Naps aren't just for babies. Adults can benefit from napping, too.
Check out a few beneficial ways naps level up our lives, and maybe find some cool napping gear or equipment too! All to give some love to National Napping Day on March 9.
Instant Cure for Bad Moods
Have you ever taken a nap in a really bad mood, then woke up feeling a bit better? I know I have. The entire mood may have not gone out the window, but naps do have a tendency to improve our attitudes fairly quickly. Stress management and sleep can go hand in hand. At times we need to just take a step back and take a nap so we have the focus and motivation to push through the rest of the day. Or just take one to prevent yourself from saying something rude or negative—that's always a win for everyone.
Courtesy of Uberwell
They Can Boost Creativity
Google allows its employees to nap for a reason. If you work in an environment where your creativity makes you money, try to nap more. Maybe you have a thought in mind but you're too distracted or unable to focus enough to form it completely: a good nap may lead you to your next big idea. Napping can allow your mind to relax and temporarily block out the distracting points that made you sleepy in the first place. For all of us who aren't as lucky to work at a place that sets aside actual napping pods and rooms (not jealous at all), maybe think of some ideas connected to boosting your creativity capabilities and pitch the idea to your boss to substitute the meeting for a nap. If that fails (don't be surprised if it does), don't fret. We will talk about mental naps a bit here and how you can get the nap in anyway.
Courtesy of Pinterest
Hangover Cure
Okay, maybe "cure" is a strong word because the only real cure for a hangover seems to be time. Alas, a nap hasn't hurt anyone! The more you can sleep it off, the better. No one wants to be awake to deal with the queasy-ness, headaches, and all that comes with a classic hangover anyway. Don't forget to grab some Advil and drink lots of water, then nap it away.
A bean bag sofa, courtesy of Amazon
Expedite Time
Many of us have heard the saying "time flies when you're having fun," and this is no different. Try napping if you're excited about a trip, a date, or even for Happy Hour to begin at 5 p.m. Naps can expedite the process and get us to the event we're looking forward to more quickly than staring at the clock (pretending to work) or at the ceiling, wondering why its been 1 p.m. for hours.
A nap pop-up tent from Amazon
Mental Naps
This one may be a bit unorthodox, but I swear by mental naps—hear me out. Sometimes at work, we may be bored at a desk, or even in a meeting questioning why our presence was needed in the first place. And that's where mental naps come in. If you're unable to close your eyes for a few minutes, that's okay. This can be done wide awake. To mentally nap, continue to do whatever it is that's required of you, but allow your mind to not actually think about anything ... just be. This may be an art to some, but I know there are some fellow mental nappers out there who can relate and show the rookies how it's done.
Image from Shutterstock
Are you a mental napper or just looking forward to National Napping Day? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!