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Sunny side up this morning after what seemed like a never ending night |
Were you up late last night?
Not getting sleep? The night before too? And before that?
Well, I have news for you. You are not the only one.
I have to come realise that there are tons and tons of us, from across the world, who are battling insomnia ever since the lockdown started. This is regardless of whether one is overtly stressed or not. Regardless of whether one has had a physically demanding day or not. Or emotionally so. Of one’s age group, gender, profession or BMI. Sleep continues to elude one.
Insomnia plays no favourites.
Which is why I wanted to pop in and tell you that you are not alone in this. Of course we need to sleep well and rest too, but there is nothing abnormal about you. Nothing ‘wrong’ with you. It is an offshoot of the pandemic. Could be a function of residual anxiety. Or the fact that we do not step out of our homes. I do not have the answer to why this happens. I am no psychiatrist.
All I want to say is please do not get stressed the next time you are up in the graveyard shift. Waiting for ‘tired nature’s nature’s restorer, balmy sleep,’ as Edward Young calls it, to take over.
Try to do something to occupy your mind or distract it. The yoga teacher recommended meditation.
Music might help. Reading too.
I switch on the telly and stream happy/ pleasant stuff. Seinfeld earlier. Yes Prime Minister till recently before I finished all episodes. Last night I watched half of Lunchbox. Definitely not Arnab. News is not a good idea. This is not scientific advice mind of you. I think the recommended thing is to not watch a screen. Or not to snack on farsan/chanachoor/ namkeen/ salted cashews, which I do. My guilty 2 am, 3 am, 4 am friend.
Imagine that you will wake up fresh regardless of when you sleep. As I did today. Late admittedly, as I was supposed to log on to a Zoom call to celebrate May 3rd, Soka Gakkai Day. The Buddhist organisation I am a member of. I did eventually. Listening to how fellow members are taking on the challenges around us, resolutely based on faith, and sharing my experiences too, was the perfect pick me up.
At the end of it I made a cheerful sunny side up for breakfast. So what if it was close to 1 pm by then?
We have managed to get free range eggs delivered from Nature’s Basket and the yolk was bright and orange like the rising sun. The bread that I called in was the sourdough from La Folie.
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The wonderful 6 hour brine soaked roast chicken that we ordered in for lunch (and many more meals) from our young friend, chef James Miranda’s outfit, Jazzy Jim’s, in Bandra, Mumbai |
Then came to my desk to write out this piece, before I took a nap, because I know that many of you are worried about your sleep and want to break the cycle. Just as I do.
That is what my Buddhist practise has given me. A sense of purpose. That is why I never feel at a loss about what to do
At this point it was to come and tell you, “It’s ok. Things will turn for the better, just as ‘winter turns to spring, to quote Nicherin Daishonin (the Japanese Buddhist monk from the 13th century).’
Then we will all sleep soundly and well eventually, and will wake up as fresh as Baby Loaf.
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Sweet dreams (this was in the evening. Baby Loaf is up all night but he is lion. I mean a cat). |