Over the last year, I have been trying to conquer my depression. I know that it’s (in laughable understatement) unlikely. In fact, it’s incurable.
So what? My friend Daniel has MS. He fights it every day, to manage the symptoms and live the best life he can with an incurable, degenerative disease.
That’s all it is with my depression, and the things I’m doing stem from a single source; a good night’s sleep.
The small disciplines to develop new habits exist to combat the depression, but they cannot coexist with sleep deprivation. If I don’t get a good night’s sleep, everything else is harder.
For example, last night.
Kid one and I have taken to watching a TV show episode each night. We watched New Tricks, then Good Omens, and now we are watching Bones. It’s become our nightly daddy/kid one ritual.
On a good night, if we start early enough, we can even watch two episodes, but he needs to be up for school, and I need my beauty rest.
Last night, we were naughty and watched an extra episode, or two, and didn’t get to bed until 11 pm. This is past my bedtime (and his), and I got up this morning with very low energy.
This low energy drags at me, making everything harder. One more night and my habits and streaks are at risk, and when they go it’s hard to restart.
So, tonight’s small discipline is to get my lazy ass to bed on time.
