H ow to S top P rocrastinating at B edtime And Get a Good Night ’s Sleep
Though there are very real medical conditions, such as insomnia and sleep apnea, that deprive people of sleep, the reason most of us probably don’t get enough sleep is simply because we put off our bedtime. Instead of getting into bed, we opt to check off another item on our to-do list or watch another episode of our favorite show. This is sometimes called “bedtime procrastination.” We all know a good night’s sleep is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, so how can we stop putting it off? A good place to start is by keeping track of your day. The human mind isn’t meant to internalize checklists and task reminders, so use your phone or journal as a scheduling assistant. However you decide to keep track, make sure to give yourself a set amount of time to accomplish your tasks, like letting yourself watch TV for just one hour or blocking out three hours to help your kids with their homework. It might even help to set alarms on your watch or on your phone to let you know when your time is up on any of your activities.
Another big part is creating an environment that is conducive to a good night’s sleep, and that starts with turning your electronic devices off well before you get under the covers. Smartphone screens, computer screens, and even some energy-efficient lightbulbs emit blue light, which reduces the production of melatonin, the hormone that tells your body it’s time to go to bed. Instead of looking at your phone, try reading a book before going to sleep. If your screens prove to be too big of a draw for you when bedtime comes, it might be a good idea to move your devices to another room so they’re out of sight and out of mind. Finally, don’t get discouraged if you don’t start getting better sleep right away. Setting up good bedtime routines takes time. But if you stick with it — and maybe have someone else in your house hold you accountable to your commitments — you’ll start to get better sleep and have more energy to take on the day in no time.
M eet K ourtney B ernard -R ance A Li fe Dedicated to Fami l ies
This month we celebrate Attorney Kourtney Bernard-Rance’s one-year anniversary with The Manely Firm! Over the past year, we’ve seen some challenges come our way, especially with the coronavirus pandemic, but Kourtney never wavered. She took each day as it came and worked toward helping our clients and their families. Even before she joined our firm, Kourtney was determined to help families in need. When she was younger, her mother worked as an early childhood education teacher at the local YMCA, and Kourtney would often go to work with her. Eventually, she got her first job there as a summer counselor, and the experience gave her a deep desire to help people. Kourtney said, “I felt like I could do this, and do it well. Even working with children at the YMCA as a child … talking with them, sitting with them, and learning that some of them had a really rough go at an early age — I had a bleeding heart for them.” Over time, that desire to help changed from helping children to helping entire families. At first, this led her to pursue an education in child psychology at Montclair State University, and she switched her major to family and child studies (with an
emphasis on family services). However, things changed when she took up an internship at a child advocacy organization: Advocates for Children of New Jersey. “I worked with a bunch of attorneys there, and it put me on this idea that maybe I actually wanted to practice law. That internship definitely shaped my viewpoint, and I knew this is where I wanted to go.” By joining us here, and by pursuing her passion in family law, Kourtney now finds her work completely fulfilling. “I’ve been here 12 months, but I’ve already started and completed cases for a lot of clients, and many of them come back to tell me how grateful they are that I helped them. I was able to provide a level of service and help my clients in a way that they couldn’t help themselves. The fact that I can see that return on a weekly and daily basis is definitely rewarding.” As Kourtney continues to work hard this year, she’s also had a tremendous amount to celebrate. In April, she and her husband got married, and, though most travel plans were put on hold and businesses have been closed, the pandemic has given them an opportunity to spend a lot of time together exploring the city.
From all of us at The Manely Firm: Happy one-year anniversary! We look forward to many more to come!
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