“A man ninety years old was asked to what he attributed his longevity… he said, with a twinkle in his eye, ‘because most nights I went to bed and slept when I should have sat up and worried.’” Garson Kanin
(Companion oil: Young Living Longevity™)
Is longevity still relevant in a throw-away world?
I’m just kidding around. Of course it is.
But when it comes to inanimate objects, and at the risk of sounding like a crotchety codger, I find myself saying often, “Back in the good old days, things were built to last.”
‘New today, obsolete tomorrow’ technology is responsible for much of this disposable society we’ve found ourselves in. The only limits to the speed at which technology is advancing are our own abilities to adapt to it. And just about everything comes with some kind of wizardry in its functionality nowadays, so the lifespan of the object often finds itself shortened to match.
Ironically, technology could be giving with one hand and taking with the other when it comes to our own longevity.
Fitness gadgets and apps are cropping up every which way you look (and most will be out of date within six months).
They are great tools for making us mindful of things we easily forget to pay attention to, like how many steps we take each day. This nudges us to park further from our point of destination — something loved by those who don’t own a FitBit™. More parking spots for them right next to the door. Win-win.
But technology can be an insidious thief, too. Looking at screens and keeping our brains active late at night can make it harder to get to bed at a decent hour and harder to nod off when we’re finally pulling up the covers. And today’s quote wisely prompts us to consider the double whammy of staying up worrying about something and the stress of the worry itself. Lose-lose.
Getting a good night’s sleep requires willpower along with being able to relax and drift off easily. The best of intentions mean nothing if you continue to negotiate with yourself for an extra half hour of Facebook or Instagram time only to find your head hitting the pillow with a chronic shortage of hours before the alarm goes off.
Interestingly, according to CIRUS (Centre of Integrated Research and Understanding of Sleep), it’s debatable as to whether an hour’s sleep before midnight really is worth two after midnight, as if often heard bandied around. But they go on to explain,
“Regardless of the time of sleep onset most deep sleep will occur in the first 1-3 cycles of sleep. More recent research shows that teenagers who experience delay in their sleep onset times (often from using electronic devices) are more likely to be sleep deprived, experience greater performance impairments and have more difficulties with mood.”
So it seems getting to bed late early isn’t as important as getting sufficient hours of quality sleep and putting away your mobile phones and computers earlier in the night.
Young Living Highest Potential™ is a super helpful essential oil blend to help you stick with the new sleep routine you want to establish. It’s also beautifully relaxing so it’s a great prelude to pushing up Zzzzs. You can discover more about it here.
Along with setting supportive bedtime habits, applying Young Living Longevity™ essential oil blend to the soles of your feet daily is a potent source of fat-soluble antioxidants which are nature’s great ‘rust inhibitors’. Follow the label and usual guidelines for safe use.
This blend is also available in ultra-antioxidant softgels (AustL 142178). I love to use both to really up the ante daily to protect cells and tissues from the damaging effects of free radicals. Thyme and clove oils are the antioxidant heavy hitters, and the oils of orange and frankincense are good for the soul. And let’s face it, we want to put more life in our years, not just more years in our life.
This will also connect you up with The Good Oil Team for our personal support and coaching. We'd love to help you on your journey to vibrant well-being the natural way!
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