Expectations can serve a purpose. They inspire action – especially when the expectation is to be better.
I should be in better shape. I should have a better job. I should be more productive. I should be more disciplined. I should be more mindful. I should eat healthier.
These are powerful motivators, and it’s how almost all of us start the improvement process in any domain.
But past a certain point, expectations can lead to feelings of inadequacy, causing more harm than good.
We feel inadequate because we have some expectation that we be more than this. We feel behind because of some made up expectations of what we should have done already. We feel discouraged because we haven’t met some expectation. We feel overwhelmed because we have an expectation that we should be able to handle all of this easily and at once. We feel frustrated because someone (us, or someone else) has failed to meet an expectation.
When our initially motivating expectations turn into feelings such as these, they become demotivating.
The solution is to drop all expectations, and instead embrace discipline.
Though this is much harder than it sounds.
The first step is to notice these feelings as they crop up. Once we’re aware of them, we can decide if we’re going to hold ourselves to this made-up ideal, or ignore them and focus on the task at hand.
Discipline.
Have the discipline to exercise, to eat healthy, to meditate, to write. No matter what habit you’re trying to form, you’ll save yourself a lot of grief by letting go of any expectations surrounding it, and simply do the work.
If you miss a day, don’t let it derail you. Just get back to it.
Though there’s a distinction to make between overworking yourself, and letting go of the expectation that you not be tired.
Burnout and chronic sleep loss are things to be avoided. But that doesn’t mean we should never work when we’re tired. For us shift workers, that would be extremely limiting.
Rest when you need it, but don’t let yourself off the hook just because you don’t feel like it.
When author and former Navy SEAL Jocko Willink says “discipline equals freedom”, he may very well refer to freedom from expectation.
The Simplicity of Discipline: Thriving Without the Baggage of Expectations | Zen Habits
Blue Light Q&A
Dr. Ronesh Sinha recently chatted with blue light expert Dr. Parveen Jaglan.
“Most companies block blue light at around 405nm which is really the tail end of UV light and it is easier to do but unfortunately doesn’t do much in helping against blue light from digital devices. My advice would be to try and find out exactly at what wavelengths they are blocking and if they can give you any data regarding this.”
Sound advice. And I’ve already done the research: Why Every Shift Worker Needs Blue-Light-Blocking Glasses
Jaglan also has a good tip for limiting the negative impact of staring at screens for extended periods of time.
“Human species weren’t designed to do near work for 7-10 hours at a time. The best way to alleviate this is by taking frequent breaks. We have a catchphrase, 20/20/20, where every 20 minutes you should look at objects 20 feet away for 20 seconds.”
Improve on this by adding stretches or some light exercise at these twenty-minute intervals.
Expert Q&A on Health Effects of Blue Light | Cultural Health Solutions
Appetite for Destruction
One of the reasons why sleep is so important is that it allows old and worn out brain cells to be cleared out. This refreshing and reshaping of the brain is called phagocytosis.
It turns out this process also happens during sleep loss. But instead of being beneficial, the brain goes overboard and starts to harm itself.
Think of it like the garbage being cleared out while you’re asleep, versus someone coming into your house after several sleepless nights and indiscriminately tossing out your television, fridge, and family dog.
“We show for the first time that portions of synapses are literally eaten by astrocytes because of sleep loss,”
The Mammalian Brain Starts Eating Itself When It Doesn’t Get Enough Sleep | Science Alert
Sit Well
My previous job had me sitting and looking at screens for twelve hour at a time. By the eight-hour mark, my back would be killing me. Part of the problem was that I didn’t make regular standing and stretching part of my routine. But the big mistake was not thinking about how I was sitting.
You’re sitting wrong — and your back knows it. Here’s how to sit instead | TED
Cook and Clean
Crockpots aren’t just a handy tool for the shift worker looking to simplify meals. They may also be an effective way to sanitize N95 respirators – respirators that are in short supply and crucial to the safety of healthcare workers during the coronavirus pandemic.
Researchers at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign found that 50 minutes of dry heat in an electric cooker can kill four types of viruses on N95 respirators, including a coronavirus.
N95 respirators can be sanitized using crockpots and rice cookers | Business Insider
Autopilot
We know we need to save and invest for retirement – nobody wants to work night shifts forever. Yet we still procrastinate. Mostly because of overwhelm and fear of making the wrong decision. Fortunately it’s now easier than ever to automate our finances, saving us time and reducing decision fatigue.
3 Ways Fintech Can Help You Automate Your Finances During Covid-19 | Forbes
Stay healthy-
Jason Glenn