re trying to catch more zzz’s, adopt a consistent pre-sleep routine. Evening rituals signal the brain and the body to slow down, to wind down and get ready to rest and recharge.  

We don’t always prepare for sleep, but taking 30 to 60 minutes to unwind before bed will create a routine that will help you fall asleep. How can you start incorporating a relaxing pre-sleep ritual every night?

Personal Note

The pandemic allowed me some extended time to recharge and refocus my practice, piloting some new and exciting programs and activities. As a coach, trainer (for JST Coaching and Training, the only research-based student coach training in the world), mentor and a mindfulness student, I know I can offer some unique services.  

- 1:1 Coaching (Executive Functions + ADHD coaching)

Individual, focused coaching aiming to make goals a reality. 
 

- Coaching Workshops: Building Skills to Harness Everyday Success

Practical group workshops that enable participants to develop skills, focus on goals, and learn key approaches for a more organized, positive life.

★ Next: College - Perfect for high school graduates preparing for college.

★ Mindfulness In Your Day- Ideal for those looking to reflect and find mental focus.

Both of these workshops are also available as self-study courses for those with a busier schedule. Focused, flexible, and accessible for everyone.
 

- The Accountability Lab: Goal Setting + Taking Action

 When you’re neurodiverse, implementing an action plan can be one of the hardest challenges to navigate. By blending goal setting and action planning, this offering focuses on taking responsibility, goal setting and accountability. 

For more information or to book your place, contact me at 21anaisanchez@gmail.com.  

Final Thoughts

Keeping a routine during the summer months can be difficult. Here are my top five summer routine pointers: 

  1. Set daily anchors— Intentional anchors are routines, or activities designed around the things that are important to you (health, work, family, or academics). The anchors offer a road map to navigate and ground your days. Anchors can be mealtimes, exercise times, anything that is a must have in your day. My clients say that when they start to drift away from their goals, they count on their daily anchors to bring them back to their intended direction. 
  1. To-day List— Use an index card or post-it notes to create a today (not to do) checklist. It will help you stay focused and transition from activity to activity in a mindful way. 
  1. Goal Setting— Continue setting 2-3 goals per week and be kind to yourself as you get used to the rhythm change! 
  1. Keep a regular bed, wake-up and meal times— This is also important during the weekend! 
  1. Gratitude— “Something as simple as writing down three things you're grateful for every day for 21 days in a row significantly increases your level of optimism, and it holds for the next six months. “The research is amazing," states Shawn Achor, Harvard researcher. Studies show that people can cultivate gratitude—and “the emotion generates a climate of positivity that both reaches inward and extends outward.” 

In closing I invite you to commit to incorporate gratitude in your day. Stop for a second, at this moment what are you grateful for?

With gratitude, 

Ana Isabel Sánchez 

 

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    Ana I. Sanchez JD, LLM, PCC, CPCC