Many of us have jobs that are supposed to be from 9 to 5. However, this hard working society has become such that even if you sign up for a 9 to 5 job, you will most likely be working many, many more hours a day. For employers who pay a salary rather than hourly, they may not mind. However, we, as employees do because we all know that working long hours takes a toll on both our mind and body. Ultimately, too much work affects our health.

Working long hours does create stress upon the physiology. The best method to tackle the stress and get through a long day at work is to take care of yourself by creating a good routine for you to follow. Yes, I know, when you are at work, the hours of work become unpredictable and you always end up with more work than expected. I understand how it goes. Of course, one of the most stressful situations is when your family is waiting for you, but you can’t seem to leave work because there is a project deadline coming up. Despite all the uncertainties of any job, you must take care of yourself.

Start by going to bed at the same time every night. Ideally, it would be best if you can be in bed by 10. A good night’s sleep will make you most productive and alert throughout the day. Then, wake up at the same time every morning…preferably before 6 am. If you are going to bed before 10, then waking up before 6 should be no big deal. If you get a good solid night’s sleep, you can effectively tackle anything that is thrown at you for the simple reason that you are not tired.

The next important factor in your routine is your diet. It is from your diet that you get your nutrition and energy. Be sure to have breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Do not skip any meals, because the food you intake will provide the energy you need to get through the day. Besides, we all know that hungry people are cranky people. If you eat regularly and wisely, you will have a clearer mind in terms of problem solving and getting the work done.

Then, be sure to remember to exercise. Exercising is a great way to cope with stress and it will solidify your routine. Being active and doing some cardio and strength training will relax your mind and body. For many people, exercising will clear up their mind and will allow for more effective problem solving. Besides, you know that the days you exercise you feel better and more alert throughout the day.

By sleeping, eating, and exercising, you will already have the majority of your routine in place. Take care of yourself because how you work, will affect how well your peers and co-workers perform. Those who sleep well, eat well, and exercise are healthier and therefore, they have a greater ability to cope with stress.

Many people have trouble sleeping as well as staying asleep. If you are one of those people who lie in bed for hours at a time wondering when you will fall asleep or if you happen to wake up in the middle of the night and are tired, yet wide awake, then you may benefit from my top five herbal recommendations for insomnia.

Insomnia is a chronic problem, which requires a lot of patience…especially with herbal remedies. Of the list below, you may have to try each one more than once. Each case of insomnia is different…no two cases are alike. For example, difficulty falling asleep is primarily a Vata imbalance, where as waking up in the middle of the night not being able to fall back to sleep is a Pitta imbalance. A thorough Ayurvedic evaluation will allow the determination of the cause of your difficulty with sleeping. These are Ayurvedic recommendations for the treatment of insomnia in adults. Just be careful of any allergies you may have.

1) Mom always said, drink your milk.
Have a glass of boiled milk with nutmeg and saffron, at least 30 minutes before bed. Both nutmeg and saffron are natural tranquilizers. For one glass of milk, add 1/4 to 1 tsp of nutmeg (depending on body constitution and severity of insomnia) and 2 strands of saffron.

2) Do Yoga and/or Meditation.
I highly recommend both as they both will aid in healing the insomnia from the root cause. Yoga and Meditation will bring about balance within the physiology. Hatha yoga is best for addressing insomnia.

3) Massage.
Right before bed, massage some coconut oil onto the scalp and soles of the feet. The oil massage will be really relaxing and soothing. If you like, you may massage ghee onto the soles of the feet instead of coconut oil.

4) Hot bath or shower.
Another great way to release the stress and calm the mind down is have a hot shower or bath before bed. If you want to have the shower and do the oil, take the shower first and then apply the oil.

5) Aromatherapy
The best aromas for insomnia are sandalwood, rose, lotus, lily, lavender, and camphor.

These are my top five recommendations for sleeping aids. In order to feel good during the day and be productive, as well as prevent all illnesses, sleep is very important.

Happy dreaming!

Varsha

My experience with my clients is that most want to get better, but all they are willing to do is take a pill. Nobody wants to do anything more than take some drugs to get better. One of my health consults in India has headaches just about everyday. To help with her headaches, all she does is take painkillers. Her father is a doctor and they have run all sorts of tests to figure out why she has headaches so often. They could not figure out why and when we sat down for her consultation, I realized that the reason for her headaches was dehydration. She simply was not drinking enough water. When dehydration is the cause of her headaches, then how will a MRI report show that? How will a painkiller “fix” her problem? Yes, in order to take the pill, she must drink water, but at the same time, that is only one glass of water. For someone who is dehydrated, more than one glass will be necessary to hydrate the body and “quench that thirst.”

Medicine today has given the impression that only pills can help relieve your symptoms and that only pills can help you get better. The reality is that pills only make things worse. I had a health consult with a middle-aged man who had been taking sleeping pills for a couple decades now. He is dependent upon those pills to be able to sleep. The cause of his sleeplessness was never addressed…only his symptoms. His doctors did not consider his stress levels, his work and family situation, his bed, his diet, and what time he goes to bed. Instead of taking all those factors into consideration, they gave him a pill. The sleeping pills interfere with the natural functioning of the nervous system and therefore, damage the nervous system, including the brain.

Pills are not the solution to health problems. Pharmaceutical drugs only mask the symptoms giving you the impression that you are better, but the reality is that your body is still suffering. Yes, the non-pill approach may appear to be a longer process involving you to be much more alert about your health, but in the long run, the Ayurvedic approach will not only cure the symptoms, but it will heal your body. In Ayurveda, all illnesses are treated from the root cause. If you really want to get better and live a life free from suffering, then taking medications is not the solution. Be willing to try new, alternative approaches towards a better health. Believe it or not, but the Ayurvedic approach does work. You just have to be more active in regards to your health.

A good night’s sleep is what you need the most. Any health professional should be able to tell you how important sleep is for the well-being of any individual. Children and the elderly tend to sleep more, but the average adult needs about 8 hours of sleep a night. According to your body’s constitution, you may need either more or less sleep.  For example, those who are predominantly Kapha tend to sleep more than those who are Vata and Pitta.

Most career professionals and students do not get enough sleep. Sleep, as we all know gives us the rest we need to go about the activities of the day. The main text of Ayurveda, Charak Samhita, states, “Proper sleep brings about happiness and longevity.” When you get a goodnight’s sleep, you feel happier and fresher throughout the day.

 According to Ayurveda, there is one particular dosha that is predominant during certain time periods of the day. Vata time period is from 2 am to 6 am and 2 pm to 6 pm. Pitta is most dominant from 10 am to 2 pm and 10 pm to 2 am. Kapha is strongest from 6 am to 10 am and 6 pm to 10 pm. These dosha periods of the day play a key role in sleep. Ayurveda recommends going to sleep before 10 pm. The reason for this is that it is best to go to bed during Kapha time. Kapha time in the evening is the time of day where your body begins to slow down. Around 8 or 9 pm is also when you begin to feel sleepy. Ideally, this should be the low point of your day. When you go to bed before 10, then you bring the Kapha influence with you and are likely to fall asleep much more easily. It is between 10 and 2 at night in which your body does the most repair work of the day. Between 10 and 2 is when Pitta works to eliminate any toxins and ama (undigested food) from the day. Even modern medicine agrees that sleep between 10 and 2 is the most important sleep of the night because many hormones, such as the human growth hormone, are released which ensure a balanced functioning of the physiology. The eyes are organs of Pitta and sight involves fire or light. Therefore, if you are awake after 10 pm, then Pitta becomes more active to keep you awake rather than to clean the channels of circulation and remove any ama that has been accumulated. Ayurveda also recommends waking up before 6 am, so that you awake under the influence of Vata, which is lightness and movement. If you awake under Vata, then you will bring those qualities with you throughout the day. Those who awake under the influence of Kapha tend to feel more heavy and lazy throughout the day. Sleep is most important to maintain good health. Ayurveda supports the old saying, “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”