I’d like to suggest that we expand the definition of “means.” Most of our discussions have been about living frugally or in some cases spending money that we do have to enrich our lives. But there are a lot of other aspects of means.
Getting an education
Raising kids
Taking care of those who depend on us, whether the elderly or disabled
Investments in nutrition, mental health, physical health, social health
And … naps. I happen to love a short afternoon nap. 10 to 15 minutes makes me much happier and more productive in the evenings. I took naps every day when DD was a wee thing. Since she’s been “too old” for naps, I’ve continued taking them.
So after that lunch you had today (what did you have, anyway?), did you want a nap? And could you afford it?
ThyPeace, used to think that books were a measure of wealth, before the Internet made most information free. Now, well, it might be naps.
I never liked the idea of taking a nap during the day. I’d rather just go to bed earlier, get up later, or both.
Big, greasy lunches give me the infamous food coma. That’s why I’ve always preferred a reasonably light lunch. I don’t get food comas as easily from dinner, and I’m used to having dinner as my largest meal of the day. My digestive capacity peaks in the evening.
Something I don’t miss about all the greasy foods I’ve been avoiding for the past 2 years (due to the pandemic) is the resulting food coma. The other side effect I don’t miss is the unquenchable thirst from overdosing on the sodium.
I suspect that I’ll be even more sensitive to the excessive grease and sodium in the future, which will give me reason to avoid greasy deep-fried foods.
I am perhaps the champion napper in my family but only because I have not slept through the night for decades.
I tried soldiering through the day after sleeping little the night before and only accomplished feeling sleepy all day. I have tried healthy diets, exercising, drinking myself to sleep, quitting drinking (for years not just a week or two), meditating, and none of that works for me.
So now, when I wake up in the middle of the night I just tell myself that if I really need sleep I will sleep and if not, that is good too. That way I fall back asleep without adding anxiety to the mix.
I usually wake up feeling refreshed now, and celebrate the feeling but when I get sleepy at some point during the day I nap - and wake up feeling more refreshed. Especially if I walk or garden after that.
All good points here. Naps are not for everyone. I am one for whom “there’s a nap for that” would be an excellent bumper sticker. I come by it genetically – both parents are/were daytime nappers. When I was a tiny kid, I recall my dad coming home for lunch (obviously a long time ago) and after he had his banana, peanut butter, and yogurt (I learned later that he regularly had popcorn and sweets at work), he would lie on the couch or sit in a chair and sleep for 5-10 minutes. And that’s the kind of nap I take as well. Usually less than 15 minutes. I wake up alert, refreshed, and happy.
And none of us sleep/slept all that well at night. Sometimes I can’t fall asleep, sometimes I can’t stay asleep, sometimes I wake up too early. More and more, though, I think of these as normal variations in the human experience of sleep, rather than “problems.” I’ve learned to sleep better over the years, but it’s no more perfect than my cooking, cleaning, or houseplant care.
ThyPeace, had a lovely 15 minute nap an hour or so ago.
And none of us sleep/slept all that well at night. Sometimes I can’t fall asleep, sometimes I can’t stay asleep, sometimes I wake up too early. More and more, though, I think of these as normal variations in the human experience of sleep, rather than “problems.”
I’ve gotten to the point where I typically don’t sleep for longer than about 6-7 hours at a stretch. Falling asleep by 9:30 or 10:00 and waking up around 4:00 is pretty typical. Sometimes, maybe a couple of times a month, I’ll wake up for a couple of hours in the middle of that. Either I can’t get comfortable or just something silly running through my brain that keeps me awake. I oftentimes grab a 15-30 minute nap during the afternoon. It’s just become “normal” for me, I seem to get enough rest and I don’t worry about it. One of the benefits of retirement is that I can pretty much sleep when I want to.
On a lighter note, I know of some movies that are great insomnia remedies:
2001: A Space Odyssey: The pacing is too slow even for snails and slugs. The computer shows more life than any of the humans. There’s 20 minutes of staring at the outside of a spaceship, 20 minutes of staring at the inside of a spaceship, 20 minutes of staring at a lost astronaut floating in space, 20 minutes of lame colored lights, 20 minutes of staring at a man eating a bite of food in super-slow-motion, and 20 minutes of staring at a giant embryo floating next to the Earth. Maybe you’re supposed to be drunk or high when you watch this snoozefest.
Lost In Translation: Nothing really happens. All the king’s horses, all the king’s men, and Bill Murray couldn’t save this snoozefest.
The Godfather: I may get whacked for saying this, but The Godfather is extremely boring. Not even the explosions and gunshots could change the fact that this overrated movie is a snoozefest.
_ Fight Club_: The first rule of Fight Club is you will be bored. The second rule of Fight Club is you will be bored.
All I Want: Nothing really happens. All the king’s horses, all the king’s men, and Mandy Moore couldn’t save this POS. This is NOT A Walk To Remember or The Princess Diaries.
Dedication: Ditto.
Carnival of Souls: Even a horror movie can be a snoozefest.
Big, greasy lunches give me the infamous food coma.
I’m fine with “greasy food” if you mean olive oil, pastured butter, some meat fat, some cheese. Too much grease can have unpleasant digestive effects, though.
I’m fine with “greasy food” if you mean olive oil, pastured butter, some meat fat, some cheese. Too much grease can have unpleasant digestive effects, though.
It’s too many carbs that puts me in a food coma.
I couldn’t agree with you more. Since choosing low-carb meals I have never felt better and
weight is coming off. I choose to eat two meals a day and do very well on that.
Consuming too many carbs upsets my digestive system so this has been a good learning curve.
I began on Valentine’s Day (this year) and have shed 23 pounds so far. Not miraculous weight
loss but steady and I have a routine that works well for me.