Today’s Model Monday article is a quick PSA:
Get plenty of sleep.
There’s a book I love entitled ‘Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less’, by leadership expert Greg McKeown. The book is not solely about the importance of sleep, but he did include a whole chapter on the subject. The chapter is called ‘Sleep: Protect the Asset’. He writes, “The best asset we have for making a contribution to the world is ourselves. If we under-invest in ourselves, and by that, I mean our minds, our bodies, and our spirits, we damage the very tool we need to make our highest contribution. One of the most common ways people – especially ambitious, successful people – damage this asset is through a lack of sleep.”
Of course, the author is including ALL humans in his assertion, but as models, our greatest asset is, arguably, our bodies. That makes sleep all the more important for not only the longevity of our lives, but of our careers as models, as well.
During sleep, our cells repair, regrow, and reorganize. It is necessary for emotional well-being. Sleep even affects our weight by controlling hunger hormones – lack of sleep can makes us hungrier (and chronic sleep deprivation is associated with an increased risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes). It affects memory and focus. The long and short of it is that we look better and feel better when we sleep at least seven hours each night. As models, we must look and feel our best. We are quite literally getting 'Beauty Sleep' when we sleep properly, regularly.
When you are starting out as a young model, you can get away with tricking yourself – and hair and makeup artists – for only so long. Those de-puffing eye creams and jade face rollers straight out of the freezer will be a helpful quick-fix for only a short amount of time in your career before people in the biz take note that you aren’t taking proper care of yourself.
Suggestions for getting a good night’s sleep :
No caffeine after 12pm. This includes chocolate and other stimulants.
No eating after 8pm
Dim lights around the house for 45-60 minutes before you get into bed
-this includes not staring at your phone or computer screen while in bed
No sleeping with the TV on, even if the sound is muted
Make sure your bedroom is cool, not too warm
Make sure your bedroom is very dark
Take a shower or bath an hour before bed
Stretch afterwards
There are so many more suggestions for getting a good night’s sleep. Nobody is perfect, but getting a good night’s sleep needs to be the rule rather than the exception in order for us to reap its benefits. Our careers depend on it, as well as the entirety of our lives.
Of course, you don’t have to utilize any of the suggestions above, but how badly do you want to maintain the longevity of you career?
