“Cause Uptown Funk gon’ give it to you!” Ugh, it’s 4:50 a.m. — wake-up time. You’re probably thinking, “What if she falls back asleep?” Because the fear is real.
But I know my weaknesses. I have four alarms set strategically with the final one at 6 a.m. that reads: “Making sure!”
Like many of you, I have a kick-ass morning routine in place. Wake up, 5 a.m. call, hydrate, workout, wake the fam, shower and dress, fix breakfast (who am I kidding, it’s cereal), family time, drive the kid to school, listen to my faves on the commute (Tom Ferry, Gary V, Kyle Whissel and Bryan Koci), and I’m at my desk by 7:45 a.m.
The rest of my day mirrors pretty much any other real estate agent’s. Team huddle, hour of power, eat the frog, lunch, appointment, appointment, check messages one last time and head home around 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. — completely drained.
If this isn’t you, you aren’t human (or your name is Gary V). For the rest of us normal people, exhaustion usually hits early- to mid-afternoon. It took me years of trying energy drinks, diet changes, B-12 injections and prescription medication to realize that none of it worked for me.
A word of advice
Two years ago, my trusted adviser, Bob McCranie, recommended that I schedule a nap a day in for two weeks.
Not a 10-minute cat-nap, but an actual crawl-into-your-bed-and-sleep-for-an-hour-or-two nap (insert gasp here!).
After plenty of objections (who in their right mind naps during the middle of the busy season?), I decided to toss a little research into the mix.
A Google search later, and I was face-to-face with a plethora of famous nappers:
- Albert Einstein
- Thomas Edison
- Leonardo Da Vinci
- Ronald Reagan
- Eleanor Roosevelt
- Aristotle
- Napoleon Bonaparte
- Margaret Thatcher
- John F. Kennedy
- Winston Churchill
“Don’t think you will be doing less work because you sleep during the day. That’s a foolish notion held by people who have no imaginations. You will be able to accomplish more. You get two days in one … ” – Winston Churchill, “The Gathering Storm”
A nap in the middle of the day and a chance to be more productive? Challenge accepted.
A theory in practice
I am not going to lie, the first week was awkward. After realizing no one would die, the incoming offer would not expire in one hour and my office would not burn to the ground, I was able to turn my phone on “airplane mode.”
Why airplane mode? You probably know the answer to that — because I rolled over constantly to check for calls and texts.
Now, two years later, I have a nap scheduled into every single day. Some days I am rocking and rolling and don’t need the break, but most days — I do. Even better is when the nap does not take two hours, and I have a little extra “me” time (but let’s be honest, I head back to the office).
I’m not ashamed of my naps. Everyone on the team has full access to my schedule, and it even says “Nap” on our team calendar. They make a few jokes about it, but they will be the first to tell you the difference they have seen (mostly that I am “nice” past 5 p.m.).
Aside from being nice past dinnertime, I have noticed that I am not “cloudy” through the afternoons, my junk food cravings have reduced (you’re welcome waistline), I stay focused until 8 p.m. or 9 p.m., I maintain my quick wit and charm. And most importantly, I am able to give my family the evening attention it deserves.
You have me as a guinea pig with a two-year test trial, 10 of the world’s most iconic thinkers and plenty of scientific data to back it. What are you waiting for? Nap for the win.
Stephanie Arnett is the broker associate at Arnett|Rackley Mississippi Magnolia w/RE/MAX Partners in Mississippi. Follow her on Instagram or Snapchat.
