BANZA February 2016 Issue | Page 76

Prioritize Sleep as if your life depended on it (it does) Current culture has it all wrong about sleep. It shouldn’t give bragging rights to do an all-nighter or to be able to survive on 4 hours sleep per night. All people make better decisions when they have received a sufficient amount of rest which means you need less time to do the same job. New research has revealed that the brain needs sleep to clear toxins, so it’s a physical necessity for a well-functioning mind. So go sleep and get your required eight to ten hours of sleep, even if you have stuff that needs finishing. It’s an investment in quality rather than quantity. ‘Me’ time People that are partly or wholly introverted need to pull back from human interaction to restore energy. It takes emotional strength to step outside of the program and tell people you need a break during a family weekend, a conference or a day filled with meetings, but for people who need quiet, this is required to restore energy and bring you back to be a happy and active person. So don’t be afraid to take time out, even if the rest of the group doesn’t.