Luxury Clues

Tired of Not Sleeping? A Better Way to Grab More Zzz’s

What keeps you awake at night? Is it the economy, too many bills, or just the stress of being in the real estate business? There are plenty of strategies that can help you get a good night's sleep. Here are some of the old standbys.

1.  Change your mattress: 

Most mattresses have approximately a 10 year lifetime. One of the Tempurpedic mattresses may work. We invested in one of the beds that allows you to adjust the hardness. I sleep just as well on a standard Posturepedic mattress with a pillow top.

2.  Eat something with Tryptophan: 

Tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin which regulates sleep. Foods that contain tryptophan include milk, eggs, and turkey (so if you're tired, have a turkey sandwich with a glass of milk.)  

3. Melatonin

Melatonin is available in health food stores and is also a precursor to serotonin. The challenge is although it is sold over-the-counter, many health professionals advise not using it.

4.  Prescription sleep medication

Many of these drugs are addictive. They also impair your ability to drive and make quick decisions. Not a good idea for someone who sells real estate for a living. Worst of all, it often takes increasing doses to maintain the same effect.

5. Acupuncture 

This solution actually worked well for me, but it can run into thousands of dollars if your insurance doesn't cover it.

6. A hot bath and a cool room

A hot bath will make you drowsy by raising your body temperature. (This is what causes us to sleep more when we have a fever.) Also, most people sleep best when the room is cool. 

7. ZEO--an entirely new alternative for better sleep

Priced at $399.00, this is not a cheap alternative, but it's less expensive than a new mattress. The ZEO technology does what sleep labs have for years--it monitors your brainwaves and helps you identify the specific behaviors that promote sleep for your brain. It also helps you to identify the behaviors that may be keeping you awake.

Most people cycle through 4 or 5 complete stages of sleep each night. You experience your deepest sleep when you first go to sleep (Stage 4). As the night progresses, you sleep less deeply until you wake up in the morning. The ZEO lets you see your unique sleep patterns. It can also help you identify what time will be the easiest to help you get up in the morning.

In addition to the monitoring, the ZEO site has great information on other strategies to help you sleep better. So if you're having trouble getting enough Zzzz's, it may be well worth a try. 

Posted by Bernice Ross, Stress getting to you? If so, contact me personally at Bernice@RealEstateCoach.com for a complimentary interview with a member of our highly experienced real estate coaching team. 

Create a Real Estate Success Environment

Is there an important project or goal in your life that never seems to get the attention needed for real progress to be made? Do you find yourself avoiding this project despite the consequences you know will come from inaction? One of the best strategies to avoid this situation is to create an environment that fully supports you to take action.

Author-inventor-visionary Bucky Fuller said "environment is stronger than will." Many of us have been taught to use will power to accomplish our goals with little thought given to the role our environment may play. Unfortunately, without a supportive environment, will power eventually runs out of steam. Our good intentions about prospecting, using social networking, or following up with past clients wither and die on the vine.

Highly successful people combine their will power with an environment that supports them to take action. Each individual requires an environment that supports his/her unique talents and strengths.

While your unique environment might take years to fully establish, there are three simple strategies you can take to have immediate benefits. After reading these, ask yourself if you are ready to take action to improve your life today. If so, take ONE of these strategies and start working with it. Ignore any internal conversation about whether this will or will not work and just follow the strategy.

1. Choose friends that fully support your goals as evidenced by their thoughts, comments and actions. For example, if you are interested in losing weight and one friend keeps encouraging you to eat dessert, avoid eating meals with this person.

2. Completely clean some part of your physical space in either your work or home environment. Start small and clean one room. Your bedroom is a great place to begin. Then keep this space clean for 4 weeks and take notice of how you feel. If you are sharing this space, ask your partner for support and make a fun game out of it.

3. Donna Lee Laue of UniqueGlobalEstates.com had a very insightful comment about today's luxury real estate market: "Frugal is the new black." Plenty of millionaires and billionaires have gone broke. It's hard to shift from spending what you want to spend to being frugal. One way to do this is to form a group and to go on a Money Diet. Compete with other group members on who can find the best the best deals and who can cut the most each week. This doesn't have to become a burden--by making it fun, you create an environment that supports you to be smart about your spending and can help you weather this tough market. 

Posted by Bernice Ross, www.RealEstateCoach.com, If you need help thriving in today's tough market, contact me personally at Bernice@RealEstateCoach.com for a complimentary coaching session with one of our highly experienced real estate coaches. 

New Mexico

This ultimate Santa Fe treasure, hidden high in the hills of Tesuque, is nestled into the utmost private setting with red rock, box canyon cliffs and a cascading waterfall as a backdrop. Surrounded by a 40 acre conservation easement, this stunning residence offers unobstructed, breathtaking views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains while situated only minutes from downtown Santa Fe.

Listing Provided by Point2