NADLER: NAPPING FOR HAPPINESS
Put down the novel and forget the kale recipe. Do yourself a favour: go to bed
Most mornings I grudgingly crawl out of bed, feed the monsters, make a pot of coffee and think to myself, “Why? Why am I awake? Why am I not still lounging in bed?”
I’ll go about my day, walk the dog, work, have dinner with friends, all the while thinking, “When can I go back to bed?”
No offence to my friends because of course I love seeing them but, I mean, come on. Bed beats all.
Sure I want to try all the new restaurants downtown and explore the city and be mindful, meditate, work out, boost my career, embrace major life changes, cook 11 new recipes using kale, learn to knit, get lost in a great novel, make the best smoothie ever, redecorate on a dime, organize, declutter and a million other things women’s magazines yell at us to accomplish. Every day. You know, to be a complete and fulfilled woman.
Which is funny, because even though I haven’t paid too much attention to men’s magazines, I doubt very much they put the same pressure on their readers. Men’s magazine headlines probably read like: “How to get the most out of your workout” and “Tips for getting your best nap ever.”
We laugh at memes and ads from the 1950s that depict women in full skirts and aprons, smiling brightly as they prepare a pot roast, glaze a ham or vacuum carpets. The outmoded idea being that to be a complete and fulfilled woman, you must know how to glaze a ham while wearing pumps and a full face of makeup. But is the current pressure to learn 11 new kale recipes in between workouts and decluttering our closets any different? Why are we not all aspiring to just go back to bed?
Well, this week I had a eureka moment when I came across a few stories geared at women, touting the benefits of taking naps. Not only that, but one story even talked about the health benefits of being lazy. Yes, women are now allowed to be lazy, too!
“Studies show that being relaxed boosts your memory, staves off depression, and even keeps you slim: chronic stress produces cortisol, a hormone known to increase unhealthy cravings,” reports the New York Post in a story titled: Being lazy has all sorts of health benefits.
Of course that story also talked about how you can meditate and practise mindfulness while lounging in bed, which kind of negates the notion of lounging for pure laziness. It’s more like how to mentally multitask while taking a break from chasing your toddler around the house and shopping for kale. Also, that bit about being slim is ewy, but that’s what I get for reading the New York Post.
But we’re getting there, I guess. What about good, old-fashioned sleeping? Well, the Independent ran a story last month on a study out of the University of Hertfordshire that looked at the napping habits of 1,000 people. Previous research indicated that naps under 30 minutes can boost a person’s productivity and focus, but this study found a direct link between taking short naps and actual happiness.
Yes, taking short naps under 30 minutes makes us happy. It puts us in a state of “nappiness,” they say.
Well, didn’t we already know that? Of course we did. But now there’s actual proof, plus a neat new word to throw around.
“According to their responses, nappers were then given a happiness score,” reports the Independent.
“The findings revealed that those who took a brief daytime doze had an average score of 3.67 on a five-point scale, while nonnappers scored 3.52 and long-nappers 3.44.”
You know, I don’t want to pooh-pooh their study or anything, but did they bring the long nap participants coffee and snacks the moment they woke up? Because they might just need some help refocussing. Just saying.
Anyway, remember this the next time that friend of yours posts photos of her domestic goddess bliss. And you look around at the boxes you still haven’t unpacked from moving a year and a half ago.
Your laziness might actually be more beneficial to your health than you realize. And why learn 11 new kale recipes when you can just imagine yourself doing it, from the comfort of your own bed?
Because at the beginning, end or middle of the day, isn’t it OK to stop working so hard to be happy? Let it come to us.
Take a nap and see if that helps.
A short nap puts us in a state of “nappiness.” Did we already know that? Of course we did. But now there’s actual proof, plus a neat new word to throw around.