Sleep and eat

Not having a job has been very enlightening. I know I should be getting up early every day and treating my job search like a job. But it's hard to give up being well-rested for a change, particularly since I assume this is just a temporary situation.

I've discovered that I need 10 hours of sleep every night. I don't know how that works with job and school, but you can't improve without understanding, right? I've been trying to adjust my sleep schedule, but I just can't shut down at 9 pm like I did in my teens and early twenties.

My brain kicks into high gear somewhere around 8 pm. Before that, distraction will not be ignored. Mornings are pretty much a complete wash. If I wake up before 10, it's still noon before anything substantial can happen.

One benefit to how my brain works these days is the unstructured days keep me out of my stash. If I have to sit at a desk and work on x, y, and z projects, work the desk, and teach a class, I get bored and then I start imagining my stomach grumbling. Here at home, I wake up and nibble on something so I can take my meds. I'm not tied to the clock, looking for lunch at a particular time. Some days, I don't bother. Other days, I want to EAT ALL THE THINGS! Just knowing I can take a break and watch TV or read a while - maybe stop and do the dishes - keeps me from being tempted to snack all day long. I only eat when I'm hungry. It's not a conscious decision. It just works out that way.

I feel a little lighter these days, but I can't decide if it's food, winter dehydration, or just feeling my freedom. Either way, I do feel better. That's worth celebrating!