That's what I get for trying to improve my sleeping routine - no sleep. I tried to go to bed a little earlier last night, but I have this thing that if I go to bed "too early" and get woken up in the first hour or two, I can't sleep again. It is like my body took a power nap and decides it is all it needs.
So, I have spent most of the night awake, trying to fall asleep, in the hope I would get enough rest to make it through the day with some modicum of energy. I failed, but I did manage to pass a bit of time by editing these animal images in Photoshop Lightroom mobile.
Changing routines is difficult because they are just that, routines. So for example, me trying to go to bed earlier will be met with failure, because my body doesn't want to sleep at that time, as it is conditioned to be awake. Often, it is these early failures that stop us from continuing to try, as our habits try to justify why we should keep the routines, effectively saying, staying the same is natural,* because it feels normal and right.
When we feel right, why would we change?
This is the funny thing about habits, as they become part of our activity and since we have the sense that we "are what we do", change means losing who we are, losing part of our identity. A lot of our identity is based on arbitrary and meaningless labels, like our nationality.
Let's say I am "American" and happily identify myself as such, but through some kind of political process, the name of the country changes to "xyz". Even though nothing else changes in my life or activity, I would likely feel in the early days, as if part of me has been taken away, even though it is just a label.
As time progresses, I may start to lose the habit of identifying as American and start identifying as Xyzian instead. But even if this doesn't happen, the people born under the new label will identify with it, not the label that was replaced and eventually, the labels of the past are forgotten.
This is habit changing too and is both personal and cultural. Many of our habitual thoughts and feelings, as well as the way we identify is through conditioning, a process that through repetition will teach us to think, act and feel in a particular way, believe particular things. We identify with these learned conditions and apply them as if they are parts of us that can't or shouldn't be changed, we make them our truth.
For example, I have known many racists in my life who identify that they are superior, as they were raised to believe that those other than their skin color are inferior. The same people also felt inferior when people were better than them at things they found important.
For example, based on my skin color some people believed I was inferior to them, but me being very good at sports meant they also felt inferior to me. This set them up for conflict, an identity crisis.
This is the problem with our attachment and identification in labels, as they are often contradicting each other. Not only are they contradicting, because we and the conditions in which we live are always changing, the things that we identify with are constantly being lost and gained. If we are unable to detach from the labels that are no longer relevant to us, like the skills we lose through aging, we end up living in delusion, disconnected from reality. Even though we might still believe and feel "correct", the feedback from the environment tells to the contrary. But because acknowledging this means losing a part of ourselves we want, we try to ignore instead, continuing to identify with labels that are no longer relevant and perhaps never were.
If we look at ourselves through labels, we are made of many slices and what is shown depends on where the light of circumstance happens to be shining. However, these labels are also in flux through time and subject to change, with very few of them being constant from birth to death and those that are, might not matter much at all, other than due to cultural conditioning.
But, the conditions of the labels and the belief we put into them can fundamentally affect our lives and the lives of others. For example, it wasn't until the birth of my daughter that I could claim the label of father, but assuming the role changed my behaviors and I think I am better for it. However, there are lots of fathers out there that don't know they have children, therefore don't even realize the label applies to them.
How much of "who we are" is hidden from us, things that affect us but without visibility, have no idea we are affected? We tend to focus on a narrow set of labels and often choose ones that flatter us and degrade others in the moment, even if they are unimportant in the grand scheme of things.
While labels and habits can change a lot throughout life, regardless how we identify or what we do, there is no escaping what we actually are. From start to finish, we can be nothing other, than ourselves.
Time to wake up and get to work.
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]
I used to fall into that trap. 'Sure, that guy has seen a lot more career success than me, but I have a happier marriage' etc.
My instinct was to find something, even if it was just one category, where I was outcompeting that person.
One day I realised that it's okay for somebody to outclass me in every category.
To be better than me at everything. Statistically it's bound to be true of plenty of people, and then there would be many more who could outclass me in that one thing if they prioritised it even slightly more.
Rather than focusing on trying to find (or hallucinate) some point of superiority; I'm better off spending time with people who are better than me at stuff; and learning from them.
This is really interesting and I think it is kind of similar to the people who are very competitive, always winning, but don't have anything they want. they compete to win, without considering if what they get out of it is useful for them. Is it better to beat everyone at everything, or have a life you enjoy?
I am not good at that much, average at a few things - but at least in writing, okay at bringing it into some kind of story that people can connect with, if they choose. Being surrounded by talented people is valuable.
Wait so you're a night owl too? Good luck changing that habit, it took me a very long time before I could change my old sleeping routine to a more normal one.
Yeah, I have been since a kid, but I didn't have to go to work then :)
I am far more creative at night too, so most of my Hive writing is done in the evenings after my family go to sleep.
What worked for you to change the routine?
I had help. One of my close relative, who's also my neighbor is a psychiatrist and I asked his advice. The very first advice he gave me was to look for the reason why I always sleep very late. In my case it was online gaming. I got addicted to online gaming in high school and would often sleep very late. His second advice was to stop gaming altogether until I learn how to moderate my hobby. His third advice was to exercise in the morning and at night so that I'll be too tired to even think of playing games. It wasn't easy but it works (at least for me).
Gaming used to take a lot of my time, but I quit about 10 years ago, as I realized I had better things to do - though I was still up late :)
For me, the reason is that I feel like I am going to miss out on something, or that I still have things I could be doing, like writing on Hive.
It is after midnight again - I should try to go now, two hours earlier than normal :D
I still play games when I have time but no more online games as those are really addicting and forces me to play so as not to be left behind by other players.
Also, I think tucking in two hours earlier than your usual sleep hour is a good start.
I am jealous of one my best friends for his superhuman ability to fall asleep in less than 5 mins. If he is doing nothing he dozes off in glory at my house, in car and everywhere else. I sometimes wish I could do that. 😛
As usual great insights, your content is always a dose of fresh air and stretches my thinking horizons. Thank you for sharing and keep up the great work.
Best Wishes
"in glory" lols
I can normally fall asleep very fast - but if I get woken up in the first hour or so, I will be awake for the next 4. It sucks. Last night, my daughter needed to pee :D
Great, seems like you are already blessed with superpowers. And the first hour thing is strange 🤪. Feels like sleeping with a pointed gun for an hour. If it had been with me, I guess I won’t be able to sleep for the fear of waking up in next couple of hours 😝. Isn’t it a hard thing to live with, when you know it?
Every night I go to sleep hoping I don't wake up... for an hour at least ;D
Trying to change a sleep schedule to fall asleep earlier is the worst... its impossible to make myself sleepy any earlier than I am. then again my sleep schedule is ridiculous so I'm not one to emulate lol
I used to have trouble falling asleep, but that isn't an issue now. For me, it was about doing so much during the day, that I have nothing left by the time I put my head down, so fall straight to sleep.
Change is constant. We go through change sometimes very easily and sometimes it is very difficult.
Consciously changing a particular habit can be difficult even if it might be for the good.
This post kind of reminded me of the labelling theory in sociology
I don't know the theory, but I probably would recognize much of it. A lot of the world doesn't require a book to get an understanding of what is happening - a lot of it does too :)
Lol, I tell myself that I will sleep early today almost everyday. Then internet happens😂 and I am still awake after midnight.
Before pandemic, I used to sleep early. Would wake up early and go on a jog with my friends, or to the gym sometimes.
It might take time to get back to that routine. Falling to bad habits is easy but building good ones is difficult I would say.
Also, do you still identify yourself as Australian or have you changed your identity to a Finnish?
Could be tough one to answer I guess. I see the reason behind your thought process:
Incredibly beautiful pics. You uploading them to pixabay or somewhere, where people can use them publicly or keeping them just on hive?
What do you do on the internet? The worst thing is consuming meaningless content :D
I am Australian by citizenship, but I am not sure if I ever really felt much national pride of any kind - other than when it comes to the friendly competition of sports :)
I just use my pics on Hive - more valuable to me that way.
Such awesome shots.
Cheers mate :)
all of those pictures are amazing i should start working on my photography skills
you should! It is a really good complementary skill for blogging.
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Excelentes fotografias... inimaginable verlas en montajes sobre la pared... saludos...
Wow...good creative
Change is hard for many. A habit is supposed to require 21 days to become a habit, although it may take much longer for some. Labels do not define a person, although we use them freely and sometimes wear them with pride. We are so much more than a label, yet slow to change. Hmmm.
I know what you mean in regards to sleep. What I would give to just have 4 hours of straight sleep .