Can’t Sleep Around the Holidays? Follow this Healthy Meal Guide

Since it's just a week and a half until Christmas, this article from Dr. Michael Breus is pretty timely.

Can’t seem to sleep before, after or around the holidays? From foods that hinder your sleep, to a strange 2020 holiday season, I’d bet a lot of us are facing more restless nights these next few months.

To lighten things up a little, I’m going to share my advice, starting with a healthy holiday meal guide. You’ll learn how you can enjoy holiday food and focus more on foods that help you sleep; reduce foods that hinder your sleep–and just enjoy yourself!

This article may be even more timely next year when we're able to have more parties around the holiday season, so this may come up again next year as a Throwback Thursday.

Why you have trouble sleeping during the holidays:

Of course, while my focus this week is to give you a healthy, sleep friendly holiday meal guide, a quick reminder that, if you’re struggling to sleep before or after a holiday, sleep-inducing food alone isn’t the whole answer.

One of the other major factors relating to why you can’t sleep has to do with higher levels of stress, whether that’s due to holiday shopping, seeing family, or preparing. In fact, the relationship between sleep and stress has been well documented. Stress can affect our sleep patterns and may even make us less likely to prioritize sleep.

And this holiday season will probably be more stressful than most.

What to eat:

Most of the year, I make an effort to follow a healthy, balanced diet. For me, that looks like a nice mix of complex carbs, lean protein, healthy fats and, of course, fruits and vegetables. Intermittent fasting helps me sleep during the holidays by keeping me on track.

But when it comes to enjoying a holiday meal, I let myself indulge a little, especially around this time of year. Here’s how I eat and plan my holiday meals. I’ve also been experimenting more this year because we are all having smaller gatherings!

Next are some suggestions of what to eat. The article also includes examples:

• Add Tryptophan Toppings to Holiday Classics
• Make Healthy Swaps
• Swap Your Drink

Not being able to sleep around the holidays is normal–but with these tips, you can get back to a regular sleep scheduling and enjoying holidays and the meals that accompany them to their fullest.

Be sure to check out the article for more details.

 Interesting days

Today - Chocolate Covered Anything Day and Day Of Reconciliation

Tomorrow - Maple Syrup Day, Wright Brothers Day and Re-gifting Day

Month long celebrations:

Nov 26 - Dec 31: A Blue Christmas

Next Wednesday - Roots Day and Festivus

Month long celebrations:

Nov 26 - Dec 31: A Blue Christmas

January 16 - Nothing Day, Religious Freedom Day, International Hot and Spice Food Day and Appreciate A Dragon Day

The Anti-Crisis Crisis

Today's blog post is based on an article from The Art of Manliness:

It has long been observed that societies seem to oscillate between periods of peace and plenty, and periods of conflict and hardship.

This idea has been analyzed in detail by researchers like Neil Howe and William Strauss, whose generational theory posits that societies cycle through four 20-year “turnings” — High, Awakening, Unraveling, and Crisis — around every eighty years. During the Crisis period or “Fourth Turning,” a society is faced with a perceived threat to its survival, which typically takes the form of war, but can also arrive in the shape of Today's blog post is based on an article from The Art of Manliness:

It has long been observed that societies seem to oscillate between periods of peace and plenty, and periods of conflict and hardship.

This idea has been analyzed in detail by researchers like Neil Howe and William Strauss, whose generational theory posits that societies cycle through four 20-year “turnings” — High, Awakening, Unraveling, and Crisis — around every eighty years. During the Crisis period or “Fourth Turning,” a society is faced with a perceived threat to its survival, which typically takes the form of war, but can also arrive in the shape of severe economic distress, natural or man-made disasters, civil revolts, or some combination of these and other catastrophic events. 

I wrote about the turnings here. The article then goes on to talk more about Howe and Strauss and also a man named Peter Turchin who has some similar ideas on a cyclical view of history. And they all point at 2020 as being a year of crisis, but not what would normally be considered a crisis in times like these.

Beyond more definitive timetables and formal theories as to history’s cyclical nature, such reoccurring historical “seasons” have been noted anecdotally as well, as in the popular saying that “Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. Weak men create hard times.”

I think we're now at the point of weak men creating hard times, and at the beginning of a crisis.

Both Howe and Turchin, and many a common man on the street, would say that we are in a crisis period right now. Yet, it is in many ways a strange anti-crisis crisis, wherein the dynamics of a typical crisis are inverted.

A crisis typically leads to a correction of the less ideal qualities that developed during previous periods of prosperity.

But the current crisis has only exacerbated them.

A crisis typically turns an inward-orientation into outward action, puts an end to atomization with an emphasis on teamwork, unity, and collective effort, and requires the surmounting of complacency and timidity through the exercise of courage — particularly the physical variety, and particularly amongst the younger generations.

And yet generations Y and Z, who already struggled with anxiety and depression, find themselves even more turned back into themselves, in conditions perfectly situated to breed an even deeper state of morbid self-consciousness. Fellow human beings, which already represented an anxiety-inducing metaphorical threat in the possibility of embarrassment and real or perceived ostracisation, have now been overlaid with an actual physical threat in the specter of contamination and illness. Gen Z, which even before the pandemic, got together less often for face-to-face interactions with their peers — out of a preference for the safety and control of communicating digitally — now see each other even less frequently. Feelings of shyness and awkwardness can only be amplifying. We have become even warier about socializing and more isolated than ever.

Despite media and corporate messaging about us all being in this together, without some kind of tangible, collaborative, camaraderie-building action for everyone to pitch in with, and in an atmosphere rife with partisan conflict, we find ourselves far more divided than united.

Generations which were already less comfortable with risk, have, by and large, not been required to face any. While sacrifices have been asked of us, for the vast majority, they do not involve confronting any real danger, nor exercising any courage. One is only asked to do nothing, to stay home, which, though it can be difficult to do in some situations, has sometimes been but a welcome relief, a flattering, ennobling excuse for avoiding an obligation or encounter one wanted to dodge anyway.

The silver lining to the very real, unromantic losses and hardships that inevitably accompany a typical crisis, is that it awakens qualities which were once dormant (as well as creates a degree of excitement and adventure that was previously lacking in a comfortable but boring society). The oscillation restores balance to what had been the increasingly lopsided development of individual and societal character. In the absence of this dynamic in our current conflagration, a thorny question emerges: What would happen if we found ourselves in a crisis which, rather than ameliorating them, only deepened our weaknesses, further atrophying the already moribund muscles of our natures?

Of course, according to Strauss and Howe, our last crisis started with the Great Depression . . . and ended with World War II. So no one can tell where this current crisis (which both Howe and Turchin say won’t end for another decade or so) will lead. But the dynamics of the Great Depression, in the form of things like the Civilian Conservation Corps, actually prepared men for the next phase of the crisis — the war. Will being homebound prepare us for a greater emergency to come? And even if nothing worse is around the corner, what will become of the makeup of those who emerge from something atypical, something potentially unique in history . . . a hard time . . . that didn’t create strong men?

We have averted a financial crisis, for now (although I think we're far from being out of the woods yet) and it doesn't seem likely, at the moment, that we'll be heading into a war soon, so we may go for quite awhile without the building of any strong men...and if we don't have strong men, who will build the good times?

Interesting days

Today -  Cat Herders Day, Lemon Cupcake Day and International Tea Day

Tomorrow - Chocolate Covered Anything Day and Day Of Reconciliation

Month long celebrations:

Nov 26 - Dec 31: A Blue Christmas

Next Tuesday - Date Nut Bread Day and Forefathers’ Day

Month long celebrations:

Nov 26 - Dec 31: A Blue Christmas

January 15 - Hat Day, Bagel Day, Strawberry Ice Cream Day and Pothole Day

The week in review - December 11, 2020

Monday - "No blog post today" I didn't even comment that I wasn't creating one.

Tuesday - "#BrownieDay giveaway" Just what it says. "I'm trying to earn my way to a virtual VIP event and I need more people to join."

Wednesday - "30+ Tricks, Games, and Stunts to Entertain Your Kids on Long, Dark Winter Nights" Some pandemic fun and games. "If your family has been experiencing some pandemic-induced wintertime doldrums, below we present over 30 ideas for whiling away these long, dark nights."

Thursday - "How to Give a Gift to a Woman #TBT" It's that time of year again. "Men have been giving gifts to women since the first Neanderthal offered his crush a polished wolf femur. In the millennia that have followed, homo sapiens invented the wheel, the laptop, the foam fan finger, and put a man on the moon. But men have not yet developed a system for buying the women in their lives meaningful gifts for special occasions. As a public service, I offer this gifting system for homo sapiens and homo inermis."

Interesting days

Today - Mountain Day, Have a Bagel Day, Noodle Ring Day and Lost & Found Day

Tomorrow - Poinsettia Day, Gingerbread House Day, Shareware Day and Gingerbread Decorating Day

Month long celebrations:

Nov 26 - Dec 31: A Blue Christmas

Next Friday - Ugly Christmas Sweater Day, Bake Cookies Day, Roast Suckling Pig Day, International Migrants Day, Arabic Language Day and Underdog Day

Month long celebrations:

Nov 26 - Dec 31: A Blue Christmas

January 11 - Step In A Puddle And Splash Your Friends Day, Heritage Treasures Day, World Sketchnote Day, Milk Day, Learn Your Name In Morse Code Day, Clean Off Your Desk Day and Hot Toddy Day

How to Give a Gift to a Woman #TBT

Today's blog post was originally published two years ago:

We're coming into one of the main gift giving times of the year and this article from The Art of Manliness offers help for many of us who are a bit clueless in the art of gift giving.

Men have been giving gifts to women since the first Neanderthal offered his crush a polished wolf femur. In the millennia that have followed, homo sapiens invented the wheel, the laptop, the foam fan finger, and put a man on the moon. But men have not yet developed a system for buying the women in their lives meaningful gifts for special occasions. As a public service, I offer this gifting system for homo sapiens and homo inermis.

FYI - homo inermis means helpless man (I had to Google it).

Here are some ways to figure out what to give a woman in your life:

If you are starved for ideas, start a file somewhere with the answers to the following questions. Ask them occasionally and subtly (not all at the same time), and record her answers (including the why) carefully:

• Her sizes.
• Her favorite color (and why she likes it).
• Her favorite flower.
• Does she wear gold or silver?
• What is her birthstone?
• Speaking of jewelry, is there a culture or trend she loves?
• Her favorite designer, if she has one.
• Her favorite food or meal.
• Her favorite animal or the animal she (or you) think symbolizes her spirit.
• Her favorite author or book.
• Her favorite movie or TV show.

Some other guidelines:

• Buy her things that have a story.
• You can also give gifts that make life easier — as long as they’re not too utilitarian. 
• Don’t forget that acts of service can make her heart sing.
• Make dinner. Or reservations.
• Buy her things whose only quality is that they make life more beautiful.

When to give is akso important:

Here is how to time your gift for optimal joy and appreciation:

• Morning is a great time
• Leave it for her in a place she’ll find it on her own (and in her own time).
• Allow some time to pass after an argument or other emotional conversation.
• Plan for a quiet moment.
• Pick a day that would normally be sad for her.
• Pick a date or day that has little or no expectations.

There are only 14 shopping days until Christmas, but with this guide you don't have to panic!

Interesting days

Today - Human Rights Day and Lager Day

Tomorrow - Mountain Day, Have a Bagel Day, Noodle Ring Day and Lost & Found Day

Month long celebrations:

Nov 26 - Dec 31: A Blue Christmas

Next Thursday - Maple Syrup Day, Wright Brothers Day and Re-gifting Day

Month long celebrations:

Nov 26 - Dec 31: A Blue Christmas

January 10 - Cut Your Energy Costs Day, Houseplant Appreciation Day, Bittersweet Chocolate Day and Peculiar People Day 

30+ Tricks, Games, and Stunts to Entertain Your Kids on Long, Dark Winter Nights

Especially in the middle of a pandemic this article from The Art of Manliess is timely for fun activities with the kids or grandkids:

The pandemic has canceled tons of activities, outings, and extracurriculars, leaving our calendars, including our familial ones, rather empty.

Quarantining with kids in summer — when the sun doesn’t set til late, the weather is warm, and you can spend your evenings doing things outside — is one thing. But quarantining in the cold and dark of winter? Woof. You get done with dinner, and then it’s like . . . alright, now what?

Sure, you can watch a movie or pull something out of the board game cabinet, but you probably don’t want everyone staring at a screen every night and you can only play The Floor Is Lava so many times.

If your family has been experiencing some pandemic-induced wintertime doldrums, below we present over 30 ideas for whiling away these long, dark nights. They have been selected and recommended based on the following criteria: 

Indoor. These are things you can do entirely within the confines of your house, because baby, it’s cold outside.  

Easy. There are tons of involved crafts to tackle out there, but at the end of a long day, nobody wants to bust out a ton of supplies, spend an hour on some meticulous project, and then have a bunch of clean-up to do. The activities below require minimal supplies (and that which is required you’ll already have lying around the house) and minimal preparation and work. They’re turnkey. Save more involved crafts — like building a periscope, pencil catapult, or coin-powered battery — for Saturday afternoons. Which, let’s face it, are awfully long too. 

Novel. Sometimes a little weird and eccentric, these are activities that you may not have previously thought about doing, and that will give you a welcome break from your typical entertainments.

The McKay family has field-tested all of these ideas and given them our seal of approval. Some will keep your kid occupied for a fairly long time; others provide a short diversion and quick laugh. Some are one-and-done type things; others are games your kids will want to play night after night after night (sometimes to your chagrin!). Keep this list handy and pick a couple things each evening to try out and use to pass the time in some memorably interactive, full-bore wholesomeness.

There is a list (with instructions) of a bunch of games and activities, many on the silly side, to occupy the youngsters for an hour (or more) during those long, cold winter nights!

Interesting days

Today - Pastry Day, Techno Day, Christmas Card Day, International Day of Veterinary Medicine and International Anti-Corruption Day

Tomorrow - Human Rights Day and Lager Day

 

Month long celebrations:

Nov 26 - Dec 31: A Blue Christmas

Next Wednesday - Chocolate Covered Anything Day and Day Of Reconciliation

Month long celebrations:

Nov 26 - Dec 31: A Blue Christmas

January 9 - Apricot Day, Balloon Ascension Day, Play God Day, Static Electricity Day and Law Enforcement Appreciation Day

#BrownieDay giveaway

Since today is Brownie Day, I'm giving away brownies to ten lucky people...all you have to do is go to my "A Better Way" website, watch the 2 minute video and click Join Now. There is absolutely no cost and no obligation. What you're signing up for is to be part of the pre-launch for a new business opportunity being presented by SendOutCards. You will become a SendOutCards affiliate for one year at no cost up until the launch date of January 30th, 2021...normally a $99 fee. You will also be one of the first people to find out about the other five streams of income that are launching then. If you want to build a business during the pre-launch, you can. If not, you don't have to.

I'm trying to earn my way to a virtual VIP event and I need more people to join. Like I said there's no cost or obligation. And if you do, you'll get a ticket into the drawing that will be held at 6:00 PM PST as a Facebook Live on my wall. There will be up to 10 winners, depending on how many enter.

Here are some numbers from a post I did last week announcing the contest:

SendOutCards has made 83 more seats available for their VIP event, which also includes the "A Better Way" launch. I'm trying to be one of the 83. When I wrote yesterday's blog post, I didn't know how many people I'd have to sign up, but now I do. I'm currently at 8 sign ups. When I get to 10, I can join the Winner's Circle. As of now, if I get to 12, I'll be in the top 83...however that will change. To get in the top 10, I'll need 24 more, for a total of 32! I'd need 67 to get to number one! But, I'm aiming for the top 10. All I need is 4 signups per day for the next 6 days!

The updated numbers are: I need one more to get into the Winners Circle (10 total), 4 more to get into the top 83 (13 total), 25 more to get into the top 10 (34 total), and 102 to get to number one (111 total)!

 I'd be happy to be safely in the top 10.

Interesting days

Today - Brownie Day, Lard Day and Pretend To Be A Time Traveler Day

Tomorrow - Pastry Day, Techno Day, Christmas Card Day, International Day of Veterinary Medicine and International Anti-Corruption Day

Month long celebrations:

Nov 26 - Dec 31: A Blue Christmas

Next Tuesday - Cat Herders Day, Lemon Cupcake Day and International Tea Day

Month long celebrations:

Nov 26 - Dec 31: A Blue Christmas

January 8 - Bubble Bath Day, Joy Germ Day, Show & Tell At Work Day, Argyle Day and Earth’s Rotation Day

The month in review - November 2020

The week ending November 6:

Monday - "The SendOutCards Convention is this week!" Big announcements expected!

Tuesday - "What is relationship development?" More about the SOC convention.

Wednesday - "Friday is #NachosDay" I didn't make the homemade nachos.

Thursday - "Selling door-to-door #TBT" This blog post was by special request. 

The week ending November 13:

Monday - "What is relationship development? - updated" Some info after the convention.

Tuesday - "A ground floor opportunity" More from the convention but concentrating on the opportunity.

Wednesday - "Go Pro 7-day Recruiting Challenge" This ties in perfectly with yesterday's blog post.

Thursday - "Why you CAN'T afford not to send holiday cards recap #TBT" It's that time of year again!

The week ending November 20:

Monday - "A Better Way" What is a better way?

Tuesday - "Tim/e is on my side" Ways to make your time more valuable.

Wednesday - "Want to Cut Your Work Hours in Half? Create an A/B Schedule"

Thursday - "Achieving Your Potential #TBT" From Harvey Mackay.

The week ending November 27:

Monday - "How To Make French Toast Even Better than the Diner" I love French toast!

Tuesday - "Are you P.O.O.R.? #TBT" A throwback Tuesday.

Wednesday - "How to Feast at the Holidays Without Packing on the Pounds" Very timely for the day before Thanksgiving.

Thursday - "The 8th Habit - Find Your Voice and Inspire Others to Find Theirs #TBT" From Stephen Covey. 

Interesting days in review

Your weekend guide to interesting days - November 7, 2020

Your weekend guide to interesting days - November 14, 2020

Your weekend guide to interesting days - November 21, 2020

Your weekend guide to interesting days - November 28, 2020