Me & My Quite Contrary Life

NUDGED: "Get 8 hours of sleep every night for one week" BACKSTORY: I have read enough books and blogs to know that getting enough sleep is very important for our health....but sometimes, my actions don't match my good intentions. Getting 7-8 hours of sleep every night sounds easy in theory (ha!!) but it doesn't always turn out that way for me. I wanted to challenge myself this week to try it then and see how I felt being well-rested for one week in my life. QUOTE: "Most experts agree that sleep and mood are closely related, that healthy sleep can enhance emotional well-being, while insufficient quantity or quality of sleep can adversely affect it." - Dr. Andrew Weil in his book "Spontaneous Happiness" HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK:  This week was a struggle but I did my best! My goal was to be in bed by 9:30pm each night so I could ensure sufficient sleep before getting up at 6am each day. I ended up getting to bed before 10pm each night and fe

NUDGED: "List 3 moments of joy every day this week" BACKSTORY: This nudge came from the book "Option B" by Sheryl Sandberg that I recently read. She lost her husband very suddenly so she was working through grief and figuring out how to continue on with her life and future without him. She began a process of writing 3 moments of joy every day, which helped her to notice joy and feel grateful. I liked this idea when I read it and added it to my own journaling moments, but it didn't last. For this nudge, I want to make this daily practice a habit and want to discover what things give me joy throughout a normal day/week. QUOTE: "Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day." - Henri J.M. Nouwen HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: This nudge was relatively straight-forward and easy to start and continue. Each evening before bed, I made a practice of mentally reviewing my day and listing the moments of joy that occurred

NUDGED: "Dance" BACKSTORY: I am not a good dancer so I don't dance often. I've always wanted to be better at it. My husband and I took a four-week dance class one spring and had a great time, but we have danced very little together since then. I was curious if adding dancing to my life would give me more joy. Could I improve my skills and feel more comfortable in one week? QUOTE: (from a devotional that I read this morning!) "Failing doesn't make you a failure. Trying something new makes you brave." - Annie F. Downs in "100 Days to Brave" HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK:  I started the week by making a list (not a surprise for this compulsive list-maker!). I listed many things I could do to work on this nudge, including short dance breaks at work (like Grey's Anatomy I'm told), dancing with my husband, finding a how-to dance video and practicing, or just turning on music and letting myself move. I watched a short video of movie dancing

NUDGED: "Go to a park for 30 minutes; sit, breathe, do nothing" BACKSTORY: The idea for this nudge came from the creator of the nudges challenge, who completed this nudge as part of her project. I liked the idea of incorporating intentional quietness into my (somewhat) busy schedule, but I knew it would be a challenge for me too! Sitting still without anything for 30 minutes?! I honestly didn't know if I could do it! QUOTES: "All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone," said Blaise Pascal.   /   "When we have learned to sit quietly in a room alone, we can maintain that inner connection that allows life to proceed from the inside out, whether we are alone or in a crowd of screaming people," said Arianna Huffington in "Thrive". HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: It took me two weeks to complete this nudge, double the normal time. I was at a conference for part of one week and had a busy schedule on